Fearsome Folklores : The Legend of Sihuanaba

 What if I told you there exists a phantom that shapes into a woman and uses its beauty to lure men? No, it's not your 'Ex'. This entity has been a nightmare for men from Central America. Why? In the mythical folklore of Central America sits a spooky shapeshifting entity named Sihuanaba which has the body of a beautiful woman and the head of a horse. In Guatemala the Sihuanaba is called La Siguanaba. She is called Cigua in Honduras, Ciguanaba in El Salvador and as Cegua in Costa Rica. Despite the variations in her name, Sihuanaba's petrifying appearance and behaviour remain the same.

 In Guatemala, the Siguanaba is said to be seen washing her hair with a golden bowl and combing her hair with a golden comb. She is stated to wander the streets of Guatemala City, luring away lustful men. The legend is extremely popular in Antigua Guatemala, the old colonial capital of Guatemala, and the eastern regions of the country. Here, it is frequently said that the Siguanaba often attacks infidel men to punish them. So, if you are loyal, you are safe, right? No, you are not.

 To lustful men, she just shows herself as a beautiful girl, at the same time to besotted men she takes the form of the thing he is attracted to. A tale from San Juan La Isla narrates how a man went to pick up his spouse who was returning on horseback from El Salvador, and after accompanying her for a while his "spouse" flung herself from her mount and discovered herself to be a Siguanaba causing the man to die out of fear.

 The Siguanaba is also said to appear to horseriders on lonely roads during the night, asking them for a ride. After riding along with her victim for some time, she reveals her fingernails as fearsome claws and her face as that of a horse, causing the rider to die of fear. The few that escape without dying, go mad and get lost in the wilderness forever. While showing herself to kids, the Siguanaba will shapeshift into the child's mom, luring them into her clutches. She then touches them to drive them mad and then, she will lead the kid into the wilderness to strip his/her sanity.

 In Mexico, the Legend of the Siguanaba has its footing in most of the country, primarily throughout Mesoamerica, where they name her Macihuatli, Matlazihua, X'tabay, X'tabal or, extra popularly, "Horse-faced woman". Some even associate her with the appalling figure of La Llorona. It should also be kept in mind that her head varies at times. It could be that of a common horse, a horse skull, a rotten horse face or a horse face with human skin.

 There are a lot of tales and testimonies about this phantom. Their recurrent trait is that they can best be seen at night on lonely roads or places, showing themselves to nyctophiles, partiers, womanizers, and/or drunkards. She appears to them as a female with an appealing body, always turned book or moving away, with her face absolutely covered in her hair or a huge veil. Almost always, the sufferer is engrossed and attracted to the stunning woman, whom he pursues with compliments and flirtation. She ignores him and hides her face even more, which always provokes the victim even more. After making him desert himself by following her, she shows him her horse head and purple eyes. She is also asked to ask the victim, "do I still look pretty?" after revealing her true identity (Sounds like Kuchisake Onna, doesn't she?).

 To escape from her, the victim has to bite a metal object. Another way to escape her influence is to get as close as possible to her and pull her hair without her knowledge. Doing this will petrify the Siganaba making it think someone else is pulling her hair. In case you see a girl near the rivers of Salvador and you want to know if she is a Siguanaba, shout, “No te vas a ir María pata de gallina” three times. If she was a Siguanaba she would jump into the ravine herself.

Appearance

 The Siguanaba shows herself as a lovely, seductive woman with long healthy hair. She is either naked or covered in white or black clothing. She will not show her face until the nick of time which, is the face of a horse. From afar, the Siguanaba can also imitate the looks of a man's partner in order to lure them.

 A Kaqchikel version of the Siguanaba from San Juan Comalapa describes her as a woman with big sparkling eyes and a hoof instead of a hand. She wears a glittering dress and has very long hair. On the Guatemalan side of Lake Güija, the Siguanaba can take multiple forms but, the most common form is that of a slim, pretty woman with long hair who bathes herself on the banks of the Ostúa river. However, she can also appear near other water sources or solitary roads.

Origins

 Legends say she was called Sihuehuet (beautiful girl) at the beginning. Sihuehuet had an affair with the son of the god “Tlaloc”, and ended up becoming pregnant. However, she turned into an extremely awful mother, as she left her son to copulate with her secret lovers. Enraged by her infidelity, Tlaloc cursed Sihuehuet by changing her head into a horse head, giving her a new name “Sihuanaba”. The god condemned her to wander around forever. Because of her evil base character, she ended up turning into an apparition that steals the soul of men. Another version says that this gruesome phantom that frightens men to death is a woman who received a curse or was the victim of witchcraft, black magic or a satanic ritual.