April 3, 2025 • 40 mins
There's plenty of fish in the sea! But only one him (El Tabudo). In this episode of Susto, Ayden dives into the cool water of the legend of a fresh-water guardian from Lake Coatepeque in El Salvador.
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Speaker 1 (00:24):
Big girl Friends. It's me Adrian or Aiden. Either way,
I am still your host, and you are still listening
to Soustal, the podcast of spooky scary stories centered on
Latin American folklore. Not only can you listen to this episode,
you can watch me. We're making direct, uninterrupted eye contact here.
I'm looking into your soul and you're looking into where
(00:46):
I should have a soul. But I sold it, okay,
speaking of selling things, Big life update, Listen, when I
say girlfriend, I mean it. I get on here to
yap and talk to y'all, and I want you to
talk right back to me too. I sold my car.
Major life updates. I am thankfully a Jeff and I
are in a situation where we don't need two cars.
We don't each need to have a car, so we
(01:07):
downsize to one car. We hang out all the time. Anyway.
He's kind of cool. He's kind of my friend. I guess, so,
I don't know, just something fun I thought i'd share
with you. What about you? Do you have any big
life updates, anything exciting that's happened that you were looking
forward to. Aside from that, no major updates. There are
a few things coming up, but I'll announce them in
future episodes, but as always, you can follow me online
(01:30):
at at soustl podcast on every social media platform for
any and all updates on the show. Speaking of we
had our winners. I announced the winners for the Cynthia
Belile books giveaway. Again. Cynthia was so nice in the
lost episode just in general, it was a great interview.
She's amazing. Her work is so good. If you haven't
read her books, please go out and read them. Most
(01:51):
recently I read Vanishing Daughters, which I've talked about and
it was amazing. But in the giveaway, Cynthia actually sent
me two books. You sent me a signed copy of
Vanishing Daughters and assigned copy of Forgotten Sisters to give away,
and we did that, and so congratulations Tartoo winners. Your
books are on their way to you already, hopefully more
things like that in the future. You all know I
(02:11):
love to give back to you as much as I
can because y'all are so generous and so kind to me.
So with that being said, no major updates, So we'll
go ahead and get into today's episode, which is the
story of El Tabulor on the peaceful shores of Lake Guatepeke,
(02:45):
nestled among the volcanic hills of El Salvador, a wealthy
man made his home. He wasn't a native of the region.
He relocated from San Salvador, fleeing the chaotic bustle of
the city for the serene beauty of the lake. His
mansion stood grand and imposing, staffed by locals, but the
(03:06):
man held little respect for them. He scoffed at their
customs and laughed at their tales of the goddess Eatz Gallet,
the ethereal guardian of the lake's depths. To him, their
warnings and beliefs were phantasies, unworthy of his attention. One
summer night, as a gentle breeze stirred the surface of
(03:30):
the lake and the moon hung like a lantern in
the sky, the man decided to take his canoe out
for a moonlit ride. The locals begged him to reconsider
the goddess doesn't welcome visitors at night. They warned, the
currents are her whispers, and those who don't heed her
will be taken. But the man dismissed them with a
(03:50):
wave of his hand and set off. His laughter echoed
across the water. Disappearing into the silence of the night.
As he paddled back into the dark expanse, the lake
seemed to come alive. The currents swirled around him, playful
at first, then insistent. The air grew cold, and the
(04:14):
waters churned with unnatural force. His canoe spun faster and faster,
until the man's cries were swallowed by the roar of
the lake. A final mighty swell rose, and the man
vanished beneath the surface. By dawn, his canoe washed ashore,
(04:34):
empty and still the villagers knew the truth Itzgayea had
claimed him, yet they did not rejoice. The staff cared
for the abandoned mansion, unsure of their future, while the
lake remained calm and silent once more. That silence, however,
did not last. Months later, the man returned, but he
(05:00):
was no longer the figure they had known. His legs
had stretched grotesquely unnaturally long, and his knees had ballooned
to monstrous proportions, round and swollen like basketballs. His presence
sent chills down the spines of those who saw him.
