La Lechuza: The Shape-Shifting Witch-Owl | Monstrum

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  • Опубликовано: 21 окт 2024
  • You're walking home, a little tipsy, guided only by the moonlight. Suddenly, you sense something watching you: an unnervingly large owl with a human face! This is La Lechuza, a malevolent witch-owl from Tejano and Mexican folklore.
    Ayden from the Susto podcast joins us for this one! www.sustopodca.... Thanks for lending us your expertise, Ayden!
    For audio descriptions, go to Settings - Audio Track - English Descriptive.
    *****
    PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: to.pbs.org/Dona...
    *****
    Written and Hosted by: Dr. Emily Zarka
    Director: David Schulte
    Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
    Executive Producer: Dr. Emily Zarka
    Producer: Thomas Fernandes
    Editor/Animator: Jordyn Buckland
    Illustrator: Samuel Allan
    Executive in Charge (PBS): Maribel Lopez
    Director of Programming (PBS): Gabrielle Ewing
    Additional Footage: Shutterstock
    Music: APM Music
    Descriptive Audio & Captions provided by The Described and Captioned Media Program
    Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.
    Follow us on Instagram:
    / monstrumpbs
    *****
    Bibliography
    “El Pajaro: 25 Theories.” La Lomita, November 1975.
    Hinojosa, Hernán Moreno. Lechuza: Eerie and Unusual True Tales. Hope Kelley Book Publishing, 2020.
    Lewis, Laura A.. Hall of Mirrors : Power, Witchcraft, and Caste in Colonial Mexico, Duke University Press, 2003.
    Losser, Sheryl. "Mexico News Daily: Mexico’s Witch Legends Recall the Holy Inquisitions Reign of Terror." Mexico News Daily, 2023.
    Nowell, April and Nancy Gonlin. Archaeology of the Night: Life After Dark in the Ancient World. University Press of Colorado, 2017.
    Roberts, John M., and Hugo G. Nutini. Bloodsucking Witchcraft: An Epistemological Study of Anthropomorphic Supernaturalism in Rural Tlaxcala. The University of Arizona Press, 1993.
    Sokolovsky, Jay. Indigenous Mexico Engages the 21st Century: A Multimedia-Enabled Text. Routledge, 2016.
    Sorcery in Mesoamerica. Eds. John M. D. Pohl and Jeremy D. Coltman. University Press of Colorado, 2020.

Комментарии • 499

  • @WhirlingBlackDiamonds
    @WhirlingBlackDiamonds 3 месяца назад +361

    I so badly wish PBS would give monstrum a 45 minute episode series format.

    • @pbsstoried
      @pbsstoried  3 месяца назад +184

      You might be pleasantly surprised by our October special....-*Dr.Z*

    • @WhirlingBlackDiamonds
      @WhirlingBlackDiamonds 3 месяца назад +28

      @@pbsstoried oh you've got me on the hook now.

    • @casandramunoz3731
      @casandramunoz3731 3 месяца назад +6

      Me too!

    • @ladypossum1776
      @ladypossum1776 3 месяца назад +14

      @@pbsstoriedyOOOO the cauldron is BREWING this spooky season!

    • @devonmunn5728
      @devonmunn5728 3 месяца назад +10

      I don't mind either way. As a person interested in anthropology and sociology and as a person who has a fixation on the paranormal as a kid these I find very interesting plus it isn't purely focused on European folklore

  • @Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache
    @Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache 3 месяца назад +665

    Not gonna lie. In this video about an transforming owl lady, I was not expecting the Spanish Inquisition.

    • @micswiggim2914
      @micswiggim2914 3 месяца назад +176

      No one ever does.

    • @LindaC616
      @LindaC616 3 месяца назад +13

      ​@@micswiggim2914😅

    • @SillyTeacherLady
      @SillyTeacherLady 3 месяца назад +63

      It's their use of fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope!

    • @alanmoss3603
      @alanmoss3603 3 месяца назад

      DON'T mention the Spanish Inquisition! I did once, but I think I got away with it!

    • @nicholaspeters9919
      @nicholaspeters9919 3 месяца назад

      @@SillyTeacherLadyAnd the comfy chair. We must never forget the comfy chair.

  • @sabretoo
    @sabretoo 3 месяца назад +212

    I appreciate that you guys use historical images and your kinda goofy spooky illustrations, never AI art. Nowadays many of the less reputable "educational" channels use AI art and it makes the rest of their information very sus. Idk how connected Storied, Origins, and Eons actually are to PBS, since Eons at least sometimes has corporate sponsors. But I am glad the creators on these channels seem to have pretty high standards.

    • @pbsstoried
      @pbsstoried  3 месяца назад +76

      We are all part of the PBS family! Thanks for the kind words.

    • @zionleach3001
      @zionleach3001 3 месяца назад +16

      Yeah, AI art isn't that good. It's either super uncanny or an acid trip.

