The legend of the Catrín of the Covarrubias neighborhood that haunts Mazatlan

1911

Carnival parties were haunted by this character known as “El Catrín of the old Covarrubias neighborhood”

MAZATLAN. – Halloween is just around the corner and to get us in the mood of terror, we will tell you about one of the most famous legends of the port of Mazatlán. It is about the legend of “El Catrín of the old Covarrubias neighborhood”.  

Perhaps the name of the legend does not cause much fear, but we assure you that this story will surely give you goosebumps and if you like Carnival, it is likely that you will never see it with the same eyes again.  

The legend goes something like this… A few years ago, during the first half of the 20th century, there was a curious figure dressed in a suit with striped pants, a hat and a bowler hat, the characteristic clothing of a catrín.

What is a Catrin? It is necessary to know that a Catrín is not similar to La Catrina, the figure that represents the “Mexican death”.

Catrín was the term used for men who dressed elegantly and were from a high social class. The main characteristic of these people was that they loved to show it off.  

It was said that this suspicious character walked at night between the streets and alleys of the area that make up the Paseo del Centenario, Calle de la Cruz and Calle Venustiano Carranza, which in those days formed the Barrio de la Covarrubias.  

His main attribute, apart from the clothing that gave him his name, was that instead of a face he wore a dark shadow under his hat, or well that was what the skittish people said.  

According to that time, it mainly attacked children and young people who went out partying during the Carnival, being quite common for many to disappear during the carnival festivities.

It is said that they were seen in the company of a strange man (the catrín) who somehow attracted them to him, once he managed to gain their trust they were lost towards the cave that is located on Paseo Claussen, better known as the Cave. of the Devil, from where they no longer came out. 

This was one of the reasons why the famous cave of the devil became a synonym of danger and terror, since the legend of the catrín made this cave, which was originally used as a cellar to store dynamite at the beginning of the 20th century, become in a place that citizens avoided at all costs and even, during carnivals, people preferred not to celebrate in that area so as not to be “enchanted” by Catrín de la Covarrubias. 

Source: punto.mx

The Mazatlan Post