La Lorona
The wailing woman is a powerful firgure of revenge and retribution. She punishes her unfaithful husband by killing the children he loves, while he rejects her. This legend is facinating in the sense as it explores a dynimac not often knowledged. Marriages where the husband loves his children, but not the mother. Timing it explains patriarcy in all it's brutal disregard, a woman is only as valuable to her husband in that she keeps his interest. Bearing his children is all the involventment men in the past extended to thier wives.
.
In these days when many men want only sex, without marriage or children. Modern people miss the horror of La Lirona in her gruesome glory. She ia an ancient vindictive avenager of women misused, abused and disgarded. In latin culture's she is a horrofic specter for men, she is the fear of all things female cruel and vindictive. In cultures where mortherhood is the essense of womanhood.A woman killing her children translates into the ultimate rebellion against , family, feminity, society and moral character.
It threatens the very social fabric of society if a woman does not keep her place society falls.
This is the secret fear of Patriarchy the dependance on woman accept the limitations and rules that her society and culture places on her shoulders. If women realize their importance and power over life, that it can not continue with out their cooperation. Therfore it is imperative to keep women in their place.
Most societies manage this through acceptable means, encouraging women to be morthers by honouring mortherhood and rewarding womanhood with great respect for keeping the family tradtions in place. i.e. Families will spend a great amount of money, and influence to give their daughter every social advantage to make a good marriage. In many ways making a good marriage is still the most important accomplishment a woman can give her parents. The peace of mind that she has a husband to protect her and keep her "safe" from the outside world.
While many people believe woman and society has moved beyound such provicial attitudes, in reality it has not.
In Mexico there is a proverb "A house does not rest upon the Ground, but on a woman."
Anglo culture focuses the boogyman facet of La Llorona seeing only the bedtime tail used to inspire children not wander in the dark away from and be on time. In fact most non-latins know little if any thing of the true messege of the crying woman. She is not to scare children , but caution men.
She is the entity that avenges women, the dark inner goddess that lives in all woman buried and unacknowleged even the by the women them selves.
So the next time you here the story of the wailing woman, you need to be not afraid but rather wary of Spriit of Llrona she is real and she walks among us, waiting and watching. She doesn't live in ditches or dark streets she does not hide under beds but rather she is a spector of rage and vengenace so protect you heart from hatred and envy or she will walk on in and take over your soul.
Beware La Llrona