

The villagers said the owl was really a lechuza and its screams as it was being burned were the witch screaming.

In August 2014, a video of Mexican villagers interrogating and burning an owl alive went viral. Giant birds have been reported in the area, and legends from Native American tribes north of Texas also incorporate giant birds (e.g., thunderbirds).įearers of the lechuza have taken action against actual owls. The exact origin of the lechuza legend is unknown, though it is possible that an actual giant owl was the inspiration for the story. Stories of the lechuza are thought to have been around since the Spanish colonized Mexico. Various methods are claimed to protect against the lechuza: tying seven knots in a rope and hanging it by the front door, throwing salt and chili powder into the bird’s face, shooting the bird, or reciting the Magnificat, a Christian prayer to the Virgin Mary. She lures her targets, often children or drunk people, out of houses by crying like a baby or by swooping down on cars late at night. Sometimes the owl is variously depicted as black or white and sometimes with the head of the old woman.Įxactly what the lechuza does to exact revenge varies widely across tellings of the story, though most reference the lechuza carrying away unsuspecting prey to her lair. As the story goes, an old woman shape-shifts into a giant owl, La Lechuza, to take revenge on people who wronged her during her life. Tell us in the comments below, and Share this with your friend so they know what to look out for.Lechuza-a Spanish word for a type of owl, especially the barn owl-is a myth popular throughout northern Mexico and Texas. What scary experiences have you had with this witch? So heed your abuela’s advice and don’t step out after midnight if you hear strange whistling or baby cries. Many have tried and never lived to tell their tale.Īccording to respected mystics and mediums, even the few who survive enough to talk about her tend to pass away in a few days under mysterious circumstances. You should also begin cussing her out upon hearing her call to drive her away. To defend yourself, use salt as she fears it badly. If you see a large owl, a bird many believe to be the origin of this Mexican legend, lock yourself up and don’t come out regardless of how loud the unseen ‘baby’ cries through the night. Therefore, if you notice thunderstorms out of the ordinary, chances are that she’s behind them. La Lechuza has been known to summon storms.
#La lechuza bruja how to#
How to Identify La Lechuza and Protect Yourself Some stories go on to claim that the witch-bird would swoop down at cars traveling down deserted roads at night. This Mexican terror would perch where she can’t be seen and then attract her prey through strange whistles or the sounds of a crying infant.Īnyone who dares to step out of their home to find out the source of the sound would then become her dinner. Regardless of her origins, the aftermath is the same. La Lechuza is a bruja, an owl witch, whose stories echo across the Mexico & Texas boarder of the Rio Grande. Lechuza (Spanish barn owl) may refer to: La Lechuza, barn owl in Mexican and Texano folk tales El Lechuza, a village in Juan Martn de Pueyrredn. Other tales claim that La Lechuza is the vengeful spirit of a woman, who returned from her grave for the sole purpose of tormenting the living.

Some Say She’s Just a Myth But Others Believe DifferentlyĪnother version of the story states that she was once a witch that was murdered by the locals. Some legends state that multiple women act as La Lechuza in their territories, flying through the night to find prey. However, she can be identified by her head, which is that of a hideous old woman. La Lechuza is an old witch (bruja) who sold her soul to the devil in exchange of magical powers.Īs a result, she can transform into a large bird. Who is La Lechuza Real Bruja or Just a Legend? 4 How to Identify La Lechuza and Protect Yourself.2 Some Say She’s Just a Myth But Others Believe Differently.1 Who is La Lechuza Real Bruja or Just a Legend?.
