Surely you have heard say a Mexican say sometimes that somebody “has been eaten by the witch”, it is a common expression used when somebody is missing and can’t be found anywhere.
And it is that in Mexico there is still the belief that witches roam at night in search of victims to suck their blood, just like vampires in other latitudes.
But where does this superstition come from? Like almost all traditions in Mexico, this legend has a pre-Hispanic origin. In Tlaxcala, these creatures are called tlahuelpuchis which, in the Nahuatl language, means “luminous incense”.
The Tlahuelpuchis were originally a kind of nahuales who have the ability to turn into animals and commit atrocities. Today they are related to witches.
They are ordinary women in the sight of all who have been given a gift by the gods that some use maliciously.
According to the legends, the Tlahuelpuchis are common women in the sight of all, to whom the gods have granted a gift that some use maliciously. The legend says that these women are carriers of this gift when they reach puberty, specifically when they have their first menstruation, that’s when they come into contact with the potential of their powers. With time and practice, they become able to develop these powers completely, until finally mastering the technique of becoming animals.
Source: OEM
