Mexico is a country of many cultures; therefore, the myths and legends of Mexico reflect the mixture of their European and Native American ancestry. Their tales often mix indigenous practices with the Christianity that inundated the region after colonization. Additionally, the myths and legends of Mexico open the door to a unique culture.

One of Mexico’s tales, “The Legend of the Poinsettia,” centers on a poor Mexican girl named Pepita. She is sad because she has no gift for the Christ Child at the Christmas Eve Services. As she and her cousin Pedro walk to the chapel, he tries consoling the heartbroken Pepita by saying that even a modest gift would be appreciated in God’s eyes.

Pepita picks up a bundle of weeds by the roadside and makes them look like a small bouquet. She is embarrassed by the bunch of ugly weed, but she tearfully goes to the chapel anyway. Pedro’s words echo in her ear as she approaches the altar. Her spirits rise as she places the modest gift by the nativity scene. Miraculously, the weeds turn into bright red flowers. Everyone thinks that they have witnessed a Christmas miracle. They name the flowers poinsettias, or Flowers of the Holy Night.

Another legend of Mexico is “The Nahuales.” This folktale is told from the viewpoint of a young man who heard the story from his uncle. It is about Nahuales, a people capable of morphing into animals like pigs, burros, and chickens in order to capture other animals. A man delivering wood walks down the road and encounters a burro carrying a pig. He tells his companion that he will take the burro. As he neared the animal, he notices that the burro had no tail and the pig was unsecured on the animals back. When the man beats the burro, it speaks to him, admonishing the man to stop hitting him.

The man realizes that he has, in fact, come across a Nahuales. The man delivers his wood and returns to the animals, bearing fried pork and fried pig skin for them to eat. The narrator states that his grandfather also saw one of these creatures in the form of a dog. His grandfather is afraid when he sees the creature and stands frozen. Once the fear subsides, he returns home and recounts the tale to his family.

The next day, the grandfather sees the same dog leading a burro loaded with corn. Afraid of encountering the dog again, the grandfather carries a stick. One day, he returns home to find the dog inside the house, seemingly stealing his burro. The man beats the dog despite the animal’s pleas. The dog retaliates with a machete and later, the grandfather learns that the dog is one of his friends. After he learns the identity of the animal, the grandfather becomes sick until his death.

On one hand, the myths and legends of Mexico showcase their devotion to Christianity. Once it is adopted by the people, they embrace it wholeheartedly and incorporate stories of faith into their folklore. However, they never completely alienate themselves from their indigenous ancestry by telling magical stories of talking animals. Somehow, they have managed to successfully juxtapose these two backgrounds, making their stories unique to Mexico.

Source:

http://www.americanfolklore.net/mexican-folklore.html#2