New Mexico Folklore, magical beliefs (or truths) etc (Las Cruces, Santa Fe: chapel, tree)
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Dont know if there is a similar thread such as this ( with the exception of the skinwalker thread) but I would love to hear about the stories behind say the pilgramage to Chimayo, magical "cures", what the milagros mean, and any and all such things whether Native American, Hispanic, or what not.
around Northern NM there is all kinds of stories dating back generations about the devil and witches,some people still believe in witches, there are some books on this stuff too.
Sweet...lets get back to the better topic at hand... cures, myths and legends. So... I was speaking with a gentleman at work the other day about how certain cultures see Owls. I find it absolutely fascinating that some cultures believe that owls are evil, that witches are associated with them and that they are related to death. I love learning about these sorts of things. If anyone knows about this feel free to expand on it!!
Also, watchin the news about the people walking to Chimyo gave me goose bumps! how neat!
Chimayo, is an old Spanish village in the foot hills of the Sangre de Christo Mountains 40 miles north of Santa Fe. Around 1810 a Chimayo friar was performing penances when he saw a beam of light bursting from a hillside. He dug in the area and found a crucifix which he called the miraculous crucifix of Our Lord of Esquipulas. A local priest brought the crucifix to Santa Cruz but it disappeared and was later found back in its hole. After the third disappearance, it was understood that El Senor de Esquipulas wanted to remain in Chimayo, and so a small chapel was built on the site. Miraculous healings began to occur after the chapel was built. There were so many miraculous healings that the small chapel was replaced by a larger one. The current Chimayo Shrine, an adobe mission which was built in 1816. El Santuario de Chimayo is now known by the locals as the "Lourdes of America". The crucifix still resides on the chapel alter, but for unknown reasons its curing powers have been overshadowed by El Posito, the "sacred sand pit" from which it came, The Prayer Room, which is located next to the pit is filled with discarded crutches, braces, and handmade shrines.
Every year, usually on Good Friday thousands of visitors begin the travel to Chimayo. These pilgrims come to visit the mission church. They come seeking healing or penance. They come hoping for a miracle. Some make the trek with giant crosses on their back. For some the journey began earlier than Good Friday, as some will have walked anywhere from 10 to almost 100 miles.
We know one woman who has made the walk three times with her family. I have met others who have made the walk. I keep saying I will do the walk some day...
Growing up in rural NM, one of my favorite stories was of the lechuza, which is a witch that can transform into an owl. There was a man in my hometown who supposedly practiced brujeria, some people say he would transform into a lechuza and sit on an old dead tree near his house. The legend of the lechuza is known throughout Mexico and the southwestern part of the US. The lechuza is said to have the face of a human.
There is a story that came out in Mexico a few years ago.....about la bruja de Monterrey
How about the Santo Nino that sits in that other chapel across from the Santuario in Chimayo, if i'm remembering right...its been so long. I grew up hearing that people bring baby shoes to the Santo Nino and supposedly they will go back and those shoes are worn out and sometimes dirty and muddy as if the Santo Nino was out and about all night.....some creepy stuff
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Chimayo
....some creepy stuff
