Weather lore, it’s where weather and folklore meet. It’s been part of my life for as long as I can remember. A day didn’t go by without a mention or two about the cows lying down or the ring around the moon; wonderful memories from the farm! As I travel around and talk to people from different ethnic backgrounds, religions and beliefs, I have come to realize that lore or folklore can be quite unique to certain groups of people. And while it can be as whimsical as it is accurate, it can take a dark turn.
Last month, I had the pleasure of being the guest panellist on Weather Brains, the self-proclaimed “official netcast for people who love weather.”
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A few days later, I received a Facebook message from Devin Greaney. He was enjoying the podcast from Memphis, Tennessee. Devin is a fan of folklore and shared such an interesting tale with me that I felt compelled to share it with you. Make sure the lights are on and the very little ones are not around; it’s a little creepy!
The story is about La Llorona, “the crying woman.” Legend says, she is the spirit of a woman who drowned her children and then herself. She is believed to hang out around rivers and creeks looking for more children to drown. Some say she has the body of a woman and the head of a donkey. (I did say it was a creepy story). The area haunted by La Llorona is prone to flash flooding that turns creeks into rivers and rivers into death traps in just minutes. The story evolved in an effort to keep young children away from dangerous river banks.
So, for today, it’s “someone else’s Grandma Says.”
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Cindy Day is the chief meteorologist for SaltWire Network.
