La Cegua
Artwork by Benedetta Fiore. ArtStation | Instagram
Origin: Latin America
Other names: La Siguanaba, Cigua, Tzegua, Segua
La Cegua is a shapeshifting creature who’s fond of luring adulterous men away to either frighten, maim, or kill them—depending on the storyteller. She first appears as a beautiful woman either naked or scantily dressed, usually bathing or washing clothes. She hides her face at first from the men who follow her to a secluded place, like a forest or canyon. Then she reveals her true appearance as a woman with a horse’s rotting head or skull, and her victims are said to lose their sanity or die of fright. Those who survive their encounter are left with bite wounds on their cheek to mark them as an adulterer.
There are many variations of her origins: she was a young woman who had a disagreement with her mother, and when she tried to strike her, she became cursed; she’s a witch who was betrayed by her lover and now seeks revenge against unfaithful men; she was denied marriage at the altar because she was unbaptized, and wandered off in her wedding dress until she died—then rose again as a vengeful spirit.
In some variations, you can hear her hissing or laughing when she’s nearby. To escape La Cegua, it’s said you should give her mustard seeds because she cannot resist them.
Appearances in media
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La Cegua (band)