Legends and spirits from the forest

I always try to give some insight into the culture of the places I visit. And one particular topic that interests me is the local beliefs and traditions, specially the esoteric ones. I can refer you to older entries in this blog about the spirits of the kayas in the Shimoni forest (Kenya), the witch-doctors from Zanzibar and Pemba (Tanzania), as well as local legends in both places. As an example.

In the mayan villages, magic, spirits and the unknown seem to be a part of everyday life. There is not a single person who hasn't had a scary or creepy experience at night (but not only), specially in the forest or its edge. Here, I want to introduce you to some of this experiences or tales.

The ancient mayans are still alive: the current mayans believe that they are a different race than the one who built the old pyramids, temples and cities. How did they transport all those enormous blocks of stone, if they didn't have nothing such as wheels, horses...? And how did they transport them such enormous distances? Also, how were they able to carve the jade, and why this art of craftsmanship hasn't been transmitted to more recent generations? We can also refer to the enigmatic crystal skull from Lubaantum (archaeological site close to Big Falls village).

The Lubaantum crystal skull.

It makes sense, hence, to think that those ancient mayans were of a different nature than their current descendants. But, according to the former, the latter were kind of spiritual entities, with magical powers, and the ability to transform into animals as they wished (I would love to be able to transform into a hummingbird!) or even to turn invisible. They also believe that, when the mayan civilization collapsed, this mighty beings moved to live in the depths of the forest, where they still reside in trees, ruins, caves... And they don't want us to see them, and often they don't like us in their territories.

Jade mask.

The Xtabai/La Sucia: be careful when you walk alone at night close to the forest. You may encounter a beautiful young lady, maybe the same one you just dropped at home, who will make you follow her into the bush with her sweet voice. When you will realize, you will be lost in the middle of nowhere, absolutely incapable of finding your way back, or you will have fallen onto a cave from which you cannot get out of... all that, if she suddenly doesn't let you approach, just to discover that she's an ugly monster that will devour you! Xtabai is the mayan name for this spirit, whereas La Sucia is the one given by the garifuna and mestizos.

Spirits in the forest that don't like you: the forest is heavily inhabited. And those inhabitants don't like unexpected visitors! When you walk in the depths of the forest, both day and night, you may hear voices of people speaking in a language you don't understand, often laughing (presumably at you). You may be also thrown sticks or stones, aiming to hurt, from the bush (no monkeys, for they don't come from above).

One of our rangers told me that once, up in the Bladen, being friends out of the camp, he set his hammock, and while he was trying to take a nice nap... someone shacked strongly the hammock, waking him up and shaking all his body, like if a person was trying to scare him. Even if the strength was too much for the non-existent wind of that day, he tried to go back to sleep. And the same happened again. There was nobody around in both occasions. He decided to wait for his friends in a clearing nearby the river.

In the Golden Stream river, several villagers have assured me that they were thrown stones at night when coming back home at sunset/night by the road, in a particular spot dogs tend to avoid. Sometimes you don't even need to enter the forest to encounter the spirits!

The tataduendes: these are some short men, very ugly, who wear wide hats. They like to scare people, tease the horses and braid their hair during the night, or or to haunt people's houses. They are blamed to have come in recent years from Guatemala. When I was in San Ignacio, one day the students of the primary school couldn't enter one of the classrooms because one of these little persons was occupying it, in the words of the principal of the school.

Haunted mayan ruins: the forests of Belize, specially those in the mountains, seem to be rich in unexcavated mayan ruins. It is curious coincidence that the most of these stories take place close to this sites.

Witch-doctors: as in Africa, in Central America there seem to happen with-doctors in the rural areas. These shamans may not only treat your diseases with herbs and plants from the forest, but they can make rituals, spells and amulets that can help you to achieve your goals, protect you from other people's spells... and they are even capable of make that person you like fall irresistibly in love with you.

Creepy experiences in Bladen: it seems that the Bladen Nature Reserve, due to the age of its forests, its remoteness and the abundance of old mayan ruins still undiscovered is prone to stories of fear and untold mysteries. Big cavs that are there on your way in disappear when you return home the same way. Paths move and change their shape...

Haunted cacao fields: but probably, the creepiest of all stories are those related to the mysterious cacao fields in the Bladen Nature Reserve. This area is believed to have been inhabited in the old mayan times, and there are proves to it. Many ruins appear in between the vegetation, archeological rests can be easily found... for instance, Quebrada de Oro is a location rich in both rests and tales.

Another prove of the ancient inhabitation of Bladen are the several cacao fields that grow wildly in the depths of the reserve. They have been there since the mayans cultivated them centuries ago. Wild cacao normally grows in the shape of a bush, scattered around the forest. These ones appear in plantations, literally, but in the depths of the forest.

One day, before Bladen was a reserve, a group of hunters passed by one of these fields. It was plentiful with good-looking ripe cacao pods, and they decided to pick some. But they thought it was going to be uncomfortable to carry many of them around with them during the hunt, so they decided to pick them on the way back. When they returned, a few hours later, through the same cacao field, all the pods had been harvested...

But, my favorite story is, with no doubts, this last one: another group of hunters were poaching in the Bladen, and entered one of the cacao fields. It was full of nice pods ready to take and eat (yes, you can eat the cacao seeds raw).  They were enjoying of them when a little boy came from behind the trees. Before running away back into the bush, the only thing he told them, in an strange mayan dialect, was: "don't touch those pods, they are for my father".

Do you believe in the forest spirits? (Source: Google images)