Some storytellers say shortly after her death a large black owl began appearing, sometimes preceded by a strange fireball at night stalking and seizing the men who killed her. The people of the town feared the woman they accused of being a witch, and soon she was put to death. A common oral tradition tells of disappearances occurring in a village where some of the missing were infants. Stories vary of how La Lechuza came to be, but the most common ones all suggest she was a healer who turned to the darker forms of magic and became a bruja (witch). The ancient Tsistsista (precursors to the Cheyenne nation) regard owls as having been born from the darker side of existence, having come into being from the abuse of divine powers. However, owls have also served as heralds of death throughout history. Owls have served as messengers foreboding both good and evil. Indian tribes of the Americas have always understood an owl’s appearance to have spiritual meaning and prophetic implications. Legends of the owl were well known in northern Mexico long before the region was incorporated into the United States. Most often associated with a woman, accounts of her legendary attacks and hauntings have been passed down throughout the Southwest since at least colonial times, spreading fears of witchery and demonic activity.
Stories of La Lechuza describe a winged, owl-like creature, larger than life and veritably evil in nature.
La Lechuza, translated from Spanish, means “female barn owl.” In Chicano and Mexican folklore, the term takes on a more sinister meaning.