The locals dubbed him el tabudo, drawing from the regional
(05:23):
word for knees. Thabas, But to their surprise, El Tabudo
was not vengeful. He announced that his home and its
lands now belonged to the local people who had once
worked for him. He urged them to live in harmony
with the lake and honor its guardian. The locals, ever
(05:45):
respectful of the goddess, erected a monolith on the Aban
island to honor Ittgaye. Fishermen who approached the waters with
reverence found their nets heavy with fish, their lives blessed
by the goddess and protected by Tabullo. Years passed, and
Lake Guadepeca's beauty began to attract outsiders, drawn by its
(06:09):
shimmering waters and lush surroundings. Among the visitors were Anna, Leslie,
and Julio, three friends on vacation eager to soak in
the lake's charm. Anna was the boldest of the group,
her energy infectious but often reckless. Julio shared her carefree attitude,
(06:30):
quick to dismiss anything he deemed old fashioned. Leslie, on
the other hand, was thoughtful and kind, her curiosity tempered
by respect for the local culture. Their first day at
the lake began with a stroll through the bustling market
that lined the shore. Vibrant stalls overflowed with handmade crafts,
(06:52):
fresh produce, and steaming plates of bubusas Leslie admired the
intricate pottery and struck up conversation with the artisans, asking
about their techniques and their stories behind their designs. Anna meanwhile,
darted from stall to stall, snapping photos without asking permission
and loudly haggling over prices. Julio followed suit, laughing as
(07:16):
he grabbed a handful of fruit samples without so much
as a thank you. Other tourists wandered the market, but
none were as loud or brash as Anna and Julio.
Leslie couldn't help but notice the disapproving glances from the locals.
She pulled her friends aside. You're embarrassing yourselves, she said quietly.
This isn't just a vacation spot, it's their home. Anna
(07:41):
rolled her eyes relaxed, Leslie, We're just having fun. Besides,
they're used to tourists. Leslie's sighed, knowing her words would
fall on deaf ears. She stayed close to the artisans,
hoping her genuine interest would make up for her friend's behavior.
Later that afternoon, the trio of approached Lake Guadepeke, its
(08:02):
surface glimmering like molten silver under the blazing sun. The
air seemed changed, humming with an energy that Leslie couldn't
quite place, but felt instinctively. As they stepped closer to
the water's edge, a woman emerged from a nearby grove
of trees, her movements graceful and fluid, as though she
(08:25):
were gliding rather than walking. Her expression was warm, yet
her eyes held an other worldly depth, like they carried
ancient secrets no mortal could comprehend. Welcome to Lake Guadepeke,
she said, her voice soft but rich, each word resonating
(08:46):
like the gentle lapping of waves. Anna and Julio barely
glanced at her, too preoccupied with pointing out photo worthy
spots near the lake, but Leslie couldn't look away. The
woman had an air about her, something intangible, like the
lake itself, was reflected in her being. Her long black
(09:07):
hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her presence seemed to
shift the atmosphere, the breeze cooling as she stepped closer.