    • @_Bont
      @_Bont 3 месяца назад +6

      a lot of the images are upscaled using ai which is fine to an extent, but some are upscaled to the point where all the details are lost and the ai kinda misinterprets what the original image is supposed to look like. The image at 3:44 is from the Codex Borgia which you can find lots of hi-res scans of on google images, then the next two images after that don't get the same treatment. Maybe it's an issue with licensing?

    • @iqbaalannaafi761
      @iqbaalannaafi761 3 месяца назад +4

      ​@@pbsstoried
      Hello Dr. Zarka, would you kindly make a video on either phobias, naga/snake-people, or the minotaur next?

    • @floresarts
      @floresarts 3 месяца назад +6

      As someone who literally lost his job as an illustrator to AI, I just want to say... yes. Thank you.

  • @EayuProuxm
    @EayuProuxm 3 месяца назад +237

    Coyote in a large hat theory needs a video on its own.

    • @pbsstoried
      @pbsstoried  3 месяца назад +36

      🤣

    • @rochelle2758
      @rochelle2758 3 месяца назад +10

      I would watch the hell out of that

    • @floresarts
      @floresarts 3 месяца назад +9

      I think i've seen these videos. He's often trying to catch a roadrunner.

    • @Vibranium_man
      @Vibranium_man 3 месяца назад +2

      ​@@pbsstoriedcan you do a video about the different horse like creatures in history like the Pegasus or the kelpie?

    • @Cutiepie-mf4ht
      @Cutiepie-mf4ht 3 месяца назад +1

      @@pbsstoried question could you do a video about the creatures of Game of Thrones? I’m very curious to see this on your channel.

  • @EdgarCastillo-c6j
    @EdgarCastillo-c6j 3 месяца назад +176

    I was telling a lechuza story to my younger siblings and one of our cousins when an owl decided to start hooting just as I finished. Everyone was freaked out after that to the point where I had to drive my cousin back while he was carrying my small virgin Mary with a light that an uncle gave me some years ago.

  • @PokhrajRoy.
    @PokhrajRoy. 3 месяца назад +248

    Telling owls “Hey sister, how are you doing?” is honestly fabulous 🔥

    • @rabidwallaby84
      @rabidwallaby84 3 месяца назад +3

      Unless the owl is male...then you're just straight up misgendering it...

    • @-Thauma-
      @-Thauma- 3 месяца назад +2

      Right ❤

    • @IPS-FFF72
      @IPS-FFF72 3 месяца назад +3

      Ain’t no way I’m greeting an owl witch 💀 she can say “hello” to my lighter and some gasoline

    • @VictorPerez-vu1fo
      @VictorPerez-vu1fo 3 месяца назад +13

      ​@@IPS-FFF72 unfortunately there's a lot of people who believe the same as you and decide to capture, torture and burn these animals cause "they're a witch".
      While I appreciate the story behind the stories, the backwards thought on how to deal with them is just horrible and most cases are based on an irrational fear.

    • @user-zp4ge3yp2o
      @user-zp4ge3yp2o 3 месяца назад +6

      @@IPS-FFF72 You know there are owls all over the world? And that they aren't witches? You could visit an owl sanctuary and see owls. I know you should respect other cultures but this sort of thing is just reprehensible.

  • @Error-tr9ke
    @Error-tr9ke 3 месяца назад +291

    So this is what Eda's up to in the human realm

    • @geeker6350
      @geeker6350 3 месяца назад +33

      "I used to play back in my gory days."

    • @changingpeopleslivesmoon2993
      @changingpeopleslivesmoon2993 3 месяца назад +30

      Someone get luz

    • @jordanhamann9123
      @jordanhamann9123 3 месяца назад +20

      But her aim is getting better!!

    • @Ludeqrist
      @Ludeqrist 3 месяца назад +9

      Interesting fact: When owls cooperatively attack someone. This is called in Arabic "Bawamoet" (بوموت) . Learn Arabic good-wise!

    • @telorrii
      @telorrii 3 месяца назад +18

      I was hoping there was an overlap of channel viewer and pwl house 😅

  • @amper-sand
    @amper-sand 3 месяца назад +216

    “Mom is serving us blood for dinner again?! Thats all we’ve had for like two months…something is definitely going on…”

    • @LindaC616
      @LindaC616 3 месяца назад +15

      Fun fact: we visited a taco stand on Oaxaca at 3am with a friend, and one "protein" source of choice was coagulation blood...like the bits you get when you fry a steak

    • @per-c8229
      @per-c8229 3 месяца назад +17

      ​@@LindaC616Yes is spiced cook blood, we call it moronga and is freaking delicious 🤤 I cook it with sliced onions and potatoes no beans 'cause some in the family are allergic but if you can you should definitely add them.

