Cinco de Myth

With today being Cinco de Mayo, I thought a brief look into Mexican mythology would be appropriate. Mexican mythology is one of the most interesting groups of myths out there. Due to the vastly different cultures that make up Mexico, its myths are wide ranged. When you factor in the amount of times it has been conquered, it is hard to believe Mexico can keep its history straight. It is because of these two factors that their myths are so captivating. They are a mixture of the beginning cultures and the newer ones. They are the definition of a cultural salad for myths.

Mexico’s most widely adopted creation myth is that of The Five Suns. This creation myth is a more complicated one. It deals with exact and approximate numbers. This is not surprising considering what else the Aztecs achieved. The myth that is considered Mexico’s hero myth is that of Quetzalcoatl. (I could not find a decent version of the myth; I apologize for that). This is also an Aztec myth. It is one of cunning and bravery. I recommend researching it at the library, since it is far too long to summarize it properly.

Neither of these myths, however, is as well-known as the legend of La Llorona. This story is known by many Mexican and Spanish households as well as by many who live along the border in the United States. It is the story of a mother gone mad then taken over by grief. It is also a very scary story to hear when you are in the third grade sitting next to the cooling vent while your teacher is reading with the lights out. One of the best versions out there can be found in a book that contains a small collection of Mexican legends that makes for a good read on a stormy night.

These are just a few of Mexico’s great myths. Although they mainly come from the Aztecs, all of their myths are touched by different cultures. When they were conquered, the ruling country influenced each myth (some more than others) with their values. This is why some of them, La Llorona, for instance, have different versions. Regardless of which version you read, they are all excellent.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Danielle Patterson

(photo credit: gail)

April 12th, 2009 by admin | Posted in Myths | (0)