THE 61 MOST POPULAR SHORT ARGENTINE LEGENDS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The best-known short Argentine legends are that of the smurf Enrique, the curse of the Virgin of Tilcara, the ghost dancer of the Teatro Colón, the lady of the candle, the tue tue, the family member, among others.

Legends and myths are a group of beliefs without any scientific support, but that are transmitted orally from generation to generation, so that their durability seems eternal.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

In this article, you will learn about some of the most popular urban legends in Argentina, which speak from the presence of spirits to deadly combinations, including the appearance in the country of celebrities who were supposedly dead.

The best known Argentine legends

1- The lethal combination between wine and watermelon

It is a popular truth that mixing wine with watermelon can be deadly to anyone who consumes it. However, this legend has no logical explanation.

From the scientific field, Facundo Di Génova explained that this mixture is not only not lethal, but it is also good for sex. "Wine has glycerin, watermelon an amino acid L-arginine, which generates the active ingredient in Viagra," he explained.

2- Enrique smurf

This legend began on April 17, 2000 in Santiago del Estero, when two police officers from the town of Frías said they saw a petite creature in the Antonio De La Vega square, with an appearance similar to a child.

The case reached television, where the agents said that this character's eyes suddenly lit up and then he disappeared. A short time later, another police officer denounced a similar incident in the Varela Band, Catamarca.

In this last record, the goblin said that he was an envoy of Satan. The legend still endures, although the evidence is unclear.

3- The hammocks that move by themselves

In a square in the town of Firmat, province of Santa Fe, a strange movement was registered in some hammocks, which move by themselves. The images were televised and the mystery grew.

Different theories were given, all related to spirits present in the area. However, a group of American scientists revealed that the movement was caused by a combination of environmental factors.

4- The curse of the Virgin of Tilcara

Virgin of Punta Corral, patron saint of Tilcara. Photo recovered from Jujuy Al Momento.

Before the World Cup in Mexico in 1986, the entire squad of the Argentine team promised the Virgin of Tilcara, Jujuy, where the competition was being prepared, to return to thank if champions came out.

The team won the title in Aztec lands with Diego Maradona as the star, but he never fulfilled his promise again, so it is believed that the curse caused that despite having the best players in the world, he will never win a World Cup again.

5- Leather in Lake Gutiérrez

This legend is one of the many that the original peoples have in the Patagonian lakes. The Mapuche say that an incredible creature lives in Lake Gutiérrez, an animal whose body is covered in cowhide.

According to the myth, to feed itself it approaches the coast, it remains immobile, hidden and waits for some unwary child to approach it to take it to the depths and eat it. This legend is similar to that of the nahuelito, a creature with similar characteristics that lives in Lake Nahuel Huapi.

6- The ghost dancer who prowls the corridors of the Teatro Colón

El Colón is one of the main theaters in Argentina and stories of all kinds are told in its corridors. One of them is that of the ghost dancer who walks through the place.

Many workers of the place assure that there was the spirit of a dancer. It is said that when the lights go out, she shows up by calling the employees by name.

7- Elvis lived in the Conurbano

The mystery about Elvis Presley's death extends globally. There are many versions about his life and in Argentina it is believed that he lives outside the Federal Capital.

According to some witnesses, in 1977 a plane from Memphis landed at El Palomar with only one passenger: John Burrows, a pseudonym that the king of rock had used on several occasions.

In addition, many users of the San Martín train claim to have seen it in the formations, while others recorded people with physical similarities in a large house in Parque Leloir.

8- The Holy Grail is lying in Patagonia

The mystery about the sacred cup that Jesus would have used at the Last Supper also has a legend in Argentina.

The Delphos group, led by its director Fluguerto Martí, maintains that the Holy Grail arrived in America in 1307 from the Atlantic coasts and still persists in Patagonia, although its place is a mystery.

9- Tue-tue

This legend has its origin in southern Argentina and its protagonist is a large black bird that appears at night.

