The Ghost of the Nun: All About This Legend
The ghost of the nun is one of those dark but exciting stories that keeps the interest of those who begin to read it. Here you can find out.
The legend of the nun's ghost
The ghost of the nun tells us about an urban legend of terror that occurred a long time ago in the colonial era of Mexico, but which remains in force because the events narrated present a mixture of real and fictitious data that arouse the curiosity of the who reads or listens to it and encourages sharing.
We can also say that its validity and interest of the public have been maintained in view of the fact that its plot has been transmitted by the oral tradition that exists in the towns, adding interesting and curious details, which has allowed its transcendence over time, so much so that it is already part of the folklore of Mexico, the country where the events take place. In Egyptian mythology we find similar plots.
This legend of the ghost of the nun tells us that, when the sixteenth century passed, in New Spain, which was the name with which the region where Mexico City was later founded was baptized, the three Ávila brothers lived in a harmonious family union.
It was about Alfonso, Gil and María Ávila, who resided specifically at the intersection of the streets Argentina and Guatemala, as they are known today, in the heart of the Historic Center of Mexico, which, as we know, was where it began. the development of the Mexican capital.
They belonged to what has been called a wealthy family of the time, which implied that they enjoyed a good social position and prestige, a stable economic situation, had good monetary resources and some said that they had influence in certain government bodies that they conferred privileges on him in the odd transaction.
It could also be added that because of this social position they generally did not relate to someone who was not at the same level, which perhaps is possible was said just to show off. The Celtic mythology tells frames are also reflected problems of social inequality.
Alfonso and Gil, as they were older than María, took care of her care and education and tried to give her a stable future by marrying a man who could keep her in the same or better conditions that they had provided for her.
Maria was a very graceful, sweet and well-mannered young woman, which was recognized by everyone around her, but she was also, in terms of character, very naive and she trusted too much in everyone who approached her. This, of course, brought her some not very pleasant situations, but that being her essence, she always gave her trust to the one who required her.
Greed
As part of the family environment, a humble mestizo with the surname Urrutía, of uncertain origin, was at their service, who acted as an employee of the Ávila, lending them their jobs both at home and in assignments that he had to carry out in the city. He was characterized by being a person with excessive ambition, always wanting to make a profit with little effort.
Urrutia saw that María was a desirable heiress and old enough to have a formal romantic relationship, so he wanted to take advantage of that circumstance. As Maria was candid and inexperienced, the interested mestizo managed to impress her and began to pretend her, seeking to obtain fortune and lineage, which was his most fervent desire, at the cost of his marriage to the distinguished young woman.
Maria not very experienced in those arts of love, after Urrutia fell in love with her, he proposed to her, to which she immediately accepted, as she had fallen deeply in love and was willing to do anything for her love.
The project that Urrutia had considered with María was going very well and he only hoped to be married to her so that his fortune would pass into his hands.
However, one day when he was in the tavern where he always went with his friends, after a bit of drinks, he began to presume that he had Maria under his control and that, therefore, he would soon be a very wealthy man. In addition, he even dared to mock her by shouting that she was a naive fool, who could easily be deceived and continue to enjoy the pleasures of life, women and revelry.
Such ridicule spread throughout the region and came to the attention of Alfonso and Gil, María's brothers, who, very upset, prepared to object to this.
They strongly opposed such love affairs and that María continued to relate to Urrutia, which, of course, brought discussions, conflicts and disagreements between the brothers, which caused María to distance herself from them.
Alfonso and Gil sought all possible means so that María and Urrutia would no longer see each other and thus avoid marriage. Thus, in the first place, they immediately fired the haughty mestizo, then they complained and insulted him for disrespecting his sister and, finally, they forbade him to see her, which caused the man a lot of grace, because he boasted that she loved him madly , that he had her under his control and that he would soon be one of the owners of their businesses as soon as they married.
The brothers had to accept that indeed, for the first time, Maria was very much in love and that if she did not get her brothers to approve her engagement and wedding, she could commit the folly of running away with that rogue.
Gil, realizing the danger that María was in, wanted to have a duel with the evil mestizo and kill him. But Alfonso had gone ahead and had already thought about how to get rid of the ruffian and without his brother staining his hands with blood for murdering that criminal.
Between the two they agreed to offer Urrutia a large sum of money, which he could not despise, making it a condition for him to leave the city forever, since with that money he could settle anywhere and start a good business that would allow him to live well for a long time. weather.
At first, the mestizo villain refused because it spoiled his entire plan to be a wealthy man, belong to the high line and be someone of ancestry, but the sum offered by the brothers was such that the rogue agreed to leave the town. city and moving to Veracruz.
