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Published on Tuesday, October 26,
2021
By Andrew McCarthy Halloween is not really a Costa Rican tradition even though the country horror tales are fascinating expats. Yesterday, we learned more about the Cadejos tale. Today is the turn for La Segua. Some expats will quickly think of Segua Red Ale craft beer, but the legend of this creature goes not as pleasant as that bubbling drink. The word Segua or Cegua has its origin in the Mexican indigenous civilizations word "cihuatl" which means woman. She is one of the main characters in Mexican legends that eventually expanded to Central America. At the end of the 19th century, La Segua was known as a ghostlike figure that appeared suddenly at night on lonely roads requesting help to be taken to a nearby town. Her targeted victims: men. She tries to seduce the unfortunate man and then transform herself into a horse head monster. The name Segua for this phantom woman is predominantly used in Costa Rica, while in other countries it is known by other names such as X'tabay or Macihuatli in Mexico, Siguanaba in Guatemala and El Salvador and Sucia in Belize and Honduras. The book "Leyendas Costarricenses" (Costa Rican tales in the English language) by the writer Elías Zeledón-Cartín, includes a compilation of several stories about the Segua written since 1961. The author describes her as "a very beautiful young woman with black eyes, long curly black hair, lips red as blood, with a divine voice as siren's song and with a tempting body." She is dressed in black, also white or pink according to other versions of the same legend and a delicate veil over her face. Upon seeing that beautiful woman in the middle of a lonely road, the man agrees to take her to the nearest town. During the trip, she attempts to seduce him. When he kisses her, she turns into a phantom of a woman's body with a horse skull covered with rotten flesh, glowing eyes, a cavernous snout, big teeth and rotten meat breath. The monster then holds tightly to the man. In some versions, he is a lone rider or driver. Few men survive that terror. Most of the tales, it is said that the man dies and his body is found the next day on the ground with his eyes wide open. Those who manage to survive to tell the tale are left paraplegic without being able to move for the rest of their life. According to Zeledón, there are also a couple of stories where Segua presents herself not as a woman, but as a child crying on the side of the road or near a river bend. When a man walks by the place to sees the child, he tries to help the little boy. At that moment is when the horrible transformation occurs. "Legend has it that you can feel if the Segua is close to you with the sounds like a deep whisper or a devil laugh." Some of the stories tell more about the woman's life before being a monster. She was a beautiful woman who lived in the Cartago City in the province of the same name. The vain young woman had no respect for her parents. She often humiliated and disobeyed her parents because she was very unhappy being part of a very poor family. One day, she received an invitation from a wealthy young Spanish man to go to a dance. Her mother objected because the boy had a reputation for womanizing. Angered over the disapproval, the young woman blasphemed her mother and her humble home. But the girl was not insulting enough and tried to slap her mother. Suddenly a witch appeared and stopped the young woman and cursed her for trying to hit her mother. "I curse you, bad woman, for offending and trying to hit the one who gave you life, from today and for the rest of the centuries the men will approach you, but because of your horrible face, they will run away," the witch said to the young woman. The author messes with another version of what happened to this woman before becoming a monster. That story tells about a beautiful woman, who was very vain, and she fell in love with a wealthy Spanish man. The romance ended badly because he abused her. This being the case, she was condemned to walk alone for eternity looking for womanizing men seeking revenge. In Guanacaste Province, legend has it that Segua could also be seen in community dances and festivals. She flirts with every man who approaches her. When a man falls into the trap of seduction, she takes him to the savannah. When the couple are kissing under a lush Guanacaste tree the metamorphosis occurs. In 1984 one Costa Rican film about La Segua was released. A short segment of the movie can be seen on YouTube. Happy Halloween ! ------------------ Is the Segua seeking revenge or justice on womanizers? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com            
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