The bird is present in a house at dinner time and awaits an invitation to return the next day in human form.

Since he has already been invited, you cannot refuse his human visit, otherwise a curse will fall on you. To push it away, you have to say: "Tuesday today, Tuesday morning, Tuesday all week."

10- Hitler in Bariloche

Although the death of the Nazi leader is officially registered on April 30, 1945, it is still believed in reality that it is all a farce and that Hitler lives in Patagonia.

There are many residents of Bariloche who claim to have seen him and he is even awarded a house in Villa La Angostura, where he would have resided since the end of the Second World War.

11- The Familiar

This legend was born in the sugar mills of northern Argentina, such as Tabacal in Salta, La Esperanza in Jujuy, and other places in Tucumán.

In order to get out of the economic problems that affected their companies, the owners made a pact with the devil, to whom they offered the lives of their peons as a sacrifice.

Thus, legend has it that the owners made a pact with the demon himself, in order to get out of the financial well. It was a huge black dog that devoured the workers, auguring a prosperous year.

Although no person could have had contact with this creature, it is believed that it slept in a basement of the sugar mills and attacked at night.

12- The hug

This legend has a ceremony among the peasants of the Argentine northwest, who to augur a greater fertility in the cattle they unite in marriage to two animals.

This ceremony is celebrated with coca leaves in the animals' mouths for them to chew. In addition, they are given chicha to drink.

13- The ghost wagon

Ghost wagon, Salvador Dalí. Photo recovered from ABC.es.

The Argentine routes are an inexhaustible source of urban legends, one of them occurs in Tucumán. According to some witnesses, the spirit of a cursed trooper plows the roads at night.

There are many witnesses who claim to have seen it on provincial roads, especially in one near General Paz Street, where the noise of the wheels is exaggeratedly amplified.

14- The werewolf

Although it is a widespread legend, its origin is in Argentine Mesopotamia. It is popularly believed that when a family has seven sons, the last will be a werewolf.

He will be a tall, thin man with a lot of hair, who gets angry easily. His transformation from human to animal occurs during the days of the full moon.

To finish with it, you must leave a blessed bullet in three churches or a blessed knife that has a cross shape, use a flashlight with expired batteries or hit it with an espadrille.

15- The goblin

In the Valles Calchaquíes area there are two stories that involve the elf, a child who died without being baptized. He wears a big hat and cries like a baby.

The first legend was led by an archaeologist who met this creature sobbing on the hill and as he approached, the boy said with a devilish face: "Tatita, look at my teeth."

The second story occurred in Tafí del Valle, where a peon saw the goblin talking in a ditch with a child who was in his care, when the man approached, the two creatures disappeared.

16-

This is one of the most popular legends in Argentina and has its origin in the northern provincial routes, where the bad light or Farol de Mandinga is present at night.

The light appears suddenly between the dark provincial roads, dazzles everyone and in it can be seen the soul of a deceased who did not purge his sorrows.

17- The Pombero

It is a story similar to that of the duende, which has its origin in northern Argentina. In this case it is a capybara standing on its hind legs, with flat eyes and long-haired eyebrows.

He is known as the owner of the birds, of the sun and lord of the night. It is present in the hot months. The most widespread legend is that the furious Pombero, took a rural peon from his bed and left him in the middle of the mountain.

18- Caá Porá

He is a large hairy man who smokes a strange pipe made of human bones, specifically a skull and a tibia. This creature catches people and devours them by sucking them in Missions and Currents.

The legend has many versions, but none of them explain how to defend oneself from this diabolical creature.

19- UFOs in Uritorco

Cerro Uritorco, in the province of Córdoba, is one of the favorite tourist spots for UFO lovers, as it is believed that there is an extraterrestrial base there.

The legends are many, but they all agree that beings from another planet visit this place charged with a particular energy.

20- The lady with the candle

On the roof of the Juan Pujol de Corrientes school, legend has it that a beautiful young woman lives, beautifully dressed in a long white lace dress and a red corduroy cape.

