Federico Stories

Long ago, a red-headed coral snake (figure 1) appeared in a pond in the canton of El Cajón de Huizúcar in La Libertad. No Indian had ever seen a snake like this one in their lives. The snake was very skilled. It lived between rocks and a small waterfall not so far from the pond. Its eyes could paralyze anyone who saw it directly. It constantly chased anyone who dared to bathe in its pond, paralyzing it. Then, the snake left the person paralyzed among some rocks as if nothing had happened. Perhaps someone could save this human by luck, or other animals would enjoy it. No one should date to enter its domains. Figure 1. The coral snake. Nowadays, strong storms have transformed the snake’s pond into a creek. This created new abundant small caves in the surroundings where the snake hides, waiting for its next prey. Be careful if you ever visit its pond.

In ancient times many Indians lived in the Anamorós Hamlet called Los Ríos. The cacique (chief) hated and lived in a constant disagreement with the Anamorós’ Indians, whom he swore to exterminate. One day, the man who had sworn to destroy Anamorós. He used his using magical powers to transform himself into a gigantic snake, long and thick and went under the rocks towards Anamorós. He wanted to fulfil his promise and devastate them once and for all. He would collapse the hill, causing a tremendous avalanche that would fall on Anamorós, therefore executing all of them. On the other hand, Anamorós’s Indian cacique recognized the cruel intentions of his neighbor. He immediately decided to go to the top of the hill of his town and built protection in the shape of a small stage. Additionally, he tirelessly walked until he reached a good height on the hill, and tried to see the snake warlock, but he failed. Later in his journey, he realized he was traveling under the hill, with a st...

In the Lake Coatepeque in El Salvador live a magical snake (figure 1), so massive, and so powerful that all people are scared of it. Some Salvadorans said it looked like a basilisk because it has horns but is partially blind because the Spaniards cut one of its eyes during a war. Figure 1. The snake. ¹ Nowadays, it hibernates in the lake abysses waiting for its return to the surface to continue petrifying more people with its powers. One day the inhabitants said from the year 1700 and beyond the snake started to snort yearly, when this happens, the waters trembled and shook, and everyone can hear the rumblings. Many Santanecos think this is the reason for the powerful quakes that shake Central America. After the snort stops, they assure they cannot stand the sulfur smell that they perceive in the place for three days, a smell the inhabitants associate with hell. They consider the snake came from there. Plus, snort causes the inhabitants to be baffled for many days. ...

Long ago, when the Maya people used to live in El Salvador, at the end of a dry season, some Indians discovered an uncommon animal near a river, which was massive and was half-pig and half-snake (figure 1). The Indians tiptoed and tried to approach it, when, suddenly, they heard a dark squawk, and the animal slid on the river and started to rain. After this, a new wet season began, and they named it the Cuyancua or the Cuyancuat. Figure 1. The Cuyancua, the half-pig, and half-snake animal. ¹ Following this first encounter, the Cuyancua became more prevalent in their lives.  It began to  appear to  announce the wet season or to predict rains, tropical storms, hurricanes, La Niña, and floods, among other water phenomena in some unexpected cases. Nowadays, you can see Cuyancua in the north of Izalco. Here, the citizens say when dusk is falling, they listen to a very dark squawk and feel strong turbulence under the earth, which panics all Indian families...