XTABAY LEGEND

XTABAY

When I was a child my grandmother told me interesting legends, but the best was the xtabay.
Once upon ago, in a mayan town, two women lived called Xkeban and Utz-Colel.
Xkeban was a prostitute but she had a sweet heart since she always used to help poor and sick neighbors of the town.
By the other way, Utz-Colel was a virgin of honourable behavior but, however, internally she was rigid, hard, who used to depreciate poor people because they were not on the same level to her and sick people because she could be contaminated.
Once Xkeban didn’t go out from her house and days later the people realized she had died. But, misteriously, from her body emanated a wonderful fragancy and the news circulated by all the town.
When Utz-Colel heard of it, she couldn´t believe it. And she saw it by herself. "If this woman smells like this, when I die I will smell better". Xkeban, by then, turned into a beautiful flower called "Xtabentún".
Soon Utz-Colel died too. However, everybody was surprised because from her body emanated an bad smell. She turned into a plant called "Tzacam", which is a kind of cactus with spines. She did a deal with the spirits, Utz-Colel could went back alive for imiting Xkeban, seducing men who felt in love with her and later she killed them.
The people says that Utz-Colel appears in dark nights at the foot of the Ceibo, that is a tipical tree from Yucatan.

SANDY DEL CARMEN RIVERO CUEVAS