According to legend, this creature roams the floors of the place at night with a lit candle. When the sun begins to appear the figure disappears.

21- The lady dressed in black

The woman dressed in black appeared on Route 14, near the town of San Gregoria, Santa Fe province. After being taken to the city by a meat delivery man, the lady disappeared.

The woman introduced herself as Nancy Núñez, who had died a year and a half ago when her car was run over by the plane her husband was piloting.

There are several accounts of the woman's presence on Route 14, where the fatal accident occurred.

22- The lady dressed in white

It is another of the most popular legends of Argentina, with some differences in its story but similarities in its history.

This mystery has as its protagonist a young man who goes to a party and invites a lady in a white dress to dance, with whom he falls instantly in love.

They leave together, she with his coat. The next day when the man visits the lady's house, the parents inform him that he died two years ago, but in his room they find the jacket that the young man lent him the night before.

23- The lady of the cemetery

La Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires.

This is the legend of the man who was locked up in a cemetery. Trying to find the way out, he found a woman standing before a grave, who helped him escape.

However, at one point the lady stood before a side wall and pointed the way. The man saw only one wall, which she crossed without problems. This story has different versions throughout the country.

24- A strange dog

In the neighborhood of La Boca, in the Federal Capital, two old men found a large abandoned dog and rescued it despite its strange appearance.

Concerned for his health, they took him to a veterinarian, who explained that it was not a dog but a rat of extraordinary size.

25- The history of the Kavanagh building

Legend has it that this construction in the Recoleta neighborhood was built at the request of Corina Kavanagh, a young woman from a wealthy but not patrician family.

The girl built the building to obstruct the Anchorena family's vision of the local church, which prevented her from marrying their son because of his social status.

26-

Image recovered from: es. creepypasta.wikia.com.

The legend of Belek began when this circus dwarf was fired from his company and settled in an abandoned house in Bajo Flores, in the Federal Capital.

Over time, the residents of the place began to notice that the cats in the neighborhood mysteriously disappeared and there appeared the myth that Belek was a vampire.

Some say that the circus dwarf was caught with a net but escaped and still lives in the Flores cemetery.

27- Furufuhué

This is the legend of a huge bird with its body covered in glowing scales that can only be seen against the sun. Its place of residence is unknown, but its powerful song can be heard anywhere on Earth.

28- The story of Felicitas Guerrero

It is another story of patrician families from Argentina. Its protagonist is Felicitas Guerrero, one of the most beautiful women of the moment, who married Martín de Álzaga.

A year later, the young woman lost a son and became widowed. There were many men who courted her but she fell in love with a rancher.

Sick with jealousy and tired of rejection, Enrique Ocampo, one of the suitors and a patrician family man, killed Felicitas and then committed suicide.

Legend has it that every January 30 (the day of Guerrero's death), the ghost of the woman appears with a bloody torso, wandering all night until dawn.

29- The ghost of 237

According to the residents of the town of Ciudadela, in Buenos Aires, a white cloud appears on bus line 237 when the bus reaches the Israelite cemetery.

Witnesses describe that in it you can see a woman's face, which vanishes when the cemetery ends.

30- The accident of the driver

In the El Salvador cemetery, in Rosario, a driver on line 114 saw a girl cross in front of his bus and was run over. The driver escaped but the spirit of the young woman remained in the last seat.

31- The inhabitants of the subway

There are several stories in the Buenos Aires subway, especially on line A, the first to be inaugurated in 1913. The most popular is that of a worker who found a man with his throat slit in a bathroom, but when he returned with help in the place there was nothing.

32- The Weeping Woman

This legend is popular in the rural towns of the province of Buenos Aires, where many witnesses claim to have seen a woman with a white sheet covering her body crying in the streets.

For the oral tradition it is about a lady in pain, trying to heal her anguish, looking for her children.

