One of the most recent discovery I made is this short legend. Granted, it was already known by the people of the town of Michelena, and I supose a very few handful of people, but to those I asked, no one had any idea, and of course, they all though I was making it out (they don’t say it, but you know).
I’m also calling this “short” because it seems there is not a lot to tell, perhaps due to the fact that this spirit is very unknown. Also, when it comes to venezuelan Espantos, is one of the most “recent”, as the most popular and well known legends from Venezuela are from hundreds years ago, and this one happened in 1925.
Note: espanto is how we call spirits, ghosts, terrors, etc.
In 1925, in Tachira State, in the Michelena municipality, lived a young and handsome man named Jose, who had a girlfriend called Maria Eugenia. But Jose, though not exactly a womanizer, used to see other women.
Maria Eugenia’s father, tired of all the gossip and hurtful rumors around his daughter's boyfriend, waited one night for Jose. When Jose arrived, he started chasing him around town with a club, until he finally caught him and gave him a beating until he died. A few days later, he just ordered to throw away the corpse, without at least giving it a Christian sepulture.
A few days later, Maria Eugenia's father left early to do some errands, but being so busy he made his way home late at night. As he was passing near the entrance of the cemetery, he remembered the despicable young man and how he took his life, but didn’t feel any remorse at all.
As he was walking in front of the cemetery, he started to feel a chill, but payed no mind to it and continued his way. A little farther, on a descent next to the cemetery, he saw how the figure of a young man appeared before him.
And it was in fact the spirit of Jose, who was calling him, accusing him and telling him that he needed to pay for what he had done.
Maria Eugenia's father arrived home almost with a nervous breakdown, he was received by his family who got surprised to see him in such state, and without saying a word, he fainted.
Some time later, Maria Eugenia’s father went crazy and died. Nobody could explain what happened, but it was said that Jose’s spirit took him away.
As the years passed, the people from Michelena started seeing a hideous Espanto that appeared on a descent next to the cemetery with a black tunic, sparkling eyes and long chains that hanged from his arms and where dragged on the street.
The Spirit always appeared on the same descent next to the cemetery and made the same route until it got to the barrio of Santa Rita, where it dissapeared.
The people started calling it “El Encadenado de Michelena” (The Chained of Michelena)
There is not much to say about it. It seems he appears only during the days when the anniversary of his death draws close.
It's unknown if he actually attacks people, as the people of Michelena are cautious enough to not get close to it when he appears. There is not a pattern or any specific type of people he appears in front off.
When he does appear, he always travel the same route everytime. Starting from a descent next to the cemetery, going all the way to a barrio named Santa Rita.
People who claim to have seen it, obviously get spooked but that's it, there is no haunting, bad dreams or anything else. Of course, such people who claimed to have seen it also made the wise desicion to stay away and just let it be.
What exactly caused Jose to become a spirit? A suffering soul?. If he wanted revenge, he did get it once Maria Eugenia’s father died, but then why did he continued to appear to other people? Why has he become the Chained of Michelena?
After all, Jose was not totally the victim. Sure, he didn’t deserved to be beaten to death, but he was unfaithful to his girlfriend, and most likely used to lie to other women. Perhaps because of his way of living and then all the anger after he was murdered, he still couldn't find peace and was punished to become such espanto?
Who was Maria Eugenia’s father that could just get away with murder like that? Did he really had the influence to order the dispose of a body days later after he murder it? What did Maria Eugenia though about all this?
It seems Maria Eugenia was just the excuse. Perhaps, her father never liked Jose to begin with, and when the rumors started flying around, he felt that this young man was tainting his name. Maybe he didn’t do it for her daughter’s honor, but for his own reasons. But if this is true, once Jose’s spirit managed to get this man’s life, why does he continue to appear?
If rumors where flying around, then everybody knew about Jose’s antics. Most likely, when he was being chased around, people just ignored it, refused to help, and surely mocked the act. Once he was killed, people just muttered “he got what he deserved”. Basically, nobody cared.
And why appear next to the cemetery and go all the way to the barrio of Santa Rita? Surely because that's were he was caught and eventually beated to death. As to why go to Santa Rita, it may be because that’s where he wanted to go, maybe there he felt he could be safe.
Questions that maybe someone asked once, but the answers were lost as years passed by. Nowadays, people tell the story as they see fit. So the ultimate true was lost.
Nevertheless, The chained figure continues appearing through the main streets of the town, from the cemetery to the barrio Santa Rita, the days close to the anniversary of the death of this young man, named José.
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