Reports on the Maya Indians of YucatanGarcía Cubas, Antonio
History
Reports on the Maya Indians of Yucatan
García Cubas, Antonio
Indians of Mexico -- Mexico -- Yucatán (State); Mayas
They also believe in the existence of the _Xtabay_, the _Huahuapach_,
and the _Xbolontharoch bokolhahoch_. The first of these apparitions or
ghosts may be seen, according to them, in the most isolated spots of a
village or settlement in the shape of a woman dressed as a mestizo,
combing her beautiful hair with the fruit of a plant they call _xaché
xtabay_. She runs away as soon as anyone approaches. She quickens or
retards her flight, either disappearing or allowing the one who
pursues her to reach her side. This latter is the case if the one who
pursues her is some amorous fellow who thinks her to be a beautiful
maiden. But as soon as he reaches and embraces her, he finds that he
holds in his arms a bundle filled with thorns, with legs as thin as
those of a turkey, and this gives him such a terrible shock that he
has fainting spells and high delirious fevers. The _Huahuapach_ is a
giant who may be seen at midnight in certain streets, and he is so
tall that an ordinary man barely reaches to his knees. He amuses
himself by blocking the traffic, opening his limbs and placing one
foot on either side of the street. Should anyone inadvertently try to
pass between his feet, he quickly brings his legs together and so
closely presses the throat of the poor victim that he finally chokes
him. The two other specters or ghosts confine themselves to repeating
during the night the noises that have been prevalent in the daytime,
and especially the noise made by the spindle-wheel the women use. The
other one makes a subterranean noise which sounds like the
chocolate-churner, but both these noises terrorize those who hear
them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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