The Role of the Internet in the Endurance of “La Llorona” as a Liminal Archetypal Monster in Modern Latin American Society

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25120/etropic.16.1.2017.3567

Keywords:

social media, La Llorona legend, liminality, paranormal, Latin America, folklore, gender studies

Abstract

Monsters are liminal beings that not only portray fears,  proscriptions and collective norms, they are also embedded with special qualities that scare and, at the same time, captivate  people’s inquisitiveness. Monstrosities are present in practically all cultures; they remain alive, being passed from one generation to another, often altering their characteristics over time. Modernity and science have not ended people’s belief in paranormal beings; to the contrary, they are still vivid and fresh, with contemporary societies updating and incorporating them into daily life. This paper analyses one of the most well-known legends of Mexico and Latin America, the ghost of “La Llorona” (the weeping woman). The legend of La Llorona can be traced to pre-Hispanic cultures in Mexico, however, the presence of a phantasmagoric figure chasing strangers in rural and urban places has spread across the continent, from Mexico and Central America, to Latino communities in the United States of America. The study of this liminal creature aims to provide a deep sense of her characteristics – through spaces, qualities and meanings; and to furthermore understand how contemporary societies have adopted and modernised this figure, including through the internet. The paper analyses different  versions of the legend shared across online platforms and are analysed using Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s (1996) theoretical tool described in his work Monster Culture (Seven Theses), which demonstrates La Llorona’s liminal qualities.

Author Biography

David Ramírez Plascencia, University of Guadalajara-SUV

Dr David Ramírez Plascencia is a Mexican teacher and researcher (Guadalajara, 1980). Bachelor of Law (2002) and Master Degree in Political Science (2006) in The University of Guadalajara. He holds a Doctor in Social Sciences from the College of Jalisco (2013). He is currently a full-time researcher and teaches subjects related with the new information and communication technologies and their connection with society at The University of Guadalajara. He is a member of the National Research System of Mexico (SNI).

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Published

2017-05-30

How to Cite

Ramírez Plascencia, D. (2017). The Role of the Internet in the Endurance of “La Llorona” as a Liminal Archetypal Monster in Modern Latin American Society. ETropic: Electronic Journal of Studies in the Tropics, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.25120/etropic.16.1.2017.3567