Trasmutation
Hello, @adsactly readers!
Many of the stories I remember have to do with the power that some people had in transforming themselves into animals and even making themselves invisible. According to my father and grandmother, witches or healers claimed to be able to transform themselves into animals in order to learn things or watch over their enemies. They are usually transformed into birds, because they can fly and travel great distances in a short time, but it is also known that they become snakes, felines and even trees.
If we review the books, we will find that in the American continent, especially in the indigenous peoples, there are an infinity of legends that have this type of beings as protagonists. For example, in Mexico there are witches or shamans also known as nahuales or naguales, who had the capacity to become any animal. These witches or shamans, who normally went out at night, believed that there should be a kind of affinity between the soul of the animal and the soul itself, so that transformation could take place. According to certain beliefs, in order to prevent naguals from attacking, the doors and windows of the house must be protected with crosses, needles and rosemary. It is believed that these witches enter houses and suck people's blood and energy to become stronger.
In Venezuela there is a town called Chacopata, in the state of Anzoátegui, where it is said that there are many men capable of transforming themselves into tigers at night. Most of these men are sorcerers, with a lot of power, who take advantage of that power to transmute themselves and thus have the agility and ferocity of the jaguar. This power is normally used to harm their enemies, those who can kill or devour. In order to recognize a man-tiger and be able to capture him, it is necessary to follow him in his nocturnal races, always behind him, so that he does not realize that he is persecuted and wait until dawn and when he returns to his natural state, since it is the only way to make him vulnerable.
One of the most memorable stories is that of Mrs. Hilda. It was about an old woman who, despite her age, some said was over 100 years old, was very agile and active. Like Hilda, there were other elderly women who were characterized by their young spirit and as if time didn't pass through them. However, it was Hilda who attracted the most attention because there was a belief that she had made a deal with the devil. No one dared to speak ill of her or create a problem for her, and whoever did, would surely get sick and then die. So powerful was the old woman.
They say that one night, while a group of boys were playing in the garden of Mrs. Hilda's house, she came out furious and said that she would turn them into animals if they did not leave their land soon. The boys mocked and came out screaming: Hilda, witch; Hilda, witch. That night, they all said that they had seen a black bird lurking above some houses and that they felt it land on some of them. Also, that the bird produced a song that resembled a lament coming from beyond.
The next morning, some of the boys could not get out of bed because they had a high fever and some bruises on their skin. The whole town did not hesitate to point to Hilda as the cause of that tragedy, so they devised a plan to put an end to the old woman's esoteric activities. So at nightfall, some people hid behind some trees waiting for the transformation to take place. Before her eyes the old woman lay face down and from her lying body came a black bird with a sharp beak. When the bird tried to fly, the men came out of their hiding place and caught it. They beat him and plucked some feathers from him, and then set him free, almost dying. When the sun came up, some neighbors decided to go to Mrs. Hilda's house and found her lying on the bed, all bruised and very weak. After that event, it is said that Hilda left town and no one ever heard of her nor heard the sad and funereal song of that black bird.
Having a childhood in which stories opened up a different and magical world for me, perhaps it didn't make me a better or worse person, but it did make me more curious, dreamy and even more creative. Telling legends to children can be a rewarding activity not only for them, but also for the adult. Telling stories to children will make them more reflective, stimulate their memory, language, and intelligence. Stories can be an emotional and magical tool in a child's early years.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Remember that you can vote for @adsactly as a witness and join our server in discord. Until the next smile. ;)
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCE
http://www.oresteplath.cl/antologia/geogmitos/geogmitoyleyenda15f.html
http://ritualesocultos.blogspot.com/2011/07/seres-que-se-transforman-en-animales.html
Written by: @nancybriti
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interesting story, thanks for sharing. When you read about such stories of mysteries about witches having otherworldly powers, one doesn't actually believe they exist. People brush it off as stories, but these things actually happen and when one see these stuff with their own eyes, not just hear about them, one's views towards the world and how complicated it is changes.
I've always started from the idea that you have to believe, even in the incredible. The universe is so infinite and wonderful that it can surprise us at any moment. Mystery is part of the universe and of us. Greetings.;)
Hi @nancybriti, I found your post quite fascinating, especially as transmutation is not that present in the stories of my country. We have plenty of whitches but they deal mainly in potions and spells, rather than changing shape. But then again, centuries ago when they burned witches at stake nobody asked for proof of any extra power... having a black cat was already proof of a pact with Satan.
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Indigenous people strongly believe in such practices and may even worship and respect people who believe they have the capacity to transform themselves. What witches in cities do is invoke spirits that are incorporated into their bodies. There is no physical change, but the voice changes. More than a transformation, it is a possession. It's always good to read your comments, @ladyrebecca. Greetings; ;)
I remember hearing through the valleys of Tuy, a town in Venezuela, that there was a woman who became an anaconda. Also in some soap operas, such as the Brazilian Pantanal and the Venezuelan Kaína, the transformation of people into animals was considered. I think these things are legends and maybe some people can have animal traits, like some kind of deformity or things like that, but from there to transform, I'm incredulous. I liked reading this post. Very interesting.
Of course, many stories are legends and myths, but they have remained the thoughts of some peoples, especially indigenous peoples. I remember seeing those two soap operas that you mention and yes, it is true, there is recreated the transformation of people into animals. Sometimes you don't have to see to believe, @nohebd. Greetings! ;)
Invisible.@nancybriti, In my opinion there are many mysteries which are hiding from us or we can say may be these mysteries are
And who knows, may be we all have this power but with time old Generations stopped passing many Supernatural Knowledge to future generations. Stay blessed.
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Thank God man doesn't know everything! Mystery promotes curiosity and curiosity promotes creation. If there are many natural elements that govern us, such as air, fire, water; and that affect us, such as the moon, it is not unreasonable to think that there is in us an animal part that is asleep and that we have not known how to take advantage of. Thank you for your comment!;)
Welcome and these words are really interesting to read. Have a great time ahead.
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Hombres de maíz (Men of Maize, 1949). The anthropologist Carlos Castaneda also addresses it in his books, particularly in The teachings of Don Juan, with the Yaqui Indians, in Mexico.
The phenomenon of transformations or metamorphoses permeates mythology and popular wisdom, which is almost the same thing. Ovid already wrote it in his famous book. Only sometimes these transformations are accompanied by a halo of a certain horror, as in the case of the story you tell @nancybriti. Certainly, the American Indian cultures (Mesoamerican, Caribbean or Andean) strongly contain this phenomenon. In Mesoamerica it is very present, be it in the Nahuas, Mayas or other ethnic groups, and it has passed into literature. This is where the nagual (guardian spirit) comes from, which is very well recreated by the Guatemalan writer (Nobel Prize in Literature) Miguel Ángel Asturias in his novel Your post, @nancybriti, is very interesting and gratifying. Thank you and greetings.
That's right, @josemalavem. I remember reading Hombres de maíz and being surprised by the magical world presented by Miguel Ángel Asturias. In it we can appreciate the amount of references made to nature, as a way of demonstrating the worship that the Mayas had to her and their gods. In the case of the character you mention, the healer becomes a deer, which in the end dies and with him dies the animal part of the healer. This analysis can be interesting, because perhaps in each of us there is an unfathomable animal part, unknown to oneself. As always, thank you for commenting. ;)
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