33- The Faculty of Engineering

Buenos Aires School of Engineering

The building of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Buenos Aires, in the Recoleta neighborhood of the Federal Capital, could not be completed and about its problems there is a widespread myth in the academic community.

According to the accounts, Arturo Prins, the engineer in charge, failed in the calculations and could not revoke the Gothic-style building or place its dome. The builder was found dead in his office, while planning the end of the work.

34- Shingles

This disease that causes a skin rash owns a number of legends. Despite the fact that its advance can be dangerous, it is believed that if this rash surrounds the body, the snake joins its head with its tail and becomes lethal.

This legend has a medical basis, not because shingles surrounds the body, one dies, but because the severity of the picture is given by the compromised organs.

There are also several myths regarding its cure. One of them is that it can be cured by rubbing a toad on the affected area. Another is writing the words Jesus, Mary and Joseph in ink on both ends.

In addition, in the Pampean rituals, evil was cured with a jug of water containing three twigs while reciting: «I was going down a little path, I met San Pablo, he asked me what I had, I answered that it was shingles, that with what would he heal? Saint Paul answered: with water from the fountain and branch of… (name of the sick person) ».

35- The late Correa

The veneration of the late Correa is very popular in Argentina. It is done by leaving bottles of water in the sanctuaries, located on the sides of the routes throughout the country.

According to legend, this woman died of thirst in the middle of a desert of sand and stones back in 1841, while trying to flee from her husband's captors in the province of San Juan.

Deolinda Correa asked God for the life of her son before he died and the miracle took place, thanks to which the little one survived by feeding on his mother's breasts until he was found by some locals who rescued him.

36- Gardel, the singer who gives life

After the death of the singer in 1935, thousands of faithful venerate his figure as a life aid. This legend began in prisons and spread throughout society.

It is normal that on his grave in the Chacarita cemetery there are letters, flowers and cigarettes lit as a sign of gratitude. The first plaque in memory of her miracles is from 1979.

37- Benteveo

This bird of the tyranid family is one of the typical birds of Corrientes, and the locals believe that it is the incarnation of an old woman abandoned by her family for being complaining.

But it is not the only legend about the benteveo, but there are other beliefs that say that a grandfather turned his grandson into a bird, when he refused to give him a glass of water.

38- Zapám Zucúm

This onomatopoeic voice is known as the mother and providence of children and carob trees, which is why in many places in Argentina it is worshiped with simple parties that are celebrated under the trees.

According to legend, Zapám Zucúm punishes those who cut green carob trees and those who cut carob trees with the intention of doing harm, taking a child from them and never giving it back.

39- Pericana

This wandering goblin lives in the carob trees and quebrachales, and according to legend, she is a short woman with an ugly appearance, ragged clothes and dark colors.

His ability allows him to intrude on the roads and disappear quickly. However, those who saw it say it has a particular whistle.

Pericana acts maliciously by throwing stones from the back of the riders, so that they fall to the ground and the horse managed to flee. He also tries to seduce children with wild fruits, to take them away without return.

40- Pujllay

Chaya Festival. Photo recovered from Blogs-Infobae.

The legend of Pujllay is that of a stale, sly, impertinent, cheerful and talkative gaucho, whose veneration is given in the feast of the Chaya, which marks the end of the harvest.

For its celebration basil bouquets are struck on the bleached faces, and everyone laughs and sings to the beat of the tambourine, in gratitude to the saint.

41- Mama Zara

The northwest of Argentina worships the Mama Zaras, mothers of corn, with a monolith in the center of the sowing, which ensures a good rainy season. In times of drought, offerings are made with different crops and rituals so that the water falls and fertilizes the land.

42- Mikilo

The legend of this little elf is originally from La Rioja and according to the locals, this creature appears during naps, in the summer, to scare children who are walking in the countryside.

He is described with one hand of wool and another of iron, striking men. According to the myth, it acts in the afternoon because it protects those who take naps.

