On this our first episode of Strange Wonders, we retell the devastating ghost story of La Llorona, the legendary Weeping Woman of Mexican and Southwest folklore. Host Jay Saenz shares this terrifying tale as it was told to him as a child.

⚠️ Content Warning & Listener Note: Strange Wonders adheres to a clean language standard and does not contain profanity. However, the folklore we explore is often rooted in deep tragedy. This episode discusses mature themes, including infidelity, maternal despair, and the loss of children due to drowning. Listener discretion is strongly advised for sensitive audiences and young children.

Want to learn more about La Llorona?

Check out the following resources and of course drop some knowledge in the comments:

La Llorona: An Introduction to the Weeping Woman by Stephen Winick folklorist at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress ⁠https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2021/10/la-llorona-an-introduction-to-the-weeping-woman/⁠

If you can find a copy of Juan Sauvageau’s 'Stories That Must Not Die' series I highly recommend them.

-----------------------Credits---------------------------

Script / Hosting: by Jose A. Saenz

Music:

"Laid Back Guitars" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

-----------------------Sound Effects---------------------------

Used with permission under pixabay and/or creative commons license.

• Busy Town Square (cagancelik), horse and musicians in town (specrad1), lighting a cigarette taking drag, Ambience night rural campground (robotjay), Walking on Gravel 05 (moontide) - freesound_community
• Heavy Walkign Footsteps, Woman Crying, Woman Crying 02, - Universfield
• Children Giggling Kids Laughing - Virtual_Vibes
• Running on dirt road - spinopel

-----------------------Legal Stuff---------------------------

Permission is granted for others to create reaction, commentary, or review content featuring this episode (in full or in part), provided proper credit is given (visibly or verbally) to Strange Wonders, a link to the original work is included in the content description, and the original work is not reuploaded or monetized in full without transformation.

© 2025 HeyWonder, LLC

Story, script, and retelling by Jose A. Saenz

All rights reserved.

Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or adaptation of this retelling is prohibited.

This retelling is an original adaptation of traditional folklore and is protected under U.S. and international copyright law.