The Mayan Legend of La Siguanaba
Published May 17, 2022
All images & text by Phillip LaPalme. All rights restricted.
La Siguanaba (or Sihuanaba), is a supernatural, shape shifting entity from Central American folklore. The legend speaks of an attractive, long haired woman who lures men to their doom but not before revealing her face which appears as that of a horse, horse skull or a human skull. Variations of this tale can be heard all across Central America but it is thought to have originated in Spain and brought to the region during Colonial times. Each area has its own unique spin on the tale, but for this article we’ll mainly focus on the Guatemalan legend.
Before the name Siguanaba, she was known as Sihuehuet (beautiful woman). Sihuehuet is said to have had a love affair with the Aztec rain god Tlāloc, with whom she had a son. (It’s important to note that Tlāloc may have been adopted into the Aztec pantheon of gods from the Mayan rain god Chaac and both gods may have originated from an older Olmec deity.) Apparently Sihuehuet never showed any affection for her son, she neglected him and some accounts say she would leave him alone while she pursued lovers. This obviously angered the rain god and he reacted by giving her the name Siguanaba, meaning ugly woman or horrible woman. He didn’t stop there, however. Tlāloc cursed Siguanaba with a horrifying face and doomed her to eternally haunt the streets at night preying on lovestruck or unfaithful men who are out and about.
In Guatemala, Siguanaba is said to wear a white dress so sheer that it’s transparent or she may possibly even be fully nude. At night you will find her bathing in a local fountain, pool, water tank or river as she combs her long black hair with a golden brush. Alternatively, she may be found walking the streets or standing alone beside the road. She is said to have a beautiful figure that men find alluring–particularly lustful, adulterous men will no doubt attempt to pursue her. At a distance she may appear as the lover, girlfriend or wife of a man in order to lure him to danger. As the man approaches who he thinks is his significant other (presumably angered by her lack of modesty or just plain bewildered), she will laugh and run off, baiting him to follow and drawing him to a nearby ravine or gully. In either situation, In their pursuit they will find that Siguanaba is lightning fast. It is not until these men reach the ravine and catch up to Siguanaba that she turns around to reveal her terrifying face which in Guatemala is most commonly described as that of a horse and is sometimes covered in a veil. The horse face is often said to have glowing red eyes and is full of rot and decay with a foul stretch emanating from its snout — her victim will be gripped with fear. For effect, her nails will grow long before her victim’s eyes as she lets out a ghastly shriek. At this point in the encounter, Siguanaba will attempt to steal the man’s soul while he is paralyzed with fear. The men are later found dead in the ravine which they were lured to, covered in deep scratch marks.
If one of these men manages to escape the encounter, soul intact, he may find himself lost in the wilderness or having gone mad from fright. There are some defenses against Siguanaba, however. If the man carries or wears a crucifix or even makes the sign of the holy cross with his hands, this may break her spell on them and ward her off. Another option is to bite down on the crucifix or a piece of metal such as a machete, should they be carrying one, or a medallion worn around the neck. One more method of protection, stranger yet, is to start cutting or pulling out a particular kind of grass that is reported to have been used by the devil to make Siguanaba’s hair. (What kind of grass is unknown to us at this time… there are few references of this method of protection.)
Having come from Spain during the colonization of Central America, the story of Siguanaba is thought to have been one used by the Spanish to control the local population by way of superstition. The Maya had never seen horses before the arrival of the Spanish — The creatures frightened them and the Spanish used this to their advantage. As the Spanish pushed Catholicism onto the Maya, the story of Siguanaba was used to enforce monogamy as the religious doctrine dictates.
The eastern highlands Mayans, the Kaqchikel have their own variation of the story which describes Siguanaba as having large glowing eyes, hooves instead of hands, long flowing hair and a shimmering dress. She purportedly haunts the local dumps and frightens any misbehaving children or drunken husbands. This form of the tale carries with it an entirely different purpose and meaning than the Spanish version. It’s best interpreted by Mayan singer-songwriter Sara Curruchich. She describes Siguanaba as, ”...an ancestral being who protects women from patriarchal violence". In her 2020 song “La Siguanaba” Curruchich tells a story that paints Siguanaba in an entirely different light and gives the story new meaning. In an interview by Jovanna García in 2020, Curruchich recounts that in the version of the story told to her as a child,”...She takes men who are drunk to the ravine, but not only because they are drunk, but because when they are drunk they hit their wives”. In the interview, she goes on to say, ”I would like this version to change the role in history where men are put as victims when they are often the perpetrators”.
The legend of La Siguanaba has so many variations in Guatemala alone, not to mention the countless versions across Central America that it would make your head spin. Oral history has kept this story alive through many generations and each community has their own tale to tell. The story goes on even today with contemporary accounts of people swearing they’ve encountered her and lived to tell the tale.
If you’ve had a run-in with this terrifying entity or have another take on this popular myth, we would love to hear about it at Weird Wanderings!
https://www.lifepersona.com/the-11-legends-and-myths-of-guatemala-more-known
https://www.peopleareculture.com/guatemalan-ghost-stories/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tlāloc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sihuanaba