    • @gregoryvn3
      @gregoryvn3 3 месяца назад +3

      And that is how the Midnight Munchies turned into the latest vampire origin story. 😮

    • @liztheworsening1747
      @liztheworsening1747 2 месяца назад

      She’s making sure you get enough iron! 😅

  • @mypal1990
    @mypal1990 3 месяца назад +44

    I realized how much these monsters are a cautionary tale. And the real animal like an owl would terrify someone walking home.

  • @sodium_and_scales
    @sodium_and_scales 3 месяца назад +54

    Adding to this; There's another thing that may or may not have helped fuel the fire of lechuza legends. You see, there's a spanish mythilogical being called a Guaxa. Guaxas are vampire-like old ladies that shapeshift into owls. At night they sneak into people's homes to suck their blood through their single tooth. They are not exactly the same, but the similarities are clear, and given spain's history with the americas... Well, I don't thinkg you need to be an expert to see how one legend could have influenced the other.

    • @Kuwagumo
      @Kuwagumo 3 месяца назад +6

      Also, that's very similar to the portuguese bruxa, also a vampire hag, but the word itself does mean witch, wich is interesting

    • @floresarts
      @floresarts 3 месяца назад +1

      A blood-sucking monstrosity? Well, given Spain's history with the Americas, you don't have to be a literary expert to see the opportunity for an eerily apt historical metaphor. 😉

    • @Ghostlyking-tc3vu
      @Ghostlyking-tc3vu 2 месяца назад +3

      The Seminole Native American Tribe of Florida and Oklahoma has legends and myths of a similar creature called the Stikini an owl spirit or monster, they are said to be evil witches who vomit up their souls to transform into owl monsters

  • @daniellozano6083
    @daniellozano6083 3 месяца назад +33

    I remember my mother telling this story when I was a child. I was so afraid of owls . That story still sticks with me. I love your channel and content. Your 1#

  • @Bacopa68
    @Bacopa68 3 месяца назад +34

    Good choice on the owl sound effects. Barred Owls are native to at least part of the shaded area of the map. They can also be very creepy sounding.

  • @mariacristinabravo4681
    @mariacristinabravo4681 3 месяца назад +18

    Ah! Please more videos like this! In South America my family told me tale of Abuela Lechuza, a shifter bruja who cured the sick healed the wound, guided and provided wisdom. She's there to guide us with kindness, community and family. My great grandma told me she saw a Lechuza hanging around when my mom pregnant with me and my sisters.

  • @countessD84
    @countessD84 3 месяца назад +18

    My first exposure to La Lechuza was through the cartoon series "Victor and Valentino." In this cartoon, she's not malevolent, she just adores children and wants to take care of them, even after they've reached adulthood.
    It's such an unfortunately underrated series because it references a lot of figures from Mexican folklore and myth, some of which I've never heard of before, including La Lechuza..

  • @--Paws--
    @--Paws-- 3 месяца назад +46

    The description kind of reminds me of an extinct bipedal large owl from Cuba, the Cuban Giant Owl (Ornimegalonyx). It had long legs and stood around 3 feet, about a meter, but was believed to still fly.

    • @zionleach3001
      @zionleach3001 3 месяца назад +5

      That's terrifying.

    • @Aaaaaaarrrpirate
      @Aaaaaaarrrpirate 3 месяца назад

      We don’t know if it flew

    • @DR_REDACTED
      @DR_REDACTED 2 месяца назад +1

      ​​@@Aaaaaaarrrpirate"Was believed to"

    • @Aaaaaaarrrpirate
      @Aaaaaaarrrpirate 2 месяца назад

      @@DR_REDACTED that means we think it flew

  • @Bat_Boy
    @Bat_Boy 3 месяца назад +39

    Monstrom needs to be a series on Netflix. Along with Black Mirror, it would be worth the subscription. Just imagine...Mexican folklore, with Sirenhead, etc. That would be awesome!

    • @zionleach3001
      @zionleach3001 3 месяца назад

      I'd prefer Amazon or Hulu. Netflix seems determined to kamikaze themselves into the ground.

  • @TonaPollo
    @TonaPollo 3 месяца назад +33

    In Mexico, we have a saying:
    "When the tecolote(owl) sings, the Indian dies"

    • @HauntedMushroom96
      @HauntedMushroom96 2 месяца назад +2

      Whats the context of that saying. Like when is it used ?

    • @TonaPollo
      @TonaPollo 2 месяца назад +3

      @@HauntedMushroom96
      When you hear an owl.
      When talking about a warning, specially in retrospective.
      When giving credit to bad omens, specially if you aren't superstitious.The full saying is:
      "When the tecolote sings, the Indian dies. It isn't true but it happens sometimes. "

    • @mecahhannah
      @mecahhannah 2 месяца назад

      Screech owl superstition still alive where I live

    • @SP-ny6pk
      @SP-ny6pk Месяц назад

      Scooby doo!!!! 😂

  • @NewMessage
    @NewMessage 3 месяца назад +105

    Drunk children better watch out!

