Los Cadejos Roam la Calle...

_{Illustration & text by Phillip LaPalme. Edited by Willow Coyle. All rights restricted.} 

The Cadejos are supernatural creatures from Central American folklore, sometimes classified as a Cryptid, which means an animal that has been claimed to exist, but never proven to exist. There is the benevolent, white Cadejo or "Cadejo Blanco" and the evil, back Cadejo or "Cadejo Negro", although some variations of the story reverse the roles. The Cadejos are described as being very similar to a dog but with cloven hooves, goat horns and glowing eyes — Some areas even report the Cadejos as being more bull-like. They’re sometimes described as having long shaggy fur however, sometimes the black Cadejo is reported as being hairless. El Cadejo Negro is sometimes said to smell of urine and sulfur or have the scent of a goat (if you've ever been near a male goat, it's a stench you won't forget!). Most accounts describe both Cadejos as having glowing red eyes; however, some versions tell of El Cadejo Blanco having blue eyes and the black having purple. Los Cadejos are said to run like deer and are purportedly very large — In some cases even as large as a cow.

Some think the origin of the name Cadejo comes from the Spanish word cadena meaning “chain” and some stories tell of both Cadejos dragging a chain from their collar. Alternatively, Guatemalan folklorist Celso A. Lara Figueroahas suggests that the name comes from word cadillo or cadejillo meaning “lock of tangled hair”, “tangle”, or “braid”. This could be in reference to the shaggy hair of the creature.
The origins of the Cadejo legend date back long before the arrival of the Spanish in Central America. The Mesoamerican peoples of the region believed in the Nahual (or Nagual or Nawal), which are supernatural beings that take the form of animals. The concept of the Nahual is a tricky one as the meanings vary across different Mesoamerican cultures. In Maya, the Nahual is known under the name Chulel, which means “spirit”. Chulel is derived from the word Rootchul which means “divine”.
Mexican and Mesoamerican belief is that the Xoloitzcuintle (a breed of dog also known as the Mexican Hairless Dog), would escort the souls of the dead safely to the underworld. The Xoloitzcuintle was associated with the god Xolotl who, among many other roles, was tasked with guiding the recently deceased to the underworld. Xolotl has the head of a dog and his name actually means dog in the Nahuatl language.

When the Spanish arrived in Central America, they brought their own legends and lore of supernatural dogs. They also brought their dualistic views of good and evil and over time the mythologies mixed and morphed. The stories passed through different cultures in the area and over the generations it took on many variations, although generally it’s a story of a good white dog and an evil black dog.
Both dogs (or dog-beasts) are said to appear to travelers in the night. These travelers are often vagabonds or drunks, although some instances refer to lone women or children. Some variations say Cadejo Blanco is there to protect, and Cadejo Negro's intention is to harm — other versions say they work together. Typically the stories revolve around Cadejo Blanco guiding drunks home safely. That is unless they have bad intentions or have performed some misdeed, in which case Cadejo Negro will savagely attack and steal the soul of the drunkard. Sometimes Cadejo Negro will attempt to influence someone into committing some transgression — Other times it will appear as a warning before someone has actually committed their evil act paralyzing them with fear with its glowing red gaze. Some accounts say Los Cadejos will help protect against La Siguanaba (who is covered in our previous article). 

It is said that if confronted by a Cadejo, you should never look away or try to speak to it as doing so will cause you to lose your mind. There is not much to be said on how to protect yourself against the Cadejo Negro aside from behaving yourself, especially when wandering home drunk at night! There are some traditions of burning incense to ward them off and some cases where a Cadejo can be killed with a machete.
There are countless variations on the myth of the Cadejo across Central America; every community has their own spin on the tale — The Cadejo mythos is as varied as the flavors of Fanta. Today, the legend is mainly a representation of good versus evil and a warning of the punishment for wrongdoings. There is a plethora of more information about the Cadejo and many stories to tell of personal accounts. If you feel like diving deeper down the rabbit hole, be sure to check out Phantom Black Dogs in Latin America by Simon Burchell (linked here). Do you a story about the Cadejo? Let us know!

References:
https://www.hagomitarea.com/contenido/comunicacion-y-lenguaje/leyendas-de-guatemala/leyenda-de-el-cadejo/
https://quepasa.gt/legends-guatemala-tradition/
https://www.wattpad.com/477931230-urban-legends-haunted-places-etc-el-cadejo
https://www.alittlebithuman.com/the-legend-of-el-cadejo-the-devil-and-angel-dogs-of-central-america/
https://www.reachtheworld.org/jeffreys-journey-el-salvador/traditions/mysterious-legend-dog-red-eyes?page=3