LA CEGUA

ORIGIN: Central American folklore, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

It is a warning story retold to warn men, especially those who are unfaithful, drunk, or wandering alone at night.

La Cegua is a shape-shifting entity, appearing first as a beautiful woman with long, dark hair and an tempting figure. 

She waits along lonely roads or forest paths, targeting men riding horses or traveling alone.

Her beauty is so seductive that men are easily lured in, eager to offer her a ride or company.

However, once the man is close enough, La Cegua turns into her real form. 

Her face transforms into a skull resembling that of a horse, with rotten flesh, empty eyes, and sharp, jagged teeth. 

Her breath is said to be so foul and smelly that it can drive a man to madness or even kill him.

Victims of La Cegua are often left traumatized, cursed, or physically ill. 

Some are said to disappear entirely, never to be seen again. 

The legend serves as a warning to stop cheating on one's partner, engaging in drunkenness, and venturing alone into the dark.

It reminds travelers that not every beauty is what she seems— sometimes, death itself wears a mask of seduction.