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La Ciguapa

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Lime Green Dot Bullet - F2U! Watercolour and ink Lime Green Dot Bullet - F2U! 
 
Sorry for the recent inactivity, but it is exams season and I have been hit hard by the tidal wave of work catching up on me.

La Ciguapa is a folk legend from the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Small and timid in size, but with dark enchanting eyes, this wild creature lurks in the deep forests and mountainous regions of the Dominican Republic and Cuba. She is said to have long black hair that shines with the moon, draped over her naked body like a cape. The only vocalization made by Ciguapas is said to be a kind of whine or chirping. She possesses such spectacular beauty that men will follow her into the forest even though following her tracks were very difficult. The difficulty is because her footprints are pointed in the opposite direction, due to her most striking feature – backwards facing feet. (this trait is often found in Prehispanic legend and traditionally signifies death, entry into the land of no return). [1] Once caught in her stare, men are hypnotized and lead into her hidden cave to be devoured whole. Leaving no traces.[2]

The first earlies written testament to the legends is from 1866 from the Dominican writer Javier Angulo Guridi in his work “La Ciguapa” from 1866. However, some researchers date the origin of the tale back to the colonial era due to its similarities with the European mermaid-type myths, while others consider it to be of Taíno origin and predate the conquest. [3]



[3] Gabriel Atiles Bidó, 2003, La Ciguapa Huellas en la Literatura de una Tradición Oral.


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gordonphilbin's avatar

Amazing artwork featuring La Ciguapa!

:blush: