A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
A man travelling to his beloved in Amatenango encounters her apparent likeness near Barrio Limón. Reversed toes expose the impostor. After striking her and seeing her flee, he deliberately returns the following night for revenge. Embracing her, he places a blessed needle beneath her; she cannot rise. The narration tentatively invokes electricity. At dawn, passers-by see her disordered hair and suggest she is the Mala Mujer. A priest prays while the man strikes her with a branch; she disappears rather than being explicitly killed.
A separate New Mexican account, quoted in Spanish translation by Vicuña Cifuentes, describes a night apparition that can resemble a mass of wool, change size and frighten solitary travellers. Its naming includes Malora or Malogra. This comparison shows how similarly named dangers acquire distinct bodies and plots; it does not prove that the Mochó story and New Mexican apparition descend from one source.
The teller is Juan Méndez Matías of Barrio Guadalupe, Motozintla. Tomás Kaufman recorded and transcribed his account in1967. Laura Martin translated it with Méndez in1984, and they revised it in1986. The introduction presents the story as a reputed occurrence, not an independently verified event.
Origins & earliest records
Tlalocan11,published1989; electronic posting2013. Vicuña’s1915 New Mexican comparison quotes Aurelio M. Espinosa through Carlos E. Porter rather than documenting Chiapas transmission.
Records & interpretation
Complete article279–284 inspected, including bilingual text, introduction and English summary; Spanish translation governs this account. Vicuña’s New Mexican quotation remains an indirect witness.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
La mala hora, un cuento mochó de Motozintla, Chiapas
Complete article279–284; printed authorship verified against website metadata.
- 02
Mitos y supersticiones recogidos de la tradición oral chilena
Printed pp. 24–25 quote Carlos E. Porter's Spanish translation of Espinosa's New Mexican account; used as an indirect comparative witness.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- ResearchTlalocan: La mala hora, un cuento mochó de Motozintla, ChiapasResearch access: 2026-10-05
- Primary textMemoria Chilena: Vicuña Cifuentes, Mitos y supersticiones (1915)Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
