La Muelona ("big molar woman"), (also known as Colmillona; "big fang woman") is a character from Colombian

mythology Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

, present in the

folkloric Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as tales, myths, legends, proverbs, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also includes material ...

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

s of the populations located in the Andean region ( Huila and Tolima) of

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

.Ocampo, 1996, p.217

Characteristics

The woman is characterized by her teeth that always appear, for which it seems that she always smiles. Her form is as a pretty woman with long hair, penetrating eyes, an extravagant dentition similar to that of a larger animal such as a cow or a horse. Muelona attacks the walkers that appears at the edge of the path as a very attractive and seductive woman, but when they are in her arms, they are crushed by her teeth. According to mythology she is almost always going after

gamblers Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of Value (economics), value ("the stakes") on a Event (probability theory), random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy (ga ...

, unfaithful men, and

alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

s. Muelona or Colmillona has a particularity and is that of not attacking men with a home, a pregnant wife or with newborn children. Her favorite time to appear along the roads is between six in the afternoon and eight in the evening. Muelona is said to have an extremely high

libido In psychology, libido (; ) is psychic drive or energy, usually conceived of as sexual in nature, but sometimes conceived of as including other forms of desire. The term ''libido'' was originally developed by Sigmund Freud, the pioneering origin ...

.La Muelona
- Fabulas

Origin

At the time of the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

, there was a bad reputation of women who wanted to destroy homes, deceived men and were not very well received by society. One of them, was "La Maga", who had a business of

divination Divination () is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic ritual or practice. Using various methods throughout history, diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a should proceed by reading signs, ...

of the future. She quickly became famous, and it spread across the

plain In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and ...

, she committed countless atrocities. She preferred that young people detest motherhood, quickly left many homes in ruins, because they invested all their fortune in it. When "La Maga" died, the house was filled with a nauseating smell, to the point of having to leave immediately. His house turned dark and in it is hear whispers about her revenge against the players and infidels. After this, the legend came to life and spread rapidly through the villages after the disappearance of several peasants from the surrounding area.Melon
- Toda Colombia

References

Bibliography

* {{citation , last= Ocampo López , first=Javier , year=1996 , title=Leyendas populares colombianas - Popular Colombian legends , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BdYrQfMRLrcC&q=muelona&pg=PA219 , publisher=Plaza y Janes Editores , pages=1–384 , isbn=9789581402670 , language=es , accessdate=2018-05-24 Female legendary creatures South American mythology Spanish-language South American legendary creatures Colombian folklore Myths and legends of Colombia

Characteristics

Origin

See also

References

Bibliography