43- Huazas

This urban rite is widespread in northwestern Argentina and its protagonist is this saint, who is venerated with two stones at the entrance of the sowing to protect the harvest. This will prevent hexes and pests from entering the planting.

44- Runauturunco

This legend is one of the most popular in the Cuyo region and tells the story of a man who magically transforms into a ferocious tiger.

According to the story, after wallowing in a tiger's skin, the transformation takes place that leads humans to have diabolical powers.

45- Cachin

This legend, a native of the province of Neuquén, tells the story of a shamanic method to cure a disease that causes ulcerative dermatopathy in the lower limbs.

According to believers, wounds must be washed with salty water and ivircún, mehuellín and deo plasters, to break the spell of the ants that cause this disease.

46- Calcurá

This is the name given to some black stones that are found in San Martín de los Andes on the way to Chile, and that according to legend carry within them the soul of a imprisoned sorcerer.

To avoid the perverse nature of this being, whoever collides with these rocks should pray: "Melimilla stone, let me pass, I beg you and I have this light on, I have it for you, let me pass, I am a sincere friend, I do not kill, I do not steal animals, I come from a good father and the machi knows who I am, let me pass that I'll bring you a gift from Chile.

47- Curundú

Curundú is a widely used drink on the Argentine coast, which is used in mate to attract the love of another person. Its recipe is a mystery, but the myth is in popular use.

48- Junllu

This is the name given to a rod 30 centimeters long, with metal bells attached to it, which is used for healing.

Among other functions, it is used to make disappear some non-addicted spirit that bothers its performance.

49- Pillán

It is a supreme deity of the Araucanians, called thunder, who lives in the hills of the mountain range forging the storm.

According to legend, their axes are the rays that cut through old oaks with one blow. For that, it must be invoked by saying its name four times.

50- Sachayoj Zupay

This native legend of the Saladina jungle of Santiago del Estero tells the story of a spirit that roams the fields running or riding a black mule. He takes mulitas, lechiguanas and other gifts with him for those who dare to find him.

51- Coquena

It is a divinity of the Argentine northwest, which is the protector of vicuñas and guanacos. According to legend, he roams the hills at night, leading herds laden with gold and silver.

Those who meet her become air. But it is also a source of abundance and punishment for those who treat animals well and badly, respectively.

52- Cachirú

This bird of ill omen, with its dark gray plumage and ruff, has power over the bodies and souls of men, sometimes punishing them in life, removing their eyes with its sharp beak.

To avoid his wickedness, he has to be offered three housing jars that were located in the patio; if he drinks them, he accepts the offering and becomes a friend and protector.

53- Amovindo

According to popular belief, Amovindo was a wealthy landowner who lived in Santiago del Estero, near the Salado River. It is estimated that the time in which he lived was around the year 1785.

Amovindo's fortune was incalculable; In addition to the wealth that stood out, he had hidden and buried trunks where he stored jewels, silver, gold and other items of great value.

It is said that he was constantly visited by a strange and changeable looking being, who sometimes resembled a man and other times was more like a bull with shiny golden horns. This being inhabited the neighboring jungle.

Amovindo died, and it is said that at the moment the bull appeared on the millionaire's farm, gathered the animals that lived in that place, and took them into the jungle.

54- The Salt Tree

This legend refers to a fern of considerable size (it reaches 2 meters high) which the Mocoví indigenous people, who live in the north of Argentina, call Iobec Mapic.

It is said that this tree was created by Cotaá, the main god of this tribe, to serve as food for men. Very soon the tree reproduced quite a lot on the ground and many humans were consuming it.

The diabolical entity of the Mocovíes, Neepec, wanted to end this abundance. He went to the salt flats closest to him, filled a bowl with salt water, and then poured it over the tree. Their goal was to burn the leaves with the salt.

The roots of the tree absorbed the salt and the leaves of the tree took on a salty taste. Ultimately, good prevailed over evil, because the plant did not stop being useful since men used it to flavor their food.

