Cihuacóatl - Colonial Period

The first texts that have characteristics that resemble La Llorona date back to a text put together in 1577, the Florentine Codex, (Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España). In the twelfth book, native elders state that a woman was heard crying and screaming at night, “My children, we now have to leave far away!" "My children, where shall l take you? It is accompanied by a drawing of a barefoot woman crying and clutching her hands. The books in the Florentine Codex indicate that the woman is the goddess, Cihuacòatl, “serpent woman”.  She is depicted in the Codex as a woman with horn-like hair and a snake's body, appearing dressed in white and covered in chalk. During Moctezuma's reign prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, there was a terrible famine that occurred for three years. According to the text, “the devil” named Cihuacóatl would go around crying in the streets of Mexico. Other texts from the 16th century that echo similar themes are seen in the Durán Codex and La Historia de Tlaxcala. After the arrival of the Spaniards, the story of Cihuacóatl evolved into the tale of La Llorona. Not only is La Llorona folklore, it is a part of Mexico’s colonial past. 

The most common and traditional tale of La Llorona describes a woman who was once beautiful and in love with her husband. They had two or three children together. Over time, he abandoned her and left her with the children. Hurt, angry, and vengeful, she drowns her children in the river. Once she realizes what she’s done, she goes insane. The legend states that she is condemned to spend eternity searching for her dead children as a spirit. She is typically depicted as a ghostly figure with long dark hair and a long white dress. Some say she has a beautiful but sorrowful face, and others claim her face is hidden or horrifying. She visits rivers and other bodies of water crying, "¡Ay, mis hijos!". Parents use her story to scare little children into being obedient and careful. Families who grew up with this cautionary tale continue passing it down through generations. 

A lesser known variation of the La Llorona legend is the Chicana feminist reinterpretation. The rise of Chicana feminism occurred in the 1960s and 70s, as women were criticizing sexism and discrimination within their own community. Different Chicana writers, artists, and activists began reclaiming cultural symbols to better reflect shared experiences and struggles. Many Chicana feminists reinterpreted the story of La Llorona as a symbol of resilience, resistance, and the complexities of womanhood. This interpretation challenges traditional views of La Llorona being an evil and tragic figure. Various scholars such as Stephanie Serrano, describe La Llorona as a powerful, independent, dominating, rebellious, and feminist character. In her book, No More Tears: La Llorona at the Crossroads of Feminism, she describes how, “The newer adaptations of the story illustrate an evolving, changing Chicana and, more specifically, dynamic perspectives of Chicana motherhood… exploding the myth of mother as either passive and weak or loving and nurturing” (Surrano, 13). The drowning of her children can be seen as a response to systematic betrayal by men, such as abandonment, infidelity, and lack of responsibility. With a feminist lens, her grief and rage can be reframed as acts of defiance against patriarchal and colonial systems that silence and marginalize women. While some see La Llorona as a woman who was weak, abandoned her children, and lost control of her emotions, others interpret her as a symbol of maternal strength, feminine power, and cultural resilience.