Combining elements from both European and Aztecan traditions, the tlahuelpuchi proves to be an intriguing monster that feeds on the rural and native population of the small Mexican state of Tlaxcala. The legend of these blood-sucking sorceresses originated in parts of Mexico and thrived for hundreds of years, still having some presence in contemporary culture. Described by many as an evil, vampiric witch with magical powers, this mythological creature served as an explanation for the many unexplained deaths of infants and the elderly.
The descriptions of tlahuelpuchis are very similar to other witch or vampire stories around the globe. They are supernatural beings associated with blood and death, possessing magical and transformational powers, and driven by insatiable, evil desires. Like many otherworldly monsters, they “epitomize everything inherently dreadful, loathsome, abhorrent, and hateful, and they personify the exclusively evil and malevolent aspects of the supernatural struggle that constantly affects humanity” (Nutini and Roberts 1993, 54). However, tlahuelpuchis are unique in most other aspects such as their origination, transmission, transformative powers and preferences, relationships, and methods of destruction.
According to legend, tlahuelpuchis are born to two otherwise normal, human parents, and there seems to be no supernatural or external explanation for why they came into existence. “Anyone can be cast at birth in the role” (Nutini and Roberts 1993, 57). It is not a genetic trait or curse, and the legend is specific that tlahuelpuchis cannot create other tlahuelpuchis, either by mating or turning a victim. There is only one way that a tlahuelpuchi can create another: if a family member kills or betrays the tlahuelpuchi to others, who then kill it, the unnatural blood lust is then transferred to the family member. This draws siblings, parents, and spouses into the circle of the tlahuelpuchis’ actions. Family members are forced to assist, and perhaps even cover up, the evildoings of their relatives. It is interesting to note that, unlike the European vampire counterparts, which are immortal, tlahuelpuchis are alive and can die natural deaths.
At birth, tlahuelpuchis are no different from other children. They grow up as normal humans. It is only once they reach puberty that tlahuelpuchis’ true natures tend to appear. Girls are automatically altered into a fully powered tlahuelpuchi at the onset of their first menstruation. While boys do not have a specifically set time when their powers appear, the change is delineated by a three-day period of soul loss called espanto. It is at this time that the tlahuelpuchis are able to access powers of animal transformation and recognize their never-ending thirst for blood.
Tlahuelpuchis have numerous powers. They emit a phosphorescent light or glow, as well as the faint smell of blood. When encountering humans in a one-on-one exchange, tlahuelpuchis can exercise a certain amount of hypnotic power of suggestion. Their main strength lies in their ability to transform into animals or insects. Most vampire legends are connected to the winged bat, and tales of witches are usually associated with cats. Even though a tlahuelpuchi can choose which animal might suit an occasion of nocturnal hunting, they are most frequently associated with the turkey. Tlhuelpuchis perform a monthly ritual involving fire and the removal of their legs to retain their ability to transform at will into any animal they choose.
The presence of the tlahuelpuchi in Mexican culture and folklore was mainly a way to explain the unexpected nature of death. In the late twentieth century, changes in “labor migration, the intensification of education, the effects of radio and television, better means of communication and transportation, and much more contact with urban environments” in rural Tlaxcala resulted in a decline in magical practices and beliefs (Nutini 1994, 212). Since this shift, blaming death on this creature no longer satisfies any social need for scapegoating.
Josianne Leah Campbell
See also Vampires; Wendigo
Further Reading
Brodman, Barbara, and James E. Doan. 2013. The Universal Vampire: Origins and Evolution of a Legend. Lanham, MD: Fairleigh Dickson University Press.
Melton, J. Gordon. 1999. The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead. Detroit: Visible Ink Press.
Nutini, Hugo Gino. 1988. Todos Santos in Rural Tlaxcala: A Syncretic, Expressive, and Symbolic Analysis of the Cult of the Dead. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Nutini, Hugh G. 1994. “Traditional and Contemporary Configuration of Infanticide in the Tiaxcaia-Plebian Valley, Mexico.” In Unwanted Pregnancies and Public Policy: An International Perspective, edited by Hector Correa. New York: Nova.
Nutini, Hugo G., and John M. Roberts. 1993. Bloodsucking Witchcraft: An Epistemological Study of Anthropomorphic Supernaturalism in Rural Tlaxcala. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.