    • @hyperchord
      @hyperchord 3 месяца назад +7

      Thats what they get if they think drinking is ok

  • @ashleyjaramillo4981
    @ashleyjaramillo4981 3 месяца назад +69

    Us natives know not to look in the eyes. Cover your eyes.

  • @JEM1989
    @JEM1989 2 месяца назад +2

    Love your interview. love that you asked a person who Knows because they are of that culture. I love PBS!

  • @alexischavez3238
    @alexischavez3238 3 месяца назад +19

    My mom told me about these as a kid, to always close windows at night and to never be out after dark. And most importantly to cuss at any passing owls we would see to scare them off.

    • @aaronfraire9073
      @aaronfraire9073 2 месяца назад +1

      So, you swore at owls during your childhood? That's kinda hilarious.

  • @meghan.minus.h
    @meghan.minus.h 3 месяца назад +15

    I am a Nahua monster enthusiast and this may be one of my new favorite indigenous monsters

    • @pbsstoried
      @pbsstoried  3 месяца назад

      Whoa happy to hear it!-*Dr.Z*

  • @Liebre_Roja
    @Liebre_Roja 3 месяца назад +19

    "lechuza" specifically reffers to barn owls. In spanish we have 2 words for owl , the other one being "búho" wich is closer to the despictions you are doing in the animations. This is connecting things that are not that related. Theres not a "la lechuza" like a thing itself more as that people see barn owls, at cementeries and churches and point at it as a witch or a bad omen. This is mostly a correlation of barn owls not making nests and istead choosing readymade structures like the cementeries in Latinoamérica that are often made of concrete instead of in the ground. This and the sounds barn owls make, loudly screeching like a scream instead of the sounds other owls make

    • @duck8dodgers
      @duck8dodgers 3 месяца назад +1

      I learned this recently as an intermediate Spanish student trying to read Harry Potter in Spanish. I thought the distinction was quite a good idea where both types are common.

    • @eduardoulloa3167
      @eduardoulloa3167 Месяц назад +1

      I was searching for this comment, I'm glad someone pointed it out, I feel the video misrepresented the word Lechuza and How people in México make the distinction of when a Lechuza is seen as a witch. At least in the part of México I live in this myth is seen more like when dracula turns into a bat

  • @collin4555
    @collin4555 3 месяца назад +8

    It's interesting how often owls are associated with magic, across cultures

    • @thatoneguy2136
      @thatoneguy2136 3 месяца назад

      Yup, big reason why I love owls so much. So much mysticism surrounds them

  • @gostowl
    @gostowl 3 месяца назад +7

    Woot! New podcast to listen to!

  • @andrewgagne5063
    @andrewgagne5063 3 месяца назад +1

    This is the first time I have heard about this. After watching it, I listened to the podcast episode about it. Oh boy, that legend is a great inspiration for a story I thought of on the spot.

  • @Erichwanh
    @Erichwanh 3 месяца назад +53

    I thought this said *La Lechuga*. My brain went places.

  • @fireheadmx
    @fireheadmx 3 месяца назад +4

    This is one of my favorite episodes, as it covers a legend from my region. Tecolotl is hard to pronounce, even to spanish speakers.

    • @pbsstoried
      @pbsstoried  3 месяца назад +2

      I tried my best. Glad you enjoyed!-*Dr.Z*

  • @TylerRakstis
    @TylerRakstis 3 месяца назад +10

    I was wondering if you get to this cryptid soon, maybe you can do the Cornish Owlman next time. Since it's another humanoid owl that's sighted and often associated with sinisterness,

  • @ladypossum1776
    @ladypossum1776 3 месяца назад +7

    DUude I was always freaked out when I was hanging out with my fam in rural Mexico at night. My abuelita and Tia have lots of chickens and they fly right to the window. And I’d think La Lechuza was gonna nab me 😂

  • @shaep5599
    @shaep5599 3 месяца назад +2

    Most underrated show, love these vids! I especially enjoy the lil bloopers at the end of the episode

  • @tombombaddie
    @tombombaddie 3 месяца назад +6

    0:14 Could be actual cannibal Shia LaBeouf

  • @CamejoJesus
    @CamejoJesus 25 дней назад +3

    It is good to remember that these beliefs endanger owls. Every year many are cruelly murdered because of these beliefs. There are traditions that should simply be forgotten.😓🦉

  • @GryphonBrokewing
    @GryphonBrokewing 3 месяца назад +1

    Most excellent! I love the stories used for morality & explanation of the natural world that have survived to today.

  • @ericgeddes3353
    @ericgeddes3353 3 месяца назад +2

    I've been waiting for months. Thanks Dr. Z!

