Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
Testimonios de una irrealidad: el cajchoj. (Spanish). |
| Authors: |
NAVARRETE CÁCERES, CARLOS |
| Source: |
Estudios de Cultura Maya. primavera/verano2026, Vol. 67, p197-210. 14p. |
| Subjects: |
INDIGENOUS peoples, FOLKLORE, FLAME, MAYAS, GHOST stories, PARANORMAL fiction, PUMAS |
| Geographic Terms: |
CHIAPAS (Mexico) |
| Abstract (English): |
The article focuses on the "cajchoj," a mobile and enigmatic light that appears at night in lonely places, especially at rural crossroads, according to testimonies from the Tojolabales, a contemporary Maya people. The term "cajchoj" comes from the Tojolabal words k’ak’ (fire) and choj (puma), and it is described as an animal with a ball of fire on its forehead that disturbs travelers. Through 24 testimonies collected between 1976 and 2015 in municipalities of Chiapas, various popular interpretations and personal experiences are presented that relate the cajchoj to supernatural phenomena, warnings, spirits, or even tricks by thieves, although there are also rational explanations such as will-o'-the-wisps. The study reflects the persistence of these beliefs in Tojolabal and mestizo communities, showing the cultural and symbolic complexity of the phenomenon without offering a definitive conclusion. [Extracted from the article] |
| Abstract (Spanish): |
Los tojolabales, uno de los pueblos mayas contemporáneos, nombran cajchoj a una luz movible que, de manera súbita, aparece de noche en lugares solitarios, principalmente en los cruces de los caminos rurales. A decir del antropólogo Mario Humberto Ruz, el nombre se compone de los términos k'ak, 'fuego', y choj, 'puma'. Animal con una bola de fuego en la frente que gusta de perturbar a los viajeros y caminantes. En este trabajo, a partir de algunas experiencias personales, se presentan 23 testimonios populares con casos de apariciones de este enigmático trasgo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Database: |
Referencia Latina |
