The 10 Most Interesting And Memorable Peruvian Legends
Peruvian legends are characterized by a mystical and religious content whose main characters are the elements of nature. Taking lagoons, forests, jungles, beaches, rivers, hills and mountains as their setting, Peruvian legends explore natural and supernatural phenomena, as well as everyday experiences, religious events and historical stories from the colonial era.
In the following article we will see several of the most popular Peruvian legends.
Legends and myths are part of the historical and cultural heritage of humanity They tell us about the origins of towns, cities, women, men, animals and ecosystems. They talk about loves, secrets, enigmas and fantasies, in addition to explaining a multiplicity of religious and supernatural phenomena.
Precisely, the legends of Latin America have common themes such as enchanted forests, witches and ghost women, mystical and protective animals, among others. Along these lines, we will see below 10 typical legends of Peru.
1. The enchanted bull (Ayacucho)
In the province of Huanta, Ayacucho Region, there is a lagoon called Razuhuillca. It is the largest of three lagoons and is located at the entrance to the town, on a hill that has been converted into a dam. Legend has it that in this lake there is a beautiful and corpulent black bull that an old woman with white hair has held with a gold chain. They say that once the bull managed to overcome the old woman to come to the surface, but this resulted in the flooding of Huanta. The residents had no choice but to chain the bull again and constantly monitor that he does not escape again.
2. La Huega (Ica)
The city of Ica is home to this legend that tells about a beautiful woman with long blonde hair, who always saw herself in the mirror. One day, a traveler who was walking in the area got lost. Suddenly he found himself among hills and palm trees, where he found the beautiful woman. Guided by her beauty, he approached her to ask why she was alone in the forest. The woman was surprised and afraid, so she ran away, pulling her beloved mirror into the bushes. The residents say that the Huega lagoon was formed from this mirror
Legend has it that one day, a 12-year-old boy lost his ration of meat and corn. Crying, he headed towards a lagoon, from which a young woman emerged and asked him why she was crying. The boy explained to her that he was hungry and she offered him food. She took his hand and led him towards the depths of the lagoon, from where they never came out. After searching for several days, The parents found the boy and the young woman in a Huayanqui cave
To remove the spell from the boy, the father wrapped him in a wool scarf and, after asking him how he had gotten there, the boy explained that he had walked with the young woman across the lake to the cave in search of food.
4. The mysterious lagoon (Lima)
Near the city of Cañete there is a river which has a lagoon-shaped part, which they call “the mysterious lagoon.” They say that this lagoon has divine blessing, since, every time the river grows and increases its volume of water, the lagoon is the only part that remains in its original channel, surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers. They say that every year, during the San Juan festivities, a beautiful leg appears in the lagoon followed by small ducklings, which represents a good omen.
5. The stone toad (Pasco)
Legend has it that many years ago there lived an old woman dressed in black near Pasco Hill. Every harvest, the old woman had the largest potatoes, which aroused the envy and curiosity of the neighbors. One night, while the old woman was sleeping, a huge toad that had sneaked into her harvest destroyed all of her potatoes. Waking up to Toad’s scandal, The enraged old woman cast a spell so strong that it made roofs and tree roots fly
The toad flew through the air until it became attached to a gigantic rock, where it remains to this day, turned into stone. In addition to ending the life of the potato-stealing toad, the neighbors confirmed the suspicion that the old woman was actually a powerful sorceress.
6. The hill of the old woman and the old man (Lambayeque)
In the center of the road that goes from Lambayeque to Motupe there is a large hill. They say that a couple of old people lived there, to whom one day Jesus Christ was introduced. He was thirsty and asked them for water, but the elders refused to offer it to him. As punishment, Jesus Christ turned them into a pair of hills, and They say that every time a stone falls it is a sign of their lamentations
7. The stone that cures lovesickness (Áncash)
This is the story of one of the many recipes to soothe wounded hearts. Many years ago there was a jealous father who decided to poison the suitor of his beautiful daughter, considering him unattractive. He soon realized the enormous sadness he had caused his beloved daughter, who had taken refuge in the Cotacocha lagoon indefinitely.
So, repentant, the father went to the hills of Quito, Educator, to collect an enchanted and healing stone that had fallen from the heavens. He took her to the Cotacocha lagoon to heal his daughter’s sorrows. He prepared the stone in a mate, and by drinking it, her daughter was cured and forgave her father. They say the stone is still there and that has been spent for each love sickness that it cures.
8. The Lord of Chacos (Huánuco)
Legend has it that many years ago, in the town of Chacos, a shepherd woman heard hammering coming from an old man carving a huge cross. The shepherdess asks the old man who he was and why he was doing that. He replies that he is a carpenter, and that he was building a cross for himself. The shepherdess offers him her basket of food and the carpenter refuses, but asks her to bring him a bouquet of flowers the next day.
So, the shepherdess returns with flowers, and to her surprise finds the carpenter stuffed and crucified. The residents of Chacos tried to move the carpenter and his cross towards the town, but it was impossible: he always appeared again in the same place. Since then, the carpenter is known as the Lord of Chacos and numerous miracles and annual celebrations have been attributed to it. In other versions of this legend, she is not a shepherdess but a group of children who find the carpenter.
9. The mysterious little boat (Piura)
Legend has it that, mysteriously, the people who were dedicated to night fishing in the Cabo Blanco cove never returned from their work. What did return after several days was his boat, alone under the current of the same waves.
They say that the disappearance of the fishermen is the product of a charm and that, during Easter, a little luminous boat appears after midnight. This causes fear and even paralyzes those who observe it while it slowly disappears as it enters the cove.
10. The town of Narihualá (Piura)
Near the city of Catacaos there is a town called Narihualá. It is a town that has been inhabited by different tribes. Upon learning of the arrival of the conquerors, the last settlers of Narihualá decided to bury themselves alive, along with all their wealth, so that they could not be possessed.
Among his most prized objects was a huge golden bell. It was hanging from a large temple that the Spanish did not take long to find. In the attempt to capture it, the bell collapsed in sleep and sank into the earth, and the conquerors could not find it. They say that every good Friday a little man from this ancient tribe appears
In his hands he carries a lit lamp and a small bell that makes noise. Guide the residents to the buried objects, who have found pearls and gold objects. They also say that there is a curse for any stranger who tries to possess these treasures.
