![]() The Ciguapa, which is the name by which it is known, is a creature that only rises a rod in height: thoug it should not be believed that in its proportions there is the deformity of the so-called dwarfs in Europe and America. "It is said that since before the Discovery of this Island there exists a race whose residence has always been the heart of these mountains but it is preserved in all its purity, sleeping in the crowns of cedars, and feeding on river fish, birds and fruit. In La Ciguapa, Guridi narrates the title character as follows: Guridi once again returned home and settled in Santiago de los Caballeros in 1860, where he launched a local newspaper, and in 1866 published several works, among them La Ciguapa. In 1843, he published his first collection of poems, “Ensayos poéticos.” He returned to his native Santo Domingo in 1853, moving back to La Habana one year later where he published his novel “La fantasma de Higüey,” in 1857. He was educated at the Royal College of San Francisco, in Cuba, where he lived from a young age (1822 - 1853), and founded a newspaper called “La Prensa” in 1836. But according to sociologist Ginetta Candelario, “the ciguapa is not a legend of Taíno origins that predates Spanish colonialization of the island.” Making Guridi’s short story the first introduction of the character into Dominican folklore.įrancisco Javier Angulo Guridi (Santo Domingo, DecemSan Pedro de Macorís, December 7, 1884), was a poet, novelist, essayist and playwright. It should be noted that, some sources have claimed the ciguapa as a legend that has been passed on since the time of the Taino Indians of Quisqueya. This is the story that first introduced the legend of ciguapas in the Dominican Republic, in a novel by Francisco Guridi, first published in 1866. A creature that is said to be a descendent of a race of small people that lived within secluded mountains long before the first indigenous people crossed over into the Greater Antilles. ![]() A lonely girl that sleeps in the tree tops and feeds on fruits, birds, fish and other small animals. Ensnaring the victim in a hypnotic stare and leading them back to her dwelling where she consumes them to the bare bones, or traps them forever for her carnal pleasures.īut there is also a story that describes a timid creature that quickly disappears if they sense people about. The most revered (and terrifying) of the ciguapa storylines, describes a demon which lives in deep caves and lures lonely men with her beauty and sensuality. Such is its popularity, that many, especially in the rural areas of the country, still claim the tale as true. A creature of Dominican folklore that today is still told at the bedside of many children. Thick and long, and draped on her body to ankle length. Hair black as midnight, but with a luster that glows with the moonlight. A fair maiden, standing no higher than a meter, but with a “harmony in all its muscles and limbs.” Large, dark and enchanting almond shaped eyes. The calling draws you in from all around until the creature finally reveals itself. Followed by soft whispers and howls that flowed with the gentle breeze and echoed through the canopies. ![]() Those that survive have described a stillness in the area, as if birds, insects and land animals had been frightened away.
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