THE 15 MOST POPULAR ECUADORIAN LEGENDS AND MYTHS (SHORT) - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The legends and myths Ecuadorian vary by region. In this article I bring you a compilation of the most famous and representative stories of Ecuador. Among them are the cantuña, the maiden of Pumapungo, the sad princess of Santa Ana, the demon of the ravine, among others.

Ecuador, despite being a relatively small territory, is a country rich in cultures, legends and folklore. Typical Ecuadorian activities take different forms according to the area, the city and even the buildings to which they are associated.

Quito, Ecuador

Some of the folkloric expressions serve as inspiration for festivals while others inspire popular legends and beliefs. Some of the stories were created to keep children on trial and avoid misbehavior.

Others belong to a vast mythology where the characters intertwine in each story, such as those belonging to the Shuar culture in the Amazon.

List of Ecuadorian myths and legends

The Virgin of Quito, also known under the names of Virgin of the Apocalypse, Winged Virgin, Dancing Virgin and Virgin of Legarda

saw

1- Cantuña and his pact with the devil

Cantuña was a respected indigenous man in colonial times who was entrusted with the construction of the atrium of the Church of San Francisco in Quito.

The pay for this work was very good, but the condition was that it had to be done in the shortest possible time. Cantuña then decided to sell her soul to the devil on the condition that all the stones in the atrium were placed there before the first rays of the sun came out.

He engraved on a stone that anyone who touched it would recognize only God. Three little demons who worked that night could not touch the stone and left the construction incomplete.

When the devil arrived to take Cantuña's soul, he claimed that the work had not been completed and that therefore the deal could not be fulfilled, winning his soul back.

2- The maiden of Pumapungo

Pumapungo, located in Cuenca, was the preferred resting destination for the Inca emperors. This place was impressively decorated and today it is possible to visit its ruins. The place had a sacred fountain that was used exclusively by the emperor.

It was also cared for by maidens known as the Virgins of the Sun. These women were raised from an early age in different arts and skills that they used to entertain the emperors.

Nina was one of the Virgins of the Sun residing in Pumapungo and although it was forbidden, she fell in love with one of the priests of the temple. This pair used to meet on full moon nights in the local gardens.

When the Emperor learned of this fact, he had the priest killed, but forbade Nina from being informed of this.

The maiden, seeing that her lover did not attend their meetings, finally died of moral pain. It is said that today, on the same nights with a full moon, her lament can be heard among the ruins of the place.

3- The Guagua Auca

It is said that the Guagua Auca is a demon created by the soul of a child who was born and died without being baptized. This one terrifies drunkards on the roads late at night. It manifests itself with an incessant shriek that makes anyone desperate.

The unwary unknowingly search for the source of the squeal until they find what appears to be a child wrapped in a blanket. Later, people discover how the physiognomy of the supposed child changes and they realize that they were actually carrying a demon.

They say that many have been found dead and with foam at the mouth as a result of the encounter with the Guagua Auca.

4- The origins of the Cañaris

The Cañaris were an ethnic group that were settled throughout the provinces of Azuay and Cañar. The term cañari comes to be descendants of the snake and the macaw, which gives a clue to the legend that has been formed about their origins.

According to his account, in those lands Pachamama sent a flood that covered even the top of the highest mountain. Everything was destroyed and only two brothers survived, who were living at the top waiting for the water level to drop.

On the verge of starvation, the brothers discovered a cave in which there was food. The next day they returned and food appeared again. They did not understand how it got there, until one day they realized that two women in the shape of macaws were the ones who left the food there every day.

The brothers and the macaws fell in love and had many children, being the first settlers of modern Cañar.

5- The weather vane of the cathedral of Quito

During the colonial period of Quito, a powerful gentleman lived in the city, full of wealth, but also of pride and arrogance. He did not hesitate to insult or despise anyone who crossed his path, since he felt that he was the most important man in the world.

