I’m from North America. When I started studying the Mexican culture, I fell in love with its legends, but my favorite one is the Legend of Volcanoes. I dedicate this retablo to the Holy Virgin of Guadalupe in gratitude for I traveled to the Mexico Valley and saw myself the greatness of Popocatepetl y del Iztaccihuatl.

Mexico

One night I went to the mountains, when suddenly a rider came near. In the light of the fire, I saw that it was the Black Cowboy himself. He offered me some gold coins. I remembered the legend that my wet nurse told me when I was a baby. She warned me that you should never take these coins from him, or he would take you right to hell. So I closed my eyes, prayed to Saint Benedict, and little by little the ghost disappeared.

Maclovio Lopez ~ Pachuca, Hidalgo

One night my daughter and I went to visit my friend and bring her some jam. Suddenly the ghost of the woman drowned in the lake appeared to us. By the legend, she killed herself because of treason and now tries to grab people and drag them to the bottom of the lake with her. I grabbed my crucifix and prayed the Virgin of the Rosary to exorcise the apparition. The ghost seemed to get scared and disappeared. We thank the Holy Virgin.

One night my daughter and I went to visit my grandmother to bring her some marmalades. Suddenly the ghost of the drowned woman appeared from the lake. The legend says that she committed suicide for a betrayal of love, and she tries to drag people to the bottom of the lake, for revenge. I grabbed my crucifix and implored the Virgin of the Rosary so that she would cast the ghost out. The ghost got scared and disappeared. We thank to the Virgin.