55- The cardón

This story is related to the cardones in the area near Amaicha del Valle, an Argentine indigenous community. The context of the legend is the time of the Spanish conquest.

It is said that the Inca leader wanted to face the massacre he was witnessing by the Spanish conquerors. To do this, he had four members of the tribe station themselves at four strategic points, gather other warriors and attack by surprise.

The Indians would receive the signal to attack and would face the conquerors. The chasquis (Inca messengers) were in charge of delivering the signal; however, they were unable to do so since they were captured and killed. In the same way, the Inca leader was also tortured and killed.

The Indians stationed at strategic points saw the Spanish troops pass by without being able to attack them, since they had not received the order. The conquerors continued on their way, and the Indians stayed at these points, waiting.

Legend has it that Pachamama (mother nature), seeing that they did not move from their place, had compassion on them, slowly put them to sleep and turned them into cardones, which are full of thorns so that no one can interrupt their dream.

56- Huayrapuca

This legend speaks of an extravagant being, who has two heads and inhabits both the summits and the precipices of the mountain ranges. One of its heads is of a dragon and the other of a serpent; another configuration may be a guanaco head and a tadpole head.

Some versions describe it as a being whose body is made up of different parts of various animals. Instead, other stories indicate that this being is in the form of a beautiful woman with long black hair dressed in a red cloak.

According to legend, the main objective of Huayrapuca is to extend the drought. It is said that he roams the crops drying them, and that he also dries the throats of animals, who die of thirst. The absence of clouds is due to this being, who insists that the sun is intense.

The Huayrapuca, also called the red wind, used to be driven away by drawing ash crosses on the doors of the houses, or by emitting intense and terrifying screams.

57- Kakuy

The kakuy or cacuy is a bird of the cuckoo family that has nocturnal habits and is of prey. There are two versions associated with that legend:

Brothers

The first legend tells the story of two brothers, a woman and a man. The man was noble and good-feeling, while the woman was mean and ungrateful.

The sister constantly rude her brother. On one occasion the brother was returning from work, exhausted and thirsty, and asked his sister to bring him a refreshing honey drink. She looked for the drink, but before giving it to her brother, she emptied the container and poured the drink on the floor.

This same scenario was repeated several times with drinks and meals, and the brother decided to give him a lesson. Another day he asked her to accompany him to take honey from a nearby large tree; They were climbing together and the sister, who was first, reached the top.

The brother descended and at the same time was cutting the branches to prevent his sister from going down. The brother left and she stayed there, alone and scared. Hours passed, her terror increased, and she was even more horrified to realize that, little by little, her body was transforming.

Instead of feet it had claws, its arms became wings and feathers grew all over its body. According to the legend, this is the explanation for the presence of that nocturnal bird, which every night shouts "turay! Turay!", Which in Quechua means "brother! Brother!"

The Sun and Urutaú

The other version of this legend is that the Sun god had the form of an attractive young man and courted the young Urutaú. After seducing her, the young man disappeared and returned to the sky in the form of the sun.

Urutaú was very hurt by this abandonment and decided to climb to the top of the highest tree to be able to observe her lover closely. At night, Urutaú cries and screams in pain when noticing that her lover is not there; in the morning she remains calm when she sees the sun on the horizon.

58- Moorish boy

This legend is framed in the Cuyo region, towards the western central area of ​​Argentina. The story goes that many years ago in this region there was a dense forest in which a group of thugs had made a den.

One day a family was going through said forest; The wife, the husband and their son, a small boy who had not yet been baptized (she was a Moor), were traveling. In the middle of the trip, the thugs intercepted the family, robbed them and killed them fiercely.

The mother had begged the assailants not to kill the child, since he had not yet been baptized; but the thugs ignored this plea, took the boy and threw him hard against a tree. Upon impact, the boy made a wailing sound before dying.