His contempt for everything was so great that one day, returning home drunk, he stopped in front of the majestic rooster-shaped weather vane of Quito's cathedral. He looked at her and his words only came out atrocities such as "That rooster is pathetic!" or "It's more like a cock instead of a cock."

To the knight's surprise, the rooster came to life and fell from the weather vane, attacking him fiercely. He wounded her all over and then returned to her original position.

The next morning, the man woke up with all the sting marks and blood all over his body. He did not know if it was true or a product of his imagination due to the effects of alcohol, but since then he has not passed in front of the cathedral or opened his beak to humiliate anyone else.

6- Umiña, the manteña goddess

Atahualpa is one of the best known Inca emperors in history. On the one hand for being the last before the arrival of the Spanish and on the other for their savage and bloody acts of battle.

It was his father who taught him to be so bloodthirsty, teaching him the art of war and hunting techniques from a young age.

Precisely, during his childhood, Atahualpa prowled the forests of Cuzco in search of being able to hunt some animal. After a while a beautiful macaw crossed his path and settled quietly in a tree. Atahualpa thought it would be a good piece and did not stop until he killed him.

Proud, he returned home to show the trophy to his father, knowing it was a difficult species to come by. But just before, Atahualpa met his mother, Queen Pacha, who gave him a beautiful lesson: "The enemy is only attacked in war, since they have weapons to defend themselves." Then, he took the parrot and made a headdress for his son so that he would always remember those words.

Coastal

7- The sad princess of Santa Ana

In the area of ​​what is now known as Guayaquil, there was a king who amassed great wealth in his fortresses. The King's daughter fell ill and there was no cure for her illness.

One day a sorcerer appeared before the King and offered to heal the princess's health in exchange for all the fortune he possessed. Before the refusal of this one, a spell fell on the earth that inhabited this regent, condemning to his town to the disappearance.

Centuries later, when one of the Spanish expedition members climbed one of the hills in the area, he met a beautiful princess who gave him two options: offered him a beautiful city full of gold or be a devoted and faithful wife for him.

The Spanish decided to opt for the city of gold and before this the princess decided to conjure a curse on him. He began to pray to the Virgin of Santa Ana to save him and she effectively rescued him. This is why the hill where the city of Guayaquil was founded was baptized with the name of Santa Ana.

8- The demon of the ravine

It is said that there is a demon that lives in the ravines near the rivers. He is always looking for houses built on the edges to pull them into the river.

One night, the demon disguised himself as a handsome and charming man and in his attempt to bring down the house with its inhabitants inside, he enchanted the family into going to sleep on the spot.

One of the children managed to hide under a chair and fled in search of a priest. He, with his prayers, managed to save the house and the entire family.

9- The goblin

The goblin is a mythical creature from different regions of Ecuador that inhabits the forests and jungles of the country. This one usually rests on large rocks in rivers and is described wearing a large hat and dark clothing.

This character usually falls in love with beautiful young people whom he begins to follow. Calls their attention by throwing stones or whistling and is jealous when pairs of stones appear.

Some think that they are not isolated goblins, but an entire community that is distributed along caves, gorges and rivers.

10- The lady of Guayaquil

This legend spread at the beginning of the 18th century and continues to have a leading role in Ecuadorian popular culture.

It tells the story of how an elegant woman, with a black dress and a veil on her face, appeared to the men who were drunk around the streets at midnight. The woman, mysterious and attractive, attracted the attention of men for her sweet fragrance.

They walked after her, but they never managed to reach her. They wandered until she stopped a few meters from the general cemetery. At that moment, the woman turned around and, when she took off her veil, the fragrance became a foul smell and her beautiful image of her face took the shape of a skull.

The drunken men went into shock and began to convulse on the ground until they died. It was their punishment for being rascal, drunk, and unfaithful to their wives.

11- Umiña, the manteña goddess

Umiña was the daughter of a priestess and a wise chief from a coastal region of Manta. The young woman was very well known in the town for her incredible emerald green eyes, nothing common among the natives of the area.