  • @poisonapplecakes799
    @poisonapplecakes799 3 месяца назад +1

    Thank you for another wonderful video of the delightfully grim world of monsters

  • @JosephGallagher
    @JosephGallagher 3 месяца назад +4

    A lechuza is NOT just an owl, it's a barn owl. People used to think they were aliens in the 90's too 👽

  • @eomguel9017
    @eomguel9017 3 месяца назад +3

    7:09 Fun fact, the hispanicised word "tecolote", from Nahuatl "tecolotl", meaning owl, is also the name of a dish consisting of half loafs of Mexican style bread (bolillos) topped with corn tortilla chips dipped in chilli and tomato sauce (chilaquiles). They are called so because they were originally made by a popular restaurant chain that had three owls as its logo. Also, in Spanish there are two words for owl. "Lechuzas" are barn owls (those with the heart-shaped face), and the other ones are called "búhos".
    Very interesting episode. These stories are not that common anymore in central Mexico, where I am from, mainly because oral traditions tend to disappear with urban life.

  • @karijordan4930
    @karijordan4930 3 месяца назад +1

    Luv what ur doing... Just became a subscriber! My grandson and I will be watching. Thank u for kids friendly channel for kids who luv folklore like my grandson! He takes after his mom and Grandpa God rest his sole! Oh and thank u for the heads up on "Susto" cuz my grandson is half Mexican and really loves to learn about his heritage. We'll be checking that channel out too!

  • @Cristioooo10
    @Cristioooo10 3 месяца назад +2

    OMG AYDEN ❤❤❤ WE LOVE SUSTO

  • @Scalifs
    @Scalifs 3 месяца назад

    This channel is right now my favorite in all of RUclips. I love all the stuff you guys do (Storied, Monstrum, Other Words, etc.) I find it all so fascinating, so thank you!!

    • @pbsstoried
      @pbsstoried  3 месяца назад

      Thank you so much!-*Dr.Z*

  • @CaraRowen
    @CaraRowen 3 месяца назад +1

    this is so fun and interesting and I love the origins. I love the way mythology changes to adapts like Anansi tales.

  • @Caldor64
    @Caldor64 3 месяца назад +16

    The parallels between the “vampire lady” la lechuza and the manananggal are interesting. Wonder if the crossover comes from Spanish colonization of Mesoamerica and the Philippines, or if it’s just a coincidence.

    • @LindaC616
      @LindaC616 3 месяца назад +4

      Could be. We'd have to look into what indigenous mythology said, if anything, about owls

    • @Kuwagumo
      @Kuwagumo 3 месяца назад +4

      Portugal, wich is very close to Spain, also has tails of the bruxa (or bruxsa), also vampire lady. Interestingly, bruxa can also be used as the portuguese term for witch!

    • @storyspren
      @storyspren 3 месяца назад

      ​@@Kuwagumo There's also the Roman and Greek blood-consuming owl creature strix (which, yes, is also the Latin name of a genus of owls) and a bunch of vampire- and witchcraft-related words in different languages derived from it: strzyga, striga, strigoi, strigoaică, shtriga, stryha, strega, stregheria, and funnily enough, the Romanian word strigăt meaning scream or yell, which derives from words that referred to screeching like an owl.

  • @mecahhannah
    @mecahhannah 2 месяца назад

    Awesome as always thanks ❤

  • @semjart
    @semjart 3 месяца назад +2

    Okay new fear unlocked, birds with human eyes really got me 💀💀💀I did not know this about myself until now

  • @KS-mt1lb
    @KS-mt1lb 3 месяца назад +2

    Love the “Lotta” people in the news article

  • @javigurrol4451
    @javigurrol4451 3 месяца назад +2

    My family on both sides originally comes from Durango in Mexico. Around 15-20 years ago an owl slammed into a light post, was unfortunately charred and caused a partial black out. The lights come back on, Oh it’s an owl, everyone went back about their normal routine. This all happens at around 10:00p, by 5:00a the next morning half the town was saying it was a witch that slammed into the light post and turned into end owl during the blackout.

  • @kingphoenixk6561
    @kingphoenixk6561 3 месяца назад +2

    Have you guys done any videos on the legends of the Appalachian mountains. I'd love to see it❤.

  • @samantharobateau9068
    @samantharobateau9068 2 месяца назад

    Omg I am so happy that she posted with videos because my friend was telling me about it and I was interested

  • @retrowaifu
    @retrowaifu 3 месяца назад +1

    My dad saw a lechuza when he was a kid when he was camping in his back yard. That story has always scared me as a kid.

  • @TheMusicBabe2010
    @TheMusicBabe2010 16 дней назад

    I love this, I wish you would do one about El Charro Negro.

  • @reaganmaniscalco9155
    @reaganmaniscalco9155 3 месяца назад

    I would LOVE to see a video on The Rougarou someday!

  • @floresarts
    @floresarts 3 месяца назад +1

    2:08 whoa! I grew up in Harlingen, a couple of hours south of Robstown. And from 1975 or 76 I remember a local tv news story about sightings of a huge black bird. (Though in my memory the reports claimed the bird was more the size of a pterodactyl.) I wonder if these sightings were related to the Robstown Lechuza!

