The Cadejo
In Central America, travellers on lonely roads at night tell of a great black dog with burning eyes, and a white one that protects them from it.
What was reported
In the folklore of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and southern Mexico, the cadejo is a large, dog-like creature that appears to people walking alone at night. The black cadejo, with glowing red eyes, is said to follow and frighten them.
The white cadejo is its opposite: a protective spirit that walks beside travellers and keeps the black one away.
Explanations offered
The cadejo is a figure of folklore, often told to warn people about travelling alone at night or to explain fear on dark roads. Stray dogs following walkers at night may have helped keep the stories alive.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- El Salvador and across Central America
- Witnesses
- Rural communities across Central America
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.