Unfortunately, Umiña saw her mother was killed and her father also died in somewhat strange conditions. Later, she herself was cruelly murdered, telling the story that it was an order from her stepmother, a witch who extracted her heart. It is said that perhaps she also murdered Umiña's father.

The legend is born when the heart of Umiña is transformed into a beautiful and large red emerald. When the people learned of the miracle, they venerated the stone and built temples in its honor. They claim that those who touched the stone healed all their ailments.

Amazon

12- Kuartam the toad

This myth tells the story of a hunter from the Shuar culture who entered the forest. His wife had warned him not to make fun of the sound that a toad would make when it was found.

Indeed, the hunter in his routine came across the particular sound and did not hesitate to begin to mock it. The annoying toad transformed into a cougar and ate part of the man's body.

His wife, finding out what happened, decided to take revenge and find the toad. Once she found it, she knocked down the tree in which she was, causing the death of the animal. Inside, the woman was able to find the remains of her husband.

13- Etsa and the demon Iwia

Iwia was a demon that used to haunt the Shuar community in the jungle. One day it devoured all the members of a family with the exception of a small child (Etsa). He took him to his lair where he raised him and made him believe he was his father.

Etsa grew up and her task was to provide birds for Iwia for dessert. One day he realized that there were no more birds in the forest and he became friends with a pigeon named Yapankam.

She told him what had happened to her parents and said that the way to return the birds to the forest was to insert the feathers into the blowpipe and blow. So did Etsa and decided to kill the demon to free the birds from their yoke.

14- Nunkui and yucca

The Shuar had consumed all the resources of the plains they inhabited. One day Nunkui, mother earth, offered her daughter to the people as a gift. He warned them that if they took care of her, he would provide them with food of all kinds but that if they mistreated her they would starve again.

The Shuar accepted and were able to find a quantity of food at their disposal. One day the children of the community mistreated the girl and, as punishment, the earth swallowed food. This is why today, elements such as yucca have to be searched for under the earth.

Galapagos

15- The wall of tears on Isabela Island

Photo recovered from Galapagos Islands Cruises

5 kilometers from Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island of the Galapagos Islands is a historical site known as the wall of tears. It was built between 1945 and 1959 by prisoners who were sent to pay their sentences on the island.

The wall is about 25 meters high and is said to have killed many during its construction.

The people who inhabit the island say that when the fog sits over the place, at twilight or at night, faint wailing can be heard. Others say that the ghosts of some prisoners can be seen on the road leading to the site.

Subject of interest

Legends of Guayaquil.

Legends of the Ecuadorian coast.

Legends of Peru.

Venezuelan legends.

Mexican legends.

Legends of Guatemala.

Colombian legends.

Argentine legends.

References

1. Not your Average American. Cantuña - The Man Who Tricked The Devil. September 17, 2013. Recovered from notyouraverageamerican.com.
2. Martinez, Monica. ECUADORIAN LEGENDS AND FOLKTALES: A JOURNEY FROM STORYTELLING TO READING IN THE EFL CLASSROOM. Cuenca, Ecuador: UNIVERSITY OF CUENCA, 2011.
3. The guagua auca. October 28, 2009. Recovered from educaccion.elcomercio.com
4. Legends and myths of Ecuador. The sad princess of Santa Ana. December 2, 2013. Recovered from leyendasymitosecuador.blogspot.com.co.
5. OEI21. El Duende Ecuadorian version. May 23, 2010. Recovered from oei21mitos.blogspot.com.co.
6. Visitcuador.ec. THE TOAD KUARTAM BECOMES TIGER. Recovered from visitacuador.com.ec.
7. MYTHS AND LEGENDS. ETSA (SHUAR LEGEND). March 12, 2009. Recovered from ecua-torianisimo1.blogspot.com.co.
8. Lira, Luz María Lepe. Songs of women in the Amazon. Bogotá: Andrés Bello Agreement, 2005. 958-698-181-9.
9. Galawiki. The Wall of Tears in the Galapagos Islands. November 3, 2016. Recovered from galakiwi.com.