La Llorona: The Weeping Woman

La Llorona is one of the most widespread ghost legends in the Americas. The ghost of a woman who drowned her children wanders waterways, crying “¡Ay, mis hijos!” (“Oh, my children!”).

The legend tells of a woman named María who drowns her children after being abandoned by their father. She dies and is condemned to search for them eternally.

La Llorona is heard before she is seen: her mournful wail echoes along rivers and lakes. She appears as a woman in white, and children are said to be particularly at risk.

The legend is found throughout Mexico and the American Southwest, with roots possibly predating Spanish colonization.