The Folklore of La Llorona: A Mini-Essay

     One of the most famous myths in Hispanic culture is La Llorona, commonly known as the wailing or weeping woman. As legend maintains, this malicious spirit wanders the waterways looking for the souls of her children as part of her eternal punishment for their deaths. Although her fate is relatively universal among each retelling, the events that led to it are not: some renditions claim the woman drowned her children after her husband abandoned her for his mistress, others uphold that the jilted woman murder her children after her forbidden relationship with an upper-class man was dismantled, and a few contend the jealous woman drowned her step-children in retaliation to her new husband’s affections toward them.[1] Additionally, the origins of the legend are also debatable. Some argue it can be traced back to the sixth of eight omens witnessed by the Aztecs ten years before the conquest of Hernán Cortés, where a woman was seen weeping in the streets of Tenochtitlan over the death of her children. Others, in turn, claim the woman was La Malinche, the Nahuan women who served as Cortés’ translator and potential paramour.[2] Despite the disputable origins and details, the legend of La Llorona, Gloria Duarte claims, serves a universal purpose in Hispanic culture, warning young women not to transcend their social class, scaring children into returning home before dark, and cautioning men about being unfaithful.[3] Yet, the legend and its lessons are not limited to just Hispanic culture. In the Philippines, the Weeping Woman, a mermaid whose child was killed by a fisherman, drowns children in retaliation.[4] In Germany, the ghost of a peasant girl who killed her child and the nobleman who impregnated her is said to lurk in the night searching for children to replace her own.[5] In Greece, Lamia, whose children were killed by Hera when it was discovered the father was Zeus, hunts and devours the unattended children of oblivious mothers. And, in the Hebrew faith, Lilith, who was cast out of Eden for challenging her role and replaced by Eve, enacts her vengeance on mankind by preying on the souls of the innocent, particularly children.[6]

Works Referenced

Ausubel, Nathan, ed. A Treasury of Jewish Folklore. New York: Crown Publishers, 1948.

Duarte, Gloria. “La Llorona’s Ancestry: Crossing Cultural Boundaries.” Folklore: In All of Us, In All We Do. Ed. Kenneth Untiedt. Denton, TX: Texas Folklore Society, 2006. 107-113.

Perez, Domino Renee. There Was a Woman: La Llorona from Folklore to Popular Culture. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2008.

Vidal, Soledad. “La Llorona.” Latinas in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2006. 362-362.

 
West, John. “The Weeping Woman: La Llorona.” Legendary Ladies of Texas. Ed. F.E. Abernethy. Dallas, TX: E-Heart Press, 1981.
____________________
[1] Vidal, 362.
[2] Perez, 16-19.
[3] Duarte, 107.
[4] Duarte, 109-110.
[5] West, 31.
[6] Ausubel, 593-594.

Sickle Ornament

$15 - $20 (based on 2016 prices)

Makes one ornament

This prop was meant to be an alternate head for the scarecrow, since I did not care for the version I made; however, during the haunt, I decided to use a lighted steer skull for the scarecrow’s head, which meant this prop found a new home hanging from the side of the house. Although it was relegated to a spot not widely seen by visitors, it was (and continues to be) my favorite build, which is why it is the profile picture for Haunted Hill’s Instagram and the title card for the YouTube videos.

• One human-size plastic skull
• One five-pound flour sack
• At least four tablespoons of dark roasted coffee grounds
• One pan large enough to soak the flour sack
• One 2 oz. bag of spider webbing
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue
• One 10 oz. cans of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat brown
• One 10 oz. cans of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in metallic silver 
• Two plastic sickles
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat red*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*
• One 0.44 oz. bottle of clear nail polish*
• One newspaper
• One 4 oz. bottle of wood glue
• Once yard of brown twine
• One foot of steel wire

1. Boil enough water to completely submerge the flour sack and pour it into the pan. Add the coffee. The longer you allow the coffee to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of coffee will produce a richer stain. Submerge the sack in the coffee mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for three days and scattered the coffee grounds over the top of the fabric to add spots. Remove the sack from the water and allow it to dry.

2. Once the sack has dried, use a seam ripper to open one side of the sack. This will create a larger opening for the skull and make the process in step five much easier.

3. Remove the mandible from the skull and hot glue it agape to create a screaming face. To aid the process, use a sturdy object – a glass jar or tin can – to support the skull as the glue dries. You may need to apply multiple coats to ensure a firm hold.

4. Use the spider webbing (or cotton padding) to stuff the corner of the sack and give it extra girth. This will prevent the corner from folding over after the skull has been inserted and add to the prop’s overall visual appeal.

5. Starting at the front of the skull, glue the sack to the prop. I found that this step works best if you move in stages: apply a layer of glue to one section, hold the fabric down until it sticks, and then repeat the process. You may need to apply ample amounts of glue in the eye sockets and nasal cavities to get the fabric to hold their forms.

6. Once the glue has fully dried, give the burlap a light dusting of brown spray paint to simulate dirt. To achieve this, hold the can roughly twelve inches away from the surface and make quick flicking motions.