  • @kacklina
    @kacklina 3 месяца назад +31

    As a mexican as interesting as this is I can't avoid worring of the effect that these stories must have on the real owls, sorry, but a lot of people in here is like that, they can exit an animal from life for "black magic" or protecting people for mere superstition. I seem people from a town being superstitious and saying owls bring death to a house with a very worried face when I told them about seen one outside my house, like very certain that was going to happen now.

    • @brettbosley779
      @brettbosley779 3 месяца назад +1

      There's a similar thing with some norteamericanos and any kind of snake.

  • @OH.A.M.
    @OH.A.M. 3 месяца назад +25

    Never heard of La Lechuza but La Llorona is a freaky thing you run away when hearing her taunting voice.

    • @mythicalcreaturesdoctorsor3589
      @mythicalcreaturesdoctorsor3589 3 месяца назад +4

      La lechuza : 🇲🇽 Mexico night House witch bird transformation owl lady body wing claw creature prey babies victims

    • @marim0y
      @marim0y 3 месяца назад +1

      She's done a video on La Llorona. It was really well done.

  • @txbc5184
    @txbc5184 3 месяца назад +1

    Growing up in West Texas, my Latino parents would scare us into behaving by telling us if we didn't come home early, the lechuza would get us. It's awesome to hear about Latin/Hispanic folklore

  • @aolremembers9450
    @aolremembers9450 2 месяца назад

    That owl hovering the window over that kid at 0:45 is terrifying actually. Good job

  • @floresarts
    @floresarts 3 месяца назад +3

    1:53 Science tells us there are ways to know if an owl is a witch. Simply find out if it weighs more than a duck.

    • @musharro
      @musharro 2 месяца назад

      This comment doesn't have nearly enough likes as it deserves 😅

  • @michaelkay8914
    @michaelkay8914 2 месяца назад

    When I was a kid in N. Mexico I heard this tale. Spooooky!

  • @domilontano
    @domilontano 2 месяца назад +2

    In Guaraní mythology, from Paraguay, witches become birds at night, and they shed their legs so they can fly around causing mischief. To catch a witch, you either need to find their legs and keep them, or take off your underpants and shake them at the witch, so she becomes confused and falls to get ground. I mean, I would, too. This last one... who knows why.

  • @liangflrs02
    @liangflrs02 2 месяца назад +1

    So I find this interesting as my own family has been subject to this. My great-grandpa Nico who was from Sonora, but he had moved to Sinaloa during his youth, he told his story to my great-grandma and grandma, who then told it to me. He was of Yaqui descent and as a young man picked up a job doing the night shift watch in a mine close to Yaqui lands (I believe it was close to Ciudad Obregon). He befriended some of the local Yaqui (there was some dispute between them and the mine owners) and one evening as he was getting ready to prepare for his shift he built a fire to heat up a few scraps of meat. He saw a large black bird land on a tree directly on top of where he was and he was scared of it. He had described it as having almost human eyes, it then spoke to him mentioning something like "tucamari Nico" he put out the fire and went inside his hut. The next morning as he was having breakfast a few Yaqui men said hello to him and he confided in them that he had a rough night and was feeling strange by an event that happened at night. One of the older men laughed and joked at him saying, "Did I scare you?" My grandpa was utterly confused. Then the old man said, "I was asking you for some meat yesterday, tucamari Nico." When the old man said that, my great grandpa felt a chill rise up his spine and a gripping fear. He left the job that same day to Sinaloa and never returned.

    • @a_theGoat
      @a_theGoat 15 дней назад

      Sorry to break it to you but it’s fake, just an old folk tale they used for people to go to church

  • @AYEcaptainJET
    @AYEcaptainJET 3 месяца назад

    Reminds me of the mananangal story, specifically the part where limbs are left behind and the creature flies away to wreck havoc. 😁 Fun!

  • @גלעדסוירזנסקי
    @גלעדסוירזנסקי Месяц назад

    The sprinkling of ashes on the legs so it would be impossible for them to be reattached reminds me of the Manananggal from another episode

  • @EayuProuxm
    @EayuProuxm 3 месяца назад +4

    La Lechuza, a large owl that preys on drunks and children
    ...
    They not like us, they not like us

  • @lewismaclean8849
    @lewismaclean8849 2 месяца назад +1

    A couple of videos that I would love too see you make and absolutely crush like always is about The Roc, The Leviathan, Cerberus, and Modern Vampires (the kind that appeared in 30 days of Night). If can do that at some point Dr Emily Zarka, that would be awesome. Keep up the amazing content.

