La Lechuza

Shapeshifters are often one of the most nefarious creatures we see in folklore. La Lechuza is no exception to this stereotype. Largely from Mexican and Tejano folklore, La Lechuza is said to be a witch that can shapeshift into an owl. Oh, and she has a taste for revenge.

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La Lechuza may sound exotic to English speakers, but Lechuza is simply Spanish for owl. However, the stories of La Lechuza are centuries old. It is said that La Lechuza lures her victims through pity. You see, she mimics the sound of a crying baby to bring people outside the house to rescue the baby. Once they leave the safety of their homes, La Lechuza swoops into her bird form and attacks them.

At this point in the blog, it's important to note that La Lechuza didn't turn into just any old owl. The owl itself was said to be somewhere between 4 and 7 feet tall with a jaw-dropping 15-foot wingspan. While the body is that of a giant owl...the face of the owl is a human's face—the face of a bitter old woman. She is typically said to be a giant white owl, although other descriptions do flutter in.

She is said to prey on people who have committed some misdeed or who have a dark heart. Unlike other witches, she doesn’t have a specific crime; she just goes after anyone with a dark heart or who commits dark deeds. This makes her the perfect boogeyman for Texan children because no matter what bad thing they do, they risk being the victim of La Lechuza.

Thanks to Elimaris Gonzalez for this blogstonishing suggestion! 

The header image is not directly related to the story and depicts a white barn owl. The photographer is Steve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.