In such a way that he left the city without giving any reason or explanation to María, which, of course, led her to a deep depression, taking away her strength and courage to do anything, a condition from which she could not recover for a good time. time for the great misery that overwhelmed her.
Maria was waiting for two long years, without any encouragement to want to relate to anyone, she only lamented her lack of love, until her brothers, dejected by seeing her like this, wanted to solve that situation.
Deception
In order to help her sister alleviate her grief, they decided that it was best for her to enter the Old Convent of La Concepción, the first built in the city, in the center itself, which had already gained renown for receiving as novices. only to the daughters or relatives of the Spanish conquerors.
In order to convince her that it was for her physical and emotional well-being that she entered the convent and that it was best for her to become a nun, the brothers deceived her by saying that they had learned from a true source that Urrutia had died, so it was no longer worth it. wait for it, because I would not see it again.
For this reason, without any other reason to continue living at home, Maria agreed to enter the convent, where she dedicated herself body and soul to God and to prayer, seeking that prayers and prayers would mitigate her sorrows.
However, at night, without being able to avoid it, she gave herself up to tears and the memory of her lover, completely forgetting about God.
Until the day that through the mouth of one of her servants, who came to bring her food, she learned the truth about the dirty deal that her brothers and Urrutia had made. He knew, at that moment, that not only was he alive, but he had even married and returned to the city to blackmail his brothers, demanding more money from them. He also knew all the perverse pact hatched between them and the low feelings of the infamous mestizo and the deception of his brothers.
But what hurt the most was the betrayal of the one she had loved so much and who never sincerely reciprocated, since she never made the slightest attempt to search for her. This ended up destroying Maria's heart, the disappointment being such that it led her to make the difficult and terrifying decision to commit suicide, as her passion was stronger than religion.
To do this, he waited for nightfall, looked for a cordon, went to the courtyard of the convent, near the fountain where there was a peach tree. He knelt down with his crucifix in his hands and prayed to God for a few moments asking for his forgiveness for what he was about to commit.
He tied the cord around his neck, climbed to a high branch of the tree, tied the other end of the cord to the branch, once again commended himself to God, and then dropped into the void. His feet hit the edge of the fountain heavily and his body swayed for a few moments like a fragile pendulum moved by the wind, until it was completely immobilized and rendered lifeless.
It was hanging from the tree throughout the night until in the morning it was discovered by two nuns in charge of collecting water from the fountain to take to the kitchen. These horrified by what they saw, they went out terrified to warn the abbess of the convent.
Quickly, they hurried to lower the body of María, which was buried that same day in the afternoon in the convent's cemetery.
Appearances
One month after the death of Mary, one of the novices went out to the patio to collect water and when she reached the fountain, she saw in the water the reflection of the nun hanging from the peach tree, swaying in the breeze.
According to the story, the novice was able to appreciate that her eyes bulged out of her eye sockets and, furthermore, that her tongue hung from her half-open mouth with whitish lips.
Since then, the ghost of the nun began to appear there every night, and many times her face or her body swaying in the tree could be reflected in the water of the pond, every time one of the novices or nuns went there.
That is why, to avoid scares and gossip among the nuns, any of them were prohibited from leaving the garden as soon as night began to fall, until the fountain and the peach tree were removed.
According to the myth, these appearances of the ghost of the nun occurred for many years, according to the reports of events kept by the convent.
Night after night the ghost of María Ávila hanging from the peach appeared to each nun, which began to be a cause of fright and, no matter how much masses were offered, prayers were made, harsh penances were paid and sackcloth was used among them. or a tunic made of very rough cloth or animal hair, which caused a lot of itching and pain on the skin as a self-punishment that, in general, was called "blows of sackcloth" to ask for forgiveness, they have been of no use to drive away this dark appearance of the nun and to move away from the convent.
The scary urban legend tells us that since María could not bear to be without her lover and because of the disappointment of her love, her ghost also began to wander everywhere every night to look for Urrutia and make him pay for his betrayal and heartbreak.
Until one day, when he appeared dead, it began to be said that she had killed him so that she could have him forever with her, even if it was in the afterlife.
The legend also reports that the ghost of the nun also wanted to take revenge on her brothers for the deception of which she was the object. This has been pointed out because some time later misfortune came to them when they were involved in a revolt led by Don Martín Cortés, who was the son of the conqueror Hernán Cortés. Because of this accusation, they were imprisoned, tried and sentenced to death.
Thus, on July 16, 1566, his brothers were exposed to public derision, beaten, and later beheaded. In addition, they destroyed his house and his lands were seeded with salt by orders of the Royal Court to make them completely useless.