  • @daveluna7931
    @daveluna7931 Месяц назад

    Amazing

  • @eddierayvanlynch6133
    @eddierayvanlynch6133 2 месяца назад +2

    Be honest - who else clicked thinking the title was "La Lechuga," hoping to hear a legend of malevolent lettuce?
    🥗👹😳

  • @higherheights1257
    @higherheights1257 Месяц назад

    I think the la lechuza would be great in movies

  • @thenotoriousgryyn342
    @thenotoriousgryyn342 3 месяца назад +5

    I’m Mexica, and my Grandmother used to tell me stories about Owl Women, witches with the head of old women and the bodies of large Owls.

  • @cskarr77
    @cskarr77 3 месяца назад

    Love your videos. You should do one on the Bell Witch of Tennessee.

  • @LaurensTravels
    @LaurensTravels 3 месяца назад +1

    There’s going to be a Latin American lore based house at Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando this year. La Lechuza is one of the creatures included! Great history lesson 🖤🦉

  • @angelestrada9552
    @angelestrada9552 28 дней назад +4

    La Lechuza is terrifying because I came from a Mexican family, and they said whenever you see La Lechuza, the eyes of the owls go full black and enlarged and speak in Spanish or Nahua language. My family has always been followed by La Lechuza because my grandmother said they followed people who have sinned. Also, they turned into a ball of fire for fast transport.

  • @tecpaocelotl
    @tecpaocelotl 3 месяца назад +1

    Pretty good video.
    Glad you used Nahuas. Googlers just use Mexica even though its one group of many Nahua communities.
    I heard of these texmex lechuzas stories. Sounds like a Cihuanahualli (women witches), but Tlacatecolotl (mostly seen as sorcerers usually depicted as male body with head.). Usually called brujos/brujas nowadays.
    Vampire woman reminds me of the "vampiros" stories I heard from texmexs before chupacabra became a thing.
    As for tzitzimitl (singular)/tzitzimime (multiple), I known as demonios growing up. Demon women who try to harm a baby or pregnant woman.
    What I think is funny is you picked random pics from borgia codex but if you went a few pages, you probably would have seen supernatural stuff depicted.

  • @monsterbride4615
    @monsterbride4615 3 месяца назад +1

    I grew up hearing stories of La Lechuza but the lore also included luring men or being spotted by an unfaithful partner at a party/gathering, etc.

    • @a_theGoat
      @a_theGoat 15 дней назад

      It’s fake, just an old folk tale they used back in the day for people to show up at church

  • @KeithPrince-cp3me
    @KeithPrince-cp3me 3 месяца назад +1

    Witches or sometimes men able transform partially or wholly into owls are found in other traditions. Here in the UK the south west corner, in the area of Cornwall, has tales of the Owlman, a creature said to be part owl, part human. Suggested explanations include mistaken sightings of the large Eurasian Eagle Owl, a rare visitor. In Europe there were tales of Striga, women who could fly through the night sky, with the name Striga deriving from the Latin for the screech owl.

  • @Pottery4Life
    @Pottery4Life 3 месяца назад

    Thank you.

  • @hizurumegumi5727
    @hizurumegumi5727 3 месяца назад +1

    Ngl the intro bit made me start singing that Shia lebouf song lol

  • @neoshenlong
    @neoshenlong 3 месяца назад +2

    Wait wait wait hang on a minute. Mexican friends, do you guys also sing "La lechuza hace shh"? Because down here in south america, both in venezuela and colombia, it's a pretty common nursery rhyme or a way to get children to be quiet ("hace shhh" i.e. the lechuza goes "shhhhh"). If the origin of this song is connected to this witch-owl hurting babies tradition, la lechuza turns out to be another boogieman like "el coco" (who, very famously, will eat you if you don't go to sleep).

  • @chavamara
    @chavamara 3 месяца назад +3

    Could the La Lechuza also have a connection to/been influenced by the European Strix, another witch who turns into an owl?

  • @lunathelunatic
    @lunathelunatic 3 месяца назад +7

    1st monster I never heard of. Yay

    • @lunathelunatic
      @lunathelunatic 3 месяца назад +3

      But seriously. Thank you for teaching me a new monster. It's very rare I come across one's I've never heard of. I will use this knowlage somehow. Probably in dnd

  • @rami_ungar_writer
    @rami_ungar_writer 3 месяца назад +2

    Crazy coincidence: I wrote a novella about a guy who can take on owl-like qualities. The knowledge this video imparts will now be integrated into the story. Thanks, Dr. Z!

  • @-RONNIE
    @-RONNIE 3 месяца назад +1

    Good video thanks

  • @powerup3005
    @powerup3005 3 месяца назад +1

    One minor potential for misinterpretation with the animations. Lechuzas are specifically barn owls, other types of owls are tecolotes, a word of nahuatl origins, or buhos.

  • @genghisgalahad8465
    @genghisgalahad8465 3 месяца назад +1

    The horror already started in the first five seconds, true to real life! The monstrous mythological/mythical creature is the reprieve and escape, truly! I'm sure there's something jungian about that the good doctor can expound on and pretty much has if I followed Monstrum attentively! 🎉 ⚫️ 🌫🦉

  • @aaronfraire9073
    @aaronfraire9073 3 месяца назад +1

    I was not expecting y'all to do a video about Eda Clawthorne.

