The Legend of La Cabellona Asustada: The Frightened Long-Haired Specter

Legend has it that La Cabellona Asustada or La Mechuda is a phantom that appears in the towns of Santander and Antioquia. This creature usually presents herself to men and women she considers beautiful, or to couples out in the countryside.

This phantom manifests as a slender, delicate woman wearing a long white dress. She has an enormous mane of brown hair that covers her entire face and reaches all the way down to her waist. Her nails are so long that they protrude from the tangled mess of hair.

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According to the legend, this woman had a very beautiful face in life, which she still keeps hidden behind all the hair that covers her. Others claim that, on the contrary, she hides a very ugly face, and that her tangled, messy hair smells like rot.

Some say that La Cabellona usually targets men who have committed rape.

In the municipality of Socorro, in Santander, she is known as La Mechuda. It is said that she only attacks women whom she considers to be as beautiful as, or more beautiful than, she was in life.

Another Version of the Legend of La Mechuda

One version of the legend says that, in life, La Cabellona was a very beautiful woman but deeply obsessed with her appearance, so much so that she spent all her time looking in the mirror. She was constantly searching for ways to make her hair look more beautiful and neglected her daily duties, such as helping around the house or going to church.

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One day, this woman mocked how her mother dressed to go to church. She told her that, instead of worrying about going to kneel, she should worry more about how she looked. Her mother, deeply angered, reprimanded her and punished her by locking her in her room. When night fell, an angel appeared before her, scolded her for her behavior, and condemned her to live the rest of her days as a specter.

Origin of the Legend of La Cabellona Asustada or La Mechuda

The legend has its origins in the department of Santander, in Colombia. Many trace its exact provenance to the municipality of Socorro, where they call her “La Mechuda.”

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Sightings of this phantom have been reported in the rural areas of both the Santander and Antioquia departments.

How to Protect Yourself from La Cabellona Asustada or La Mechuda

The most effective way to protect yourself against La Cabellona or La Mechuda is to show her a pair of scissors. If you present them to her, she will run away in sheer terror, as she is horrified of having her hair cut. Some say that merely simulating the shape of scissors with your fingers is enough to make La Cabellona vanish in fear; this is where the nickname “Cabellona Asustada” (Frightened Big-Haired Woman) comes from.