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The cadejo is a supernatural character from Central American and southern Mexican folklore. There is a good white cadejo and an evil black cadejo. Both are spirits that appear at night to travelers: the white to protect them from harm during their journey, the black (sometimes an incarnation of the devil) to kill them. The colors of the cadejo are sometimes exchanged according to local tradition. In some places, the black cadejo is seen as the good one and the white cadejo the evil one. They usually appear in the form of a large (up to the size of a cow), shaggy dog with burning red eyes and a goat's hooves, although in some areas they have more bull-like characteristics. According to the stories, many have tried to kill the black cadejo but have failed and perished. It is also said that if a cadejo is killed, it will smell terrible for several days, and then its body will disappear. Some Guatemalan folklore also tells of a cadejo that guards drunks against anyone who tries to rob or hurt them. When the cadejo is near, it is said to bring about a strong goat-like smell. Most people say never to turn your back to the creature because otherwise you will go crazy. Speaking to the cadejo will also induce insanity.
In popular etymology, the name cadejo is thought to have derived from the Spanish word "cadena", meaning "chain"; the cadejo is at times represented as dragging a chain behind him. There is a fairly large member of the weasel family, the tayra, which in common speech is called a cadejo and is cited as a possible source of the legend.
In El Salvador, the dog-like creature is known as El Cadejo, is said to look like a dog but is not a dog, has deer-like hooves and also moves like a deer, rather than a dog. The white Cadejos are known to be benevolent and eat bell-like flowers that only grows on volcanoes. The white Cadejo protects people including drunks, vagabonds, and people with grudges from all evil foot steps and even La Siguanaba, and bad choices which are sometimes caused by the evil black Cadejo. The black Cadejo is malevolent and lures people to make bad choices. The black Cadejo has glowing red eyes and eats new born puppies and sometimes the black Cadejo is said to be the devil himself. The black Cadejo is said to be able to stand on two feet like a man and swiftly throw punches on its victims, letting them know that they are no ordinary dog. The novel "Los perros magicos de los volcanes" (Magic Dogs of the Volcanoes) by Manilo Argueta, describes the Cadejos as mythical dog-like creatures that figure prominently in the folklore of El Salvador. They mysteriously appear at night and lovingly protect the villagers who live on the slopes of the volcanoes from danger. In El Salvador the legend of El Cadejo revolves around La Siguanaba and El Cipitio legends.
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The legend of "El Cadejo" is very popular in El Salvador, although it is also known in Central America, Mexico and part of South America. This legend comes from the times of our indigenous ancestors, who usually believed that the dog helped humans in their passage into the afterlife when they died. With the arrival of the Spaniards and Christianity to our lands, the legend was changed to show the difference between good and evil.
El Cadejo (legend)
The Legend says that the Cadejo is actually a spirit of a ghost represented with the appearance of a dog which has red and sparkling eyes. There are two types of Cadejos: the white Cadejo that represents the good and the black Cadejo that represents evil.
God, in his effort to protect us, decided to create a good spirit, which is represented by a white dog. However, Satan saw this and decided to also send to Earth a black evil dog that fought against white with the purpose of defeating God.
The black Cadejo, represents the evil, often appears to those who wander in the villages late at night or those who perform immoral acts or have a bad conscience and behavior; so it has pursued his victims for a while to scare them and then it hypnotizes them with his huge red eyes (similar to coals) when they are caught steals their soul leaving them like fools to the rest of their lives, this is called in El Salvador that a person has been "played by an evil spirit".
Related: Gentilicios of the departments of El Salvador
Moreover, the white Cadejo has blue eyes and represents a spirit of light that protects all faithful believers, it does not allow that the black Cadejo steals the soul of the newborn babies or toddlers, (mainly those that living away from the villages)
The people say that the black Cadejo can easily be scared away from places or dwellings where appears, for getting rid of this spirit you must burn incense, commonly known as "Sahunmerio in El Salvador"
The next time you leave at night from anywhere in El Salvador don't go alone in the street or be careful and be sure to look back always because maybe a black dog it could be following you...
