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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. Find high-quality stock photos that you won't find anywhere else. The exact origin of the lechuza legend is unknown, though it is possible that an actual giant owl was the inspiration for the story. Search from Lechuza Pics stock photos, pictures and royalty-free images from iStock. 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.
#Lechuza pictures free
If you have any of your own, please feel free to share it with the rest of us.Lechuza-a Spanish word for a type of owl, especially the barn owl-is a myth popular throughout northern Mexico and Texas. From hauntings to creatures such as our witch here. I have to confess an affinity for regional folklore such as this. Always included in cautionary tales to ensure our continued good behavior. From this entrance there is a short walk through a tree-covered corridor then. The best public access is at the center of the beach with an entrance on Broad Beach Road across from a short cul-de-sac called Bunnie Lane. It’s located below homes at the northern end of Broad Beach Road. La Lechuza seems to me to be a mythological demon. Lechuza Beach is a little-known public beach in Malibu, CA. I’ve definitely never seen anything that big down here. I’ve included a picture of a massive white barn owl, with a stated wingspan of 15 feet. Sort of a Mothman like entity…Ĭould these legends be based on sightings or encounters of an extraordinary large owl or other predatory bird? Very unlikely, although I have seen some extremely large owls here occasionally. And a few fringe tales even describe her as a minion of Satan himself, preying on negative emotions and being drawn to disasters and calamities. So if you hear the wailing screech of an owl here in the valley late at night, a few sprinkles of salt on your windowsill will keep you protected. The best weapon to ward off la Lechuza is salt. Apparently, that leaves a lot of us in danger. I’ve occasionally done so myself…Īnother of my favorite stories is that she’s a malevolent spirit that craves the blood of newborn babies as well as the unbaptized. It’s certainly not uncommon to see folks crossing themselves at night here when a large owl passes overhead.
#Lechuza pictures driver
One story that’s really common is that she’s the spirit of a woman whose children were killed by a drunk driver so she sold her soul to the devil to spend eternity exacting her revenge…Īnother common version that I’ve heard a lot is that she takes the form of a large, gray or white owl. And who’s going to ignore that?Īccording to the most popular telling, she often preys on the drunks out at night, her cries luring them to their demise, with their bones picked clean by her vicious beak and talons. And a witch that lures her victims by either whistling outside the houses at night, or mimicking the cries of a lost, mournful newborn baby. She supposedly has the body of a large owl and the head of an old haglike crone. Usually described as part human and part bird, she’s had many origins and interpretations over the years. So who or what is she? Let’s see if we can piece this paranormal puzzle together… The belief in La Lechuza is not only widespread here, but I also have several friends who claim to have encountered her as well.

She’s known as La Lechuza and she’s a witch who takes on the form of a large owl.Īs most of you know I’m from deep South Texas, about 3.5 miles from the Mexican border. “I wanted to share a legendary paranormal owl from my home here in the Rio Grande Valley.