  • @4chords184
    @4chords184 3 месяца назад

    Now I get sleeep!!! Terrifingly exicting.

  • @deniseramosgonzalez4799
    @deniseramosgonzalez4799 2 месяца назад

    Great video, I had not heard about this before and I’m Mexican American. 😊

  • @aworldincolor1331
    @aworldincolor1331 3 месяца назад +2

    Shoutout to the WebToon Evelyne and the Occult which borrows some inspiration from La Lechuza!

    • @aaronfraire9073
      @aaronfraire9073 3 месяца назад

      Don't forget Eda Clawthorne from _The Owl House._ Pretty sure she was also at least partly inspired by La Lechuza.

  • @patax144
    @patax144 3 месяца назад +7

    I am from south america so never heard of this legend, we do have one about a one legged woman, and to clarify in spanish we have several words for owl, but the two main ones are lechuza and búho, with búho being for the owls with "ears", that have the long ear-like feather formations on the head, lechuza is used for the rounded headed owls without the ear like things, typically barn owls.

    • @LindaC616
      @LindaC616 3 месяца назад +1

      Oh, bárbaro! Nunca sabía q había una diferencia!

    • @VictorPerez-vu1fo
      @VictorPerez-vu1fo 3 месяца назад +1

      Here (in Mexico) we also use Tecolote which is a word adapted from nahuatl like a lot of words. I always thought that lechuza was directed at the larger specimens of the owl species (like barn owls) while not necessarily making a reference to the front head feathers.
      Tecolote usually has the connotation of the "evil" reputation, having a saying (made popular by old mexican movies) "cuando Tecolote canta indio muere". I heard a similar saying in Argentina I believe, while I never looked into it's origin however so I'm not 100% sure on it's veracity.

    • @patax144
      @patax144 Месяц назад

      Yes, it can be complicated what some people call lechuza or búho or if there is another local word like tecolote, but according to the RAE búhos are bigger with the "ears" and a specific coloration and lechuzas are more of a specific species that has its face shaped like a heart.

    • @LindaC616
      @LindaC616 Месяц назад

      @@patax144 búhos are great horned owls (I think that's the one you're describing here).
      I have suggested thry cover El Cadejo next

  • @gomitatatuada4433
    @gomitatatuada4433 3 месяца назад +3

    As a Mexican I love to learn new leyend that I don’t know about my country. And I love how many tales are related to owls and witches like the Cailleach or Bloudewedd in Celtic mythology

  • @Devildog1185
    @Devildog1185 2 месяца назад

    I have family in Robstown, but only heard the giant bird case there till recently. I’ve heard stories of la lechuza in Austin, though.

  • @johndemeritt3460
    @johndemeritt3460 3 месяца назад +1

    One of the first things I thought of when I watched this video was the Harpy Eagle. THAT thing's NIGHTMARE fuel -- and it LOOKS like an owl. But it's a WHOLE LOT BIGGER! Casual Geographic shows some footage of a Harpy Eagle snatching a sloth right off a branch without slowing down a bit.
    I'm just glad those things DON'T come to Texas!
    But here's a little something I find curious: Harpy Eagles don't come north, but hummingbyerds do. What's up with that?
    Got any good stories about hummingbyerds, Dr. Z?

  • @NathalieO
    @NathalieO 2 месяца назад

    Say OVO 😂! Thanks so much for your work. It makes us more humans.. understanding monsters is understanding the people who created them. Bisous

  • @carfaxabbycemeterygoth7937
    @carfaxabbycemeterygoth7937 3 месяца назад

    I really enjoyed this I'm rather curious if you had thought to include la lechuza association with La Santísima Muerte

  • @shastawolfamute2203
    @shastawolfamute2203 2 месяца назад

    Lechuza actually is specifically Barn Owls. Other owls are either called Búho or Tecolote.
    Barn owls let out a loud screech instead of hoots.

  • @pendragon2012
    @pendragon2012 3 месяца назад

    Great story!

  • @PMW3
    @PMW3 3 месяца назад +2

    "Preys on drunks and children"
    be careful out there drunk children.

  • @Avvy89
    @Avvy89 2 месяца назад

    That story about the mother reminds me of the manananggal. Particularly the way they prevent her from turning back by smearing something on the separated pieces.

  • @Cerberus276-h1m
    @Cerberus276-h1m 3 месяца назад

    I really like this La Lechuza video. To me it shows us a connection between owls and the supernatural and shows us the understanding of the culture of the indigenous tribe the Nahua. I also have an Idea for a new episode. How about doing one on the Jersey Devil.😈

  • @robertblackwell1350
    @robertblackwell1350 2 месяца назад

    Coyote in a hat has now become my default explanation for everything.