In Xela, Guatemala, there is a local legend about a young gypsy girl named Vanushca Cárdenas who fell madly in love with a local boy from a rich family. Upon learning of their relationship and plans to marry, the parents of the rich boy forbade him to see her. They even sent him away to study in Spain. Vanushca was left behind, alone and broken hearted. She eventually died from that broken heart at a mere 17 years of age and was buried at El Calvario cemetery in Xela.
There are various stories as to how this all came to be and what happened to her beloved. I have heard that he returned shortly after Vanushca died, discovering that the love of his life was gone. And suffering from the same affliction as his sweetheart, he died right there at her grave, not able to live without her. I have also heard that he threw himself off the ship going to Spain, or that he perished in the war in Spain, and his death was the reason Vanushca died of a broken heart. I am inclined to believe that if anything, he died in Spain because Vanushca’s tomb reads, “The remains of the man I loved in life lie in Mother Spain.”
Vanushca’s gravesite is a popular place for visitors. Those who wish for luck in love come to pay tribute. So my friend Anna and I decided we would go and pay our respects. Why not? It couldn’t hurt.
One day we met at the entrance gate to El Calvario and bought some flowers from a nearby vendor. We went to Vanushca’s gravesite and saw that many were asking her for advice and guidance; people had written requests for help right on the grave. There were flowers, some fresh and some dried from time, on the tomb. We just left flowers and took some time to read the wishes of anonymous souls looking for a little help.
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| "Dear Vanushca, I have had bad luck in love all my life. Please help me obtain good luck in love now and in the future. What would life be without love ... " |
When traveling, I love to learn about regional stories, tales, and folklore. They bring color to the local life, and sometimes even give hope to both locals and visitors. If you learn of such a story, as I did, find a way to make the story more personal. Participate and leave those proverbial flowers.
The story of Vanushca is tragic, like Xela’s own Romeo and Juliet. Vanushca died of a broken heart, so I’m not exactly sure why she would be the best person to ask for help with romantic problems. I don’t think she handled the experience very well quite frankly. Plus, she was helpless to do anything when her man was sent away. So she died. Instead of eating mass quantities of ice cream to drown the pain, she just died. Not a recommended outcome. Maybe the legend is based on the assumption that since she had suffered such a loss, she would know how to help keep others from the same fate. Maybe her broken heart in life enables her to help others in death. Maybe she didn't have access to decent ice cream back then. I don’t know. But it is quite a story nonetheless.
I cannot speak about any great revelation or happening due to my visit to the gravesite of Vanushca Cárdenas. But Anna, shortly after her return to the U.S., started dating the man who recently became her husband. Coincidence? Perhaps. Or perhaps just believing in the possibility helps make it a reality. Taking part in a local legend was fun and interesting. And if it helped Anna find true love, then all the better. You just never know. When traveling, you never know what great stories will become a part of your own great story.
P.S. After doing some research on-line, I found out that Vanushca’s tomb, featured in the photos above, is different now. They replaced it with a new, more elaborate tomb, but it is still a place where people go to leave flowers, write requests, and pay their respects to Vanushca. You can find a photo and an article about it here.
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