You may enjoy its waters, the woman continued, her tone,
carrying a weight that seemed to echo through the hills,
but only if you do so respectfully. The lake is sacred,
(09:29):
protected by itzgayet and a tabulo. They do not tolerate disrespect. Anna,
snapping another photo of the lake, replied with a distracted
got it, while Julio nudged her with a smirk. Clearly unmoved. Leslie, however,
felt the words ripple through her, planting themselves like seeds
(09:50):
in her mind. She couldn't shake the feeling that this
wasn't just a casual warning, but something divine, a message
wrapped in layers of mistice that Anna and Julio were
too stubborn to see. Leslie cautiously stepped closer to the woman,
compelled by something she couldn't explain. For a moment, she
(10:11):
thought she saw a flicker of light pass through the
woman's eyes, like sunlight reflecting off water. Thank you, Leslie
said quietly, her voice tinged with awe. The woman smiled
gently at Leslie, her expression softening. Respect the lake, she
said simply, Then, with a glance at Anna and Julio,
(10:33):
who were now laughing and nudging each other, her serene
expression seemed to harden ever so slightly, as though she
already knew their hearts were untouched by her warning. She
turned and walked away, her figure seeming to dissolve into
the dappled shadows of the trees. Anna and Julio laughed
(10:54):
it off. That was dramatic, an equipped. Come on, we're
here for fun, not ghost stories. Elderly man in a
weathered fishing coat approached them, his face lined with years
of experience. I can take you out on the lake,
he offered, gesturing to his nearby motor boat. Leslie hesitated,
(11:14):
her feet frozen in place. I'll stay here, she said firmly.
Her voice was quiet but resolute, surprising even herself. You
two go ahead, but I don't think it's a good idea.
Anna snorted in disbelief. Leslie, you're seriously buying into that nonsense.
We're going to have a blast. You're missing out. Julio
(11:34):
nodded in agreement, already heading toward the dock where the
old man waited with his boat. Leslie didn't budge. She
turned back towards the woman's path, where the trees now
stood still and silent, no trace of her presence remaining,
but Leslie felt it an unseen force, as vast and
enigmatic as the lake itself. While her friends boarded the boat,
(11:58):
Leslie sat quietly on the show, her heart heavy with foreboding.
Out on the lake, Anna and Julio marveled at the scenery,
the volcanic hills rising majestically around them. The elderly man
piloted the motor boat in silence, his gaze fixed on
the horizon. Anna and Julio, however, were anything but quiet.
(12:21):
They blasted music from their phones, shouted over the engine's roar,
and tossed food wrappers into the water without a second thought.
The lake is alive, the man said suddenly, his voice
low and grave. It feels everything. Anna smirked, well, I
hope it enjoys the snacks for sharing, Julio laughed, tossing
(12:43):
another rapper overboard. Relax, old man, It's just water, the
man said nothing more, his expression unreadable. As the sun
began to set, the lake's beauty took on a mysterious quality.
The water darkened and the air grew heavy. Anna and
(13:04):
Julio signaled that they were ready to return, but the
man did not move. His silence turned to heavy breathing,
and then cracks. The transformation began slowly, then accelerated with
horrifying intensity. His legs stretched grotesquely, the flush contorting and
(13:25):
snapping with sickening pops. His knees swelled, ballooning outward like
monstrous spheres. The boat rocked violently as his new form
took shape, El Tabulo had revealed himself. Anna and Julio froze,
their laughter replaced by terror. What's happening, Anna screamed, clutching
(13:46):
the edge of the boat. Julio tried to start the engine,
but it sputtered uselessly. The shore was too far to swim,
and the currents too strong to fight. You desecrated the lake.
Il la Bulo said, his voice resonating like thunder. You
ignored its warnings. A dense fog rolled in, enveloping the boat.
(14:09):
The waters churned, and with a swirl of wind and waves,
their fates were sealed. Anna's legs fused together, transforming into
a shimmering tail. Her voice became a haunting melody, her
screams replaced by the mournful song of a siren. Julio
cried out as his body shrank, his skin hardening into
(14:31):
vibrant scales. He was now a fish. Swimming aimlessly through
the currents. Their punishment was complete. Back on the shore,
Leslie sat in the growing twilight, her heart heavy with
dread as she waited for Anna and Julio. The lake
lay before her, its surface unnervingly still, as if it
(14:55):
had swallowed the noise of the world. The gentle hum
of crickets and the rustle of leaves did little to
ease the tightening in her chest. Something about the air
felt charged, like the calm before a storm. As the
moon's pale light cast its glow over the landscape, the
woman from earlier appeared again. This time, her presence felt
(15:18):
almost ethereal. She moved silently, her form seeming to shimmer
faintly under the silvery beams. Leslie hadn't heard her approach,
but she wasn't startled. Somehow she had known the woman
would return. The woman's expression was grave, but serene. Your
friends disrespected the lake, she said, her voice carrying a weight.
