Many of us hispanics grew up with the terror of being devoured by El Cucui at night. Although no one ever claimed to have actually seen it, we knew he was horrific, and voracious for young children to eat. We loved to play at dark, especially in the orchard across the road from my mother's house, or alongside the railroad tracks, or down at the nearby Tuolumne River, but all it took for us to race home, was someone saying "Did you hear that!? It's the cucui!!" Laying in bed at night, with the lights out, any sound of the wind or branches scraping against the walls of the house was "El Cucui!" And we would snuggle deeper under our blankets. Moms would scold us saying: "Portate bien o te va llevar El Cucui!" The thought of being carted off by a monstrous Cucui, just for being disobedient was terrifying. I tried it on my own kids but it didn't seem to work as well as it did for us. Somehow, they could not quite conjure up the horrific images of some child-eating monster like our imaginations could. Maybe they have seen too many horror films?Monday, November 3, 2008
El CuCui/Latin Bogey Man
Many of us hispanics grew up with the terror of being devoured by El Cucui at night. Although no one ever claimed to have actually seen it, we knew he was horrific, and voracious for young children to eat. We loved to play at dark, especially in the orchard across the road from my mother's house, or alongside the railroad tracks, or down at the nearby Tuolumne River, but all it took for us to race home, was someone saying "Did you hear that!? It's the cucui!!" Laying in bed at night, with the lights out, any sound of the wind or branches scraping against the walls of the house was "El Cucui!" And we would snuggle deeper under our blankets. Moms would scold us saying: "Portate bien o te va llevar El Cucui!" The thought of being carted off by a monstrous Cucui, just for being disobedient was terrifying. I tried it on my own kids but it didn't seem to work as well as it did for us. Somehow, they could not quite conjure up the horrific images of some child-eating monster like our imaginations could. Maybe they have seen too many horror films?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Hi Richard. I think with El Cucui and La Llarona you are doing some of your best work. I live them. Hugs for Chela! Have you guys tried medical marijuana?
Love, Yick
my Tia Chepa and Abuelita let me know exactly who La Llorona and the Cucui are-to this day i sleep with me feet covered...para que no me vayan a jalar los piez en la noche! sounds funny to actually say but it could be a hot august night & i still need that savana on at least my feet to sleep at ease. i think it had a lot to do w/ the setting of where the stories were shared... un rancho en medio de los campos ...illuminated only by one street lamp and the full moon. i could feel the presence of the cucui in the night shadows and hear the cries of la llorona as i was falling asleep.
Anaira: Thanks for sharing. Yes, we lived in a samll barrio in Southside Modesto and there was not a streetlight in sight! Hijole, it was dark at nite!
Post a Comment