7. Use red paint to give the illusion of blood seeping from the eyes and nose. It works best to fill in the deepest recesses first and then spread the paint outward, following the course that the flow would naturally take as it drips downward.

8. After the paint has dried, give it a coat or two of clear nail polish to make it appear wet. Akin to step seven, start with the depressions made by the eyes and nose and move outward.

9. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the sickles a few even coats of metallic spray paint. I used two, but you may apply more or less. To achieve a nice coverage, select a paint which adheres to plastic.

10. After the metallic paint has dried, give the blades a rusted patina. Begin by dabbing red paint onto their surfaces. As you do so, concentrate your application on areas where rust would naturally form, particularly along the edges of the blades. Once the red has dried, repeat the process with brown paint. During this application, be careful not to cover too much of the red paint. Lastly, apply a slight flecking of black paint. You can do this by either quickly flicking a paintbrush or using an old toothbrush and strumming your finger across the bristles. Since this process flings paint everywhere, it’s best to perform it outside.

11. Make the papier mache paste by mixing ½ cup of glue and ½ cup of water in a bowl. Try to use a sealable container. This gives you the ability to store the mixture for a day or two between applications. Also, to give the paste added support, use a combination of all-purpose glue and wood glue (stay away from school glue because it is washable and will dissolve in the water).

12. Cut the newspaper into strips, soak them in the paste, and apply them to the handles. To make the process more manageable, keep the strips at a reasonable size (mine were roughly six inches long and two inches wide). Similarly, only apply a few layers at a time and allow each layer to completely dry before adding more (I did two layers during each application and let them dry for twenty-four hours).

13. Give the handles a few even coats of white paint. This covers the newspaper’s print and gives the prop a blank canvas for the painting process. You could bypass this step by using white copy paper rather than newspaper for the papier mache.

14. To give the handles a grimy appearance, water down brown paint and brush it over their surfaces, ensuring the liquid settles into all the cracks and fissures (you can also use a spray bottle for the application). Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes and then wipe it clean. Once you have achieved the look you desire, repeat this process with black paint to add further detail. You may want to experiment with the consistency prior to doing all of this: the more water you add, the fainter/lighter the wash; the less water you add, the deeper/darker the wash. For additional detail, wrap twine around the handles and glue it in place.

15. Position the sickles so their handles form an X and their blades face opposite each other. Then, glue them together. Although I used hot glue, you might consider superglue, especially if you plan to display the prop outdoors in windy conditions.

16. Use the steel wire to create a hanging loop on the back of the sickles. For a more rustic look, you can use the same twine wrapped around the sickles’ handles.

17. Rest the skull in the juncture between the two handles and glue it in place, as with step fifteen, use superglue for a sturdier hold, particularly if the prop will be exposed to the elements.

18. The prop can be embellished with additional details to cater it to your haunt’s theme, such as cockroaches crawling across its surface or a few severed ears and fingers dangling from the blades.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.

"The Fairy Well of Lagnanay" (A Poem)

Originally meant to be a companion piece for “The Fairy Thorn,” “The Fairy Well of Lagnanay” was published in the April 1833 issue of Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine as “The Fairy Well.” Along with the title change, the poem was riddled with spelling mistakes and lacked its companion piece. Understandably, all of these factors thoroughly upset author Samuel Ferguson, who later had it republished in 1846 under the correct title in Denis Florence McCarthy’s anthology Book of Irish Ballads.[1] In this tale, a heartbroken woman begs her sister to accompany her to the fairy well of Langnanay, where she longs to end her suffering and join Anna Grace (who disappears in “The Fairy Thorn”) among the fairies.

 

Mournfully, sing mournfully –

“O listen, Ellen, sister dear:

Is there no help at all for me,

But only ceaseless sigh and tear?

Why did not he who left me here,

With stolen hope steal memory?

O listen, Ellen, sister dear,

(Mournfully, sing mournfully) –

I’ll go away to Sleamish hill,

I’ll pluck the fairy hawthorn-tree,

And let the spirits work their will;

I care not if for good or ill,

So they but lay the memory

Which all my heart is haunting still!

(Mournfully, sing mournfully) –

The Fairies are a silent race,

And pale as lily flowers to see;

I care not for a blanched face,

For wandering in a dreaming place,

So I but banish memory: –

I wish I were with Anna Grace!

Mournfully, sing mournfully!

 

Hearken to my tale of woe –

‘Twas thus to weeping Ellen Con,

Her sister said in accents low,

Her only sister, Una bawn:

‘Twas in their bed before the dawn,

And Ellen answered sad and slow, –

“Oh Una, Una, be not drawn

(Hearken to my tale of woe) –

To this unholy grief I pray,

Which makes me sick at heart to know,

And I will help you if I may:

– The Fairy Well of Lagnanay –

Lie nearer me, I tremble so, –

Una, I’ve heard wise women say

(Hearken to my tale of woe) –

That if before the dews arise,

True maiden in its icy flow

With pure hand bathe her bosom thrice,

Three lady-brackens pluck likewise,

And three times round the fountain go,

She straight forgets her tears and sighs.”

Hearken to my tale of woe!

 

All, alas! and well-away!

