DeKALB – As the smell of a bonfire drifted through the evening air, the sun slowly set over a crowd roasting marshmallows while participants read stories of myths and legends from different Latin American cultures.
Organized by the Latino Resource Center, Leyendas and Myths Bonfire took place from 4 p.m to 5:30 p.m Monday on the Grass Area by the Outdoor Recreation Sports Center. The event brought together about 10 students bundled in sweaters and coats.
Assistant Director Elbia Del Llano Menéndez handed out laminated sheets each with colorful graphics featuring stories of monsters, spirits and cautionary figures passed down for generations. These stories were selected and retold by student writers and then read by participants at the event.
The first tale featured, “El Chupacabra,” a Mexican version of the story read by Alfonso Hernandez, a third-year mechanical engineering student, describing an infamous creature said to prey on goats and livestock. He later read a Puerto Rican version told in first person, claiming the creature is real.
One student in the group was Marielena Nunez, a junior psychology and family social services major.
“I’m a Mexican American, but I was born in Texas,” Nunez said. “I have family ties to Mexico, but this is my first semester at NIU.”
She shared her experience with “Las Muñequitas” the Guatemalan legend of worry dolls, small handmade figures believed to help manage one’s stress.
“These dolls are meant to help if you have something that’s worrying you,” she said. “Like, for example, I’m a student, say I’m worrying about, like, midterms right now, I would go to these dolls, I would let them know and tell them about my worries, and they, at least according to the legend, will take away that worry from me.”
Nunez said she once had many of the dolls herself but decided to give some away.
“I don’t want to accidentally leave one being in charge of my worries for an extended period of time.” she said. “I handed them over to people I know, and that way I don’t have to be in charge of these dolls in case you know the superstition or the legend is right.”
Next came “La Patasola,” a Colombian legend about a woman betrayed and mutilated by her abusive husband, read aloud to a mix of whispers and chuckles from the audience. As the storyteller ended with a dramatic “dun dun dun,” a listener snapped in support.
This was Harvin Ibarguen, a sport management graduate student and an international student from Colombia. After being in the U.S. for six years, this was his first time hearing these stories since moving.
“I’m from Colombia, and it was fun hearing about it.” Ibarguen said. “I had never heard of any of those stories within the United States from the time being here, so I think that was really fun”
Chris Parada, a first-year business administration major, followed with the haunting Mexican tale of “La Llorona,” the weeping mother who wanders waters mourning her children.
Stories continued from across Latin America, like Venezuela’s “El Silbón,” who whistles as he haunts the guilty, and Mexico’s “Los Duendes,” mischievous goblins that play pranks and protect neglected children.
Flames from the fire flickered as participants fed newspapers into the pit, the smoke twisted into the wind.
Andy Fernandez, a senior environmental studies major, shared “El Huay Chivo,” a Mayan legend about a man cursed to become a half-human, half-goat creature who feeds on the fear and sorrow of lonely travelers.
Lastly, Menéndez read “La Siguapa,” a tale from the Dominican Republic of a vengeful spirit who punishes unfaithful lovers. Her chilling account of the backward-footed woman drew murmurs from the circle.
Between stories, Menéndez explained how these legends build cultures and how some of them were cautionary and others were rooted in colonial or ancestral history.
“These stories go back to our ancestry,” she said. “This is how legends are born.”
Next up, the Latino Resource Center will host “Day of the Dead – A Night of Remembrance” from 5 p.m to 9 p.m Wednesday at the Latino Center. More upcoming events from the center are available on their website.