The men left the scene of the crime and went into the forest to distribute what they had stolen. At this moment a large black bird began to fly over their heads. Hearing him sing, they realized that the sound he emitted was exactly the same as the lament that the boy expressed before he died.

Subsequently, that sound of wailing constantly haunted them, such that they were so tormented that they could even sleep and eat. Eventually, the crooks went mad and died from starvation and regret.

59- Drunken stick

The drunken stick, also called the bottle tree or the pink stick, is a tree with a peculiar shape, since it has a structure similar to that of a bottle. Near the Pilcomayo river there are some tribes who call this tree "Woman attached to the earth", a name derived from the legend that will be told below.

In a village there was a very attractive young woman, who attracted the attention of all the men of the tribe. However, she only felt love for one of the warriors; he reciprocated this love and they lived very happily, in love.

Eventually the tribe had to go to war and the warrior left. She waited for him, having sworn eternal fidelity to him. After a while, none of the warriors who had gone to war returned.

More years passed and the young woman resigned herself to the fact that she would never see her great love again. Faced with this fact, a feeling of sadness and hopelessness awoke in her, and she did not want to rebuild her life with anyone else.

Instead, she decided to go into the jungle and die there, alone. Days later she was found by some hunters, who wanted to take the body, but could not because branches began to sprout from her arms and white flowers grew from her fingers.

This greatly frightened the Indians, who gave up on retrieving it. Some time later they tried again, this time through a larger group, and instead of finding the young woman, they found a thick tree with pink flowers instead of white.

The interpretation that is given to this change of color in the flowers is that when they were white they represented the tears of the young woman, and then they were stained pink due to the blood that her great love shed.

60- Pitayovai

It is a being that is similar to a goblin, but with a more fearful aspect. For example, the pitayovai is characterized in that its feet do not have toes, and its heels are located in the front of the feet. Only this structure is capable of frightening whoever is in this being.

The appearance of the body can resemble that of a small Indian, for this reason some affirm that these beings are anthropomorphic and that they can be found especially in the jungle area of ​​Alto Paraná.

They attack people with axes that are characterized by having two edges. His attack behavior is to climb a tree and wait for someone to pass by, then jump on them and kill them.

They are attributed atrocious behavior, since it is said that they are capable of biting, tearing, strangling and swallowing anyone they catch.

61- The Salamanca

In principle, this legend was generated taking into account the University of Salamanca, whose students used to meet in caves to study, although other sources say that what the students did in that space was witchcraft.

Salamanca is a gloomy cave, full of vices and temptations. Those who enter there are said to make a pact with the devil, which among other things makes them magically acquire gifts for singing, dancing and music. The requirement to enter is to kiss the back of a ram and then participate in the orgies that take place there.

It is said that in that place there is music and noise for several days, and that it is possible that those who celebrate spend all that time without sleeping, thanks to the pact with the devil made previously.

In the popular imagination there is even a map that identifies where the various Salamancas that exist in the country are found. The dreaded end of those who sell their souls to the devil is to be hanged, apparently by themselves.

62- The widow

The figure of the widow is linked to the story of a lady who found out that her husband was unfaithful to her and died. Legend has it that this lady signed a pact with the devil, through which he gave her eternal life with the intention of perennially taking revenge.

It is said that this widow appears at night and often rides the horses of men who return home late.

The Calchaquí Valleys, located towards the northeast of Argentina, are one of the scenarios where the natives of the area claim to have seen the widow. It is said that the only way to confront her is without fear and with a crucifix in hand.

Themes of interest

Legends of Peru.

Venezuelan legends.

Mexican legends.

Legends of Guatemala.

Colombian legends.

Ecuadorian legends.

References

1. The scientific bartender, Facundo Di Genova, Siglo XXI, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2016.
2. Supernatural beings of Argentine popular culture, Adolfo Colombres, Ediciones del Sol, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1984.
3. Kavanagh, Esther Cross, Tusquets, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2004.
4. Felicitas Guerrero, Ana María Cabrera, Emecé, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2012.