Federico Stories

Around 20 years ago at the beginning of the 2000s, some fishermen started to hear some uncommon voices from the sea, to be precise Los Cóbanos Beach. The fishermen were frightened by its voices. One of them recalled that his grandfather had told him that a ship had sunk on their coasts in 1890. The ship was called S.S. Douglas. This was a beautiful and imponent English ship. His grandfather had also told him that the S.S. Douglas had sunk while carrying a shipment of 10,000 bags of golden coffee to Hamburg, Germany. That day was quite windy, and the storms were stronger than forcing the S.S. Douglas to collide off with Punta Remedios twelve miles from the Port of Acajutla. A place that since pre-Hispanic times has been important for trade and fishing. After the tragedy, the crew members were directly taken to a Los Cóbanos clinic in an emergency, and due to the collision with the stones located on the beach, the ship stayed at that point and dived 24 feet deep. The people around the to...

Many years ago, in Culuco, Nahualism was widespread. This was an ancient art that allowed people to shapeshift into animals. Its local sorcerers were experts on it. However, one day, they committed a serious offense against the Catholic Church. One that really enraged it. In those days, the inhabitants of Culuco were terrified by almost every animal. No one was sure if an animal was an animal, or it was one of the sorcerers! Some assured, they could transform into any animal you could imagine, dogs, cats, cows, etc. Their powers were unmeasurable. At any moment, any animal could revert back to its human form and frighten them to death. Many people often fainted and lost their belongings after these experiences. However, one Thursday during the winter solstice of 1855, an important priest decided to go there and organize a special mass. He organized it in a beautiful church inside the cave (figure 1). He started his mass, but strangely no parishioners arrived. He was shocked bec...

Sir Francis Drake was an English man of noble origins. He had a good education, wealth, and excellent life. However, he felt that something was missing in his life and decided to embark on a new journey to the New World. No one is sure what happened or why his mind changed during these months in the Atlantic Ocean, but something is clear: he became a well-known criminal and pirate over the years. Sir Drake built a solid reputation across the Atlantic due to his multiple berths and looting. Hence, his crew and hem were nicknamed “Sea Dogs.” Sir Drake sailed all his pirate adventures in the Golden Hind (figure 1), a beautiful and impotent ship that was the crown of Sir Drake’s pirate kingdom. Figure 1. Sir Francis Drake and t he Golden Hind.  ¹ Over the year 1578, Sir Drake crossed the Strait of Magellan and headed towards the Spanish Indies in the Pacific. He toured the entire Pacific coast and went from Chile to California. On this journey, he disembarked and plund...

In Nahuizalco, precisely at the town exit that connects with the route to Salcoatitán, there is a place called Teshical. Here, you can find a massive rock that catches everyone’s attention because the locals say that the stone eats humans! How is it possible? You might ask, well, the rock name Tecuantet means “to eat.”  Over the years, many people swear they have heard voices inside the rock that come from the devoured people. Almost everyone agrees the rock has a particular taste in children and affirms this is the main reason for their high index of missing children there. Local authorities have tried multiple times to remove the rock from the place. However, the locals oppose it not because they like rock, but rather because of a deep and unfounded fear that if they do it, a supernatural punishment is going to happen. Plus, all elders think the rock has a protector. Today, they perceive it as an altar, and their people twice a week place some flowers next to it. However...

Long ago, many Salvadoran sorcerers loved a pretty young girl and wanted to marry her, but she did not like any of them and rather ignored their constant proposals. She didn’t want to be rude. The sorcerers tried all that they could to change her mind, offering gifts, flowers, cacao, everything! However, she didn’t change her position and never accepted anything. After many attempts, they got irritated and in an angry moment yelled at her: “As revenge that none of us can love you, we will cast a spell on you so only us, can see you!” She ignored those wicked words and carried on with her life. She hadn’t seen or heard from the sorcerers for a while. A few weeks later, the girl went to take a bath in a pond located near the corner of a millstone, now Nahulingo. She loved to swim naked in that pond when the sun rose. However, that morning, something was strange, the sun didn’t rise as always, it seemed a bad omen, but she still  took off her clothes and started swimming as always. ...

During the Spanish Conquista, a Lord tried to force Prince Atonal’s daughter to become his slave. She was a woman of magnificent beauty and indomitable will. Her name was Atlakaki, which means “The Indomitably.” In addition, this Lord wanted to abuse her and turned her into his concubine. However, she told him that she would never be the wife or slave of any invader! She said to him that if he respected her life, she would prepare something delicious to eat for him. The prominent Lord suspected that proposal, but he accepted the offer. The lovely princess prepared the special food and arranged to serve it to him and his guests. During dinner, the Spaniard took a huacal. Later, he called a slave, opened his mouth, and gave him a cup of the atole. The boy had not finished the drink when he fell to the floor with pain, and foam came out of his mouth. The Lord uncovered the princess’s trick and realized there was a mix of coral snake venom to kill him. Atlakaki was imprisoned and...

According to an ancient legend in the Sensunapán River, there is a well-known pond called Bululú (figure 1). This pool is enchanted because a golden crate contains a paste filled with diamonds and silver soap. Figure 1. The pond of Bululú. ¹ These objects belonged to an Indian princess, who one day went for a walk around the place. She had an unmeasurable loved for this river.  One day, she took a bath in the lowest part, when suddenly, she carelessly slid on a rock and could not swim back. Unfortunately, she drowned in that place, and no one knew about it. Days later, some curious Indians came to the pool and wanted to seize the Princess’s belongings. However, mysteriously when they tried to touch them, they disappeared and appeared on the other side of the pond while they heard some giggling laughter from somewhere, but they couldn’t see anyone. They fled as fast as possible from there! The elders say, the one who can touch them submerges in the pond and cannot l...