Black Horse

La Llorona (The Weeping Woman)

In short: In Janvier’s record, a woman in white walks through Mexico City at night. Sometimes she passes quietly and sometimes she cries for her children.

La Llorona (The Weeping Woman) · The weeping woman’s cry FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 46 La Llorona (The Weeping Woman) In Janvier’s record, a woman in white walks through Mexico City at night. Origin A legend told in Mexico and nearby regions. Its exact oral origin is uncertain. Atlas record 1910 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF The weeping woman’s cry Reach¹ 1/10 Suggested age² 10+ Member rating No votes yet 1 records · 1 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

A legend told in Mexico and nearby regions. Its exact oral origin is uncertain.

The 1910 text begins with another figure that might be encountered after dark, the Fiery Cow. Then the narrator describes how calm La Llorona can look and warns against addressing her. The tension comes from how ordinary she can seem at first glance. Janvier’s separate comments about origins give the collector’s interpretation.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1910 · Mexico City, Mexico
    Thomas A. Janvier · Legends of the City of Mexico

Country pages

Origin
Black Horse. La Llorona (The Weeping Woman). https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-la-llorona/