La Madremonte
In Colombia's mountains, people say a tall woman covered in moss and leaves guards the forest, and punishes those who steal land or cheat.
What was reported
La Madremonte, 'mother of the mountain', is a forest spirit of Colombian folklore, especially in Antioquia and the coffee region. She appears as a large woman dressed in leaves and moss, wearing a green hat that hides her face.
She lives in the thick forest and by rivers, and punishes people who move boundary fences to take a neighbour's land, who are unfaithful, or who mistreat animals, sending floods, making them lose their way, or making their cattle sick. Her howls are heard in storms.
Explanations offered
She's one of many Latin American guardians of nature, like the Curupira, and her tales carried lessons about honesty and respect for the forest. She's still part of rural storytelling.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Antioquia, Colombia
- Witnesses
- Colombian folklore
- 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.
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