La Llorona translates to English as “The Weeping Woman” or “The Wailer.” Hispanic American folklore describes La Llorona as a ghost who roams waterfronts mourning her drowned children. There are many regional variations of the story. A typical version of the legend tells the story of a beautiful woman named Maria. She marries a rich ranchero and they eventually have two children. On one tragic day, Maria happens upon her husband with another woman. In an apoplectic fit, Maria loses control of herself and drowns the young children in a river. Feeling immediate regret, she then drowns herself, no longer able to bear the pain and guilt. The children’s spirits having moved on, Maria is denied entry into the afterlife. She is condemned to wander the land as a weeping ghost.