My first and only encounter with La Lechuza was when I was about 10 years old, playing in my front yard at night running barefoot, when suddenly a harsh, piercing scream resonated through the night. Concerned, I looked for the source. Then I saw it. A huge, white owl ruffling its feathers, revealing an enormous wingspan, as it sat perched on a tree branch. I stared at its eerie, white appearance which seemed to glow against the night until my mother came running out. “Get inside! Es La Lechuza!”
Growing up in a Hispanic household, I remember the countless warnings my family had given me of the Mexican terror, La Lechuza, the owl-witch who roamed around the night looking for her dinner. I’ve heard several people describe it as a witch who transforms into a massive owl over 7 feet tall sometimes, wearing the face of a haggard old woman. Others say it’s the resentful soul of a woman looking for revenge for her child who died at the hands of a drunk driver. Either way, La Lechuza is known by many in Texas and Mexico.
In line with the legend, it is known as a creature of the night, often appearing outside homes and bars looking for her next victim.
According to backpackerverse.com, if you’re in your home, the creature will imitate the sounds of a crying baby or whistle to lure you in to be her next meal. Just hearing the cries of La Lechuza is an omen someone in your family is about to die.
The site even claims the beast would swoop down on unsuspecting travelers on isolated roads.
Only one photo of an allegedly slayed Lechuza from northern Mexico exists, according to mexicounexplained.com. The photo portrays a huge white barn owl with a “15-foot wingspan.” However, some believe the photo is fake or Photoshopped.
By praying, tying seven knots on a piece of string or rope or just blasting the bird with a gun, you can protect yourself from the owl-witch’s clutches.
Although at the time, I believed my mother that the monster known as La Lechuza was real and I had almost met my demise that night, but thinking back, it may have just been a barn owl much larger than me.
According to allaboutbirds.org, barn owls are strictly nocturnal most of the time and the North American race is considered the largest of its species, possibly explaining the several stories of meetings with La Lechuza, including my own.
Is this Mexican folktale real or is the legend of La Lechuza simply a way to keep kids and drunk spouses off the streets and in their homes safe?
