One of the things that I find particularly interesting about the people and culture here is how superstitious they are. Everyone I speak to has their own personal encounter to relate, whether it be with a ghost, a spirit, the devil or a shape shifter. Normally I would say this is all a bunch of tosh, but I think in this case Roque Dalton may have a point with his reference to the indigenous massacre of 1932.
Ser salvadoreño es ser medio muerto, eso que se mueve es la mitad de la vida que nos dejaron
"To be salvadoran is to be half dead, all that moves is half the life that we were left with"
It's almost natural that a population which has suffered from so much death, such as the civil war (1979-1992) and the mass genocide (1932), should claim such proximity with supernatural beings. Even I have had my own personal 'encounters' with spirits here being the non-believer that I am. This is leaving me decidedly suspicious of the supernatural world.
The most common sightings are those of cadejos, old women in lace, and moths. Depending on the circumstances, a visit from any of these in the dead of the night can be considered as an omen or a promise of good things to come, but they communicate a message to the 'half dead' of what is to come. Bearing in mind that this is not your regular closet moth, it is common belief here that moths are bad omens being the reincarnated spirits of the dead. If a moth visits your home in the night it is a sign that bad luck will soon come a'knocking. If someone close to you is severely ill, the visit of a moth indicates the proximity of their death. The moth in question is the Black Witch moth, dark brown with a pale leafy pattern, large enough to be mistaken for a bat.
Cadejos in contrast play the role of the guardian angel/demon in the form of a dog. There are many different versions of the role they play in various myths and legends, but from what I can gather, there seem to be two differnt kinds. The white cadejo is good, and if you encounter him deep in the forest he will accompany you and lead you to safety. The black cadejo however is bad and likes to play tricks on people and will lure the unsuspecting down the wrong path to their unfortunate death.
Finally the old woman in lace seems to represent all of those who have since passed. She wanders alone in the dead of the night lamenting the violence and the suffering of her people. She is often seen sitting and waiting, although nobody seems to know what it is she is waiting for.
I leave you with the rest of Roque Dalton's poem:
"Unámonos medio muertos que somos la patria
para hijos suyos podernos llamar
en nombre de los asesinados
unámonos contra los asesinos de todos
contra los asesinos de los muertos y los mediomuertos."
Let us unite half-dead as we are
So that our children can call us
In the name of the dead
Let us unite against our assassins
Against the assassins of the dead and half-dead. - Own Translation
Ser salvadoreño es ser medio muerto, eso que se mueve es la mitad de la vida que nos dejaron
"To be salvadoran is to be half dead, all that moves is half the life that we were left with"
It's almost natural that a population which has suffered from so much death, such as the civil war (1979-1992) and the mass genocide (1932), should claim such proximity with supernatural beings. Even I have had my own personal 'encounters' with spirits here being the non-believer that I am. This is leaving me decidedly suspicious of the supernatural world.
The most common sightings are those of cadejos, old women in lace, and moths. Depending on the circumstances, a visit from any of these in the dead of the night can be considered as an omen or a promise of good things to come, but they communicate a message to the 'half dead' of what is to come. Bearing in mind that this is not your regular closet moth, it is common belief here that moths are bad omens being the reincarnated spirits of the dead. If a moth visits your home in the night it is a sign that bad luck will soon come a'knocking. If someone close to you is severely ill, the visit of a moth indicates the proximity of their death. The moth in question is the Black Witch moth, dark brown with a pale leafy pattern, large enough to be mistaken for a bat.
Cadejos in contrast play the role of the guardian angel/demon in the form of a dog. There are many different versions of the role they play in various myths and legends, but from what I can gather, there seem to be two differnt kinds. The white cadejo is good, and if you encounter him deep in the forest he will accompany you and lead you to safety. The black cadejo however is bad and likes to play tricks on people and will lure the unsuspecting down the wrong path to their unfortunate death.
Finally the old woman in lace seems to represent all of those who have since passed. She wanders alone in the dead of the night lamenting the violence and the suffering of her people. She is often seen sitting and waiting, although nobody seems to know what it is she is waiting for.
I leave you with the rest of Roque Dalton's poem:
"Unámonos medio muertos que somos la patria
para hijos suyos podernos llamar
en nombre de los asesinados
unámonos contra los asesinos de todos
contra los asesinos de los muertos y los mediomuertos."
Let us unite half-dead as we are
So that our children can call us
In the name of the dead
Let us unite against our assassins
Against the assassins of the dead and half-dead. - Own Translation
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