“Oh, sister Ellen, sister sweet,

Come with me to the hill I pray,

And I will prove that blessed freet!”

They rose with soft and silent feet,

They left their mother where she lay,

Their mother and her care discreet,

(All, alas and well-away!)

And soon they reached the Fairy Well,

The mountain’s eye, clear, cold and grey,

Wide open in the dreary fell:

How long they stood ‘twere vain to tell,

At last upon the point of day,

Bawn Una bares her bosom’s swell,

(All, alas and well-away!)

Thrice o’er her shrinking breasts she laves

The gliding glance that will not stay

Of subtly-streaming fairy waves: –

And now the charm three brackens craves,

She plucks them in their fring’d array: –

Now round the well her fate she braves,

All, alas! and well-away!

 

Save us all from Fairy thrall!

Ellen sees her face the rim

Twice and thrice, and that is all--

Fount and hill and maiden swim

All together melting dim!

“Una! Una!” thou may’st call,

Sister sad! but lith or limb

(Save us all from Fairy thrall! )

Never again of Una bawn,

Where now she walks in dreamy hall,

Shall eye of mortal look upon!

Oh! can it be the guard was gone,

The better guard than shield or wall?

Who knows on earth save Jurlagh Daune?

(Save us all from Fairy thrall! )

Behold the banks are green and bare,

No pit is here wherein to fall:

Aye – at the fount you well may stare,

But nought save pebbles smooth is there,

And small straws twirling one and all.

Hie thee home, and be thy pray’r,

Save us all from Fairy thrall.[2]

 

Works Referenced

 

Campbell, Matthew. Irish Poetry Under the Union, 1801-1924. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014.

 

Ferguson, Samuel. “The Fairy Well of Lagnanay.” The Poets and Poetry of Ireland with Historical and Critical Essays and Notes. Ed. Alfred Williams. Boston, MA: James Osgood and Company, 1881. 396-399.

____________________

[1] Campbell, 221.

[2] Ferguson, 396-399.

Laboratory Specimens

$35 - $40 (based on 2020 prices)

Makes five jars 

 

The laboratory for 2020’s haunt required dozens of jarred specimens, so I created a variety of props to provide the doctor with a vast assortment of subjects. For this version, I repurposed a collection of plastic body parts and purchased a series of cheap containers from the secondhand store to reduce the overall cost. To maintain a sense of cohesion within the haunt, I employed several of the same techniques utilized while building the aquatic specimens, particularly the wood-stained glass and yellow formalin solution.

• Five glass jars of varying sizes (you can decrease or increase this number)
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in Jacobean*
• One piece of 8” x 11.5” paper with specimen labels printed on it
• At least four tablespoons of black tea (e.g. Darjeeling, Earl Gary, English Breakfast, etc.)
• One pan large enough to soak the paper
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• Five various body parts and/or severed limbs
• One 0.3 fluid ounce bottle of red food coloring*
• One 0.3 fluid ounce bottle of yellow food coloring*

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the jars and then, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, paint their surfaces with the wood stain. I found applying a thin coat and patting it with paper towels produces a hazed appearance. Also, brushing the rims and bases with a swift downward motion creates the illusion of grime buildup.

2. Boil enough water to completely submerge the copy paper and pour it into the pan. Add the tea. The longer you allow the tea to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of tea will produce a richer stain. I discovered that a combination of English and Irish Breakfast brewed for over ten minutes produces a nice, deep brown. Submerge the paper into the tea mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours and scattered the loose-leaf tea over the top of the paper to add spots. Remove the paper from the water and allow it to dry.

3. After the paper has dried, cut out the labels, leaving a small border around their edges, and give your specimens names. To roughen the labels’ appearance, use sandpaper to fray their sides and create holes. You can also crumple the paper to produce creases.

4. Once you have achieved your desired level of distress, glue the labels to the sides of the jars. You can use olive or vegetable oil to add further stains (apply a small amount of oil to your index finger and pat it on the paper).

5. Add the body parts and severed limbs to their corresponding jar. Since they will be submerged in water for an extended period of time, it is best to use items made from plastic or vinyl. Additionally, because the food coloring may stain, select items you won’t mind ruining.

6. Fill a large pitcher with enough water for all five jars and add a few drops of yellow food coloring and a tint of red to make it appear like a formalin solution. Since you still want the specimens to be visible through the liquid, gradually add the coloring until it reaches the hue you desire.

7. Pour the liquid into the jars, filling them enough to fully submerge the specimens. If you have an issue with the body parts and severed limbs floating, you can reduce their buoyancy by cutting small holes into unnoticeable areas and using the openings to fill them with water.

8. Repeat the process in step one with the jars’ lids, dirtying their surfaces with the wood stain. For the time-pressed haunter, it may be helpful to stain all of the items at once. For an alternate look, you could spray paint the lids with silver and use brown and red paint to create a rusted patina.

9. Reattach the lids to the jars. For permanency, you can seal the jars with hot glue or superglue if you plan to keep them for several years. Likewise, the props can be enhanced further with subtle details, like biohazard or poisonous labels, to cater them to the specific theme of your haunt. 

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.