(15:44):
Her tone wasn't harsh, but it resonated with an undeniable authority,
a truth that Leslie couldn't dispute. El Tabulo does not
allow such deeds to go unpunished. The waters are sacred,
and those who mock them face consequences that even prayers
(16:04):
cannot undo. Leslie's breath hitched. She felt it all along,
but now the words confirmed what her heart already knew.
What will happen to them? She asked, her voice barely
above a whisper, her lips trembling. The woman didn't answer Immediately,
(16:26):
she gazed out at the lake, her silhouette blending with
the shadows of the trees. The water seemed to ripple
in response, as though it understood her silent communion. If
they had shown respect, the woman finally said, her tone softer,
now almost mournful. Their bodies would return human, unharmed. But
(16:51):
now she paused, and the silence that followed felt eternal.
Now they have become part of the lake, They will
be remembered, but never returned. Tears welled in Leslie's eyes,
and she forced herself to look at the lake, its
(17:11):
surface deceptively calm, holding unfathomable mysteries beneath. She wanted to
call out to her friends, to demand answers from the
goddess she now felt was listening, but the weight of
inevitability silenced her. Leslie knew with chilling certainty that she
would never see Anna and Julio again, at least not
(17:34):
as she remembered them. The woman turned to Leslie, her
expression softening with the faintest trace of compassion. You understood
the warning, she said, and for a fleeting moment, her
voice sounded less like a person's and more like the
whispers of the water itself. That understanding will protect you.
(17:58):
Honor the lake, and it will honor you You in return.
Without another word, the woman stepped back into the shadows,
her form dissolving like mist into the light. Leslie sat
there alone, the lake stretching endlessly before her, its beauty
now tinged with grief and reverence. She stayed by the
(18:21):
shore until the stars reflected off the water, her heart
heavy with the lesson she hoped others would heed. To
this day, Lake Guaateepecha remains a place of beauty and mystery.
It welcomes those who honor it and casts out those
who dare to defy its guardians. And if you ever
(18:43):
find yourself there, remember to respect its depths or risk
facing a tabuto himself. True True. Welcome back, well, friends,
(19:05):
Thank you so much for listening to this story, which
is another Sustal original researched written and co written by
Jeffrey and myself. So we have a couple of sources
to get through right off the bat, though, I do
want to say that this story is coming out of
El Salvadord, which I believe you mentioned in the story itself, right, Yes,
we did so. That's the area of the world that
(19:26):
we're exploring today. And we have against several sources. This
first one that I have perfect, perfect, perfect name for
this website leandas the dot com and again all director
links are in the Susto Google docs on Patreon. This
is just from their mythological legends, the entry of the
Tabudo or El Tabudo, and this is talking about the
(19:48):
area itself and El Tabudo himself, right it says. Lake
Guaatepeca is a fantastic spot located in the department of
Santa Ana in the municipality of El Congo. This lake
is popular with tourists who want to admire the natural
beauty that adorns it. Although many people come to this
place every day, I few know that there was a
legend hidden here that is well known to most residents.
The legend of the Tabulo and then this again, this
(20:11):
is going to kind of recab the story itself, but
a kind of like condensed version. This says, the Salvadoran
legend is well known to fishermen residence and some visitors
of Lake Guaateebeke Hotel of a day when the owner
of a beautiful mansion located on the other side of
the lake went out for a ride in a canoe.
But something strange happened. According to the story, while he
was on the shores of the lake, he was mysteriously
(20:32):
swept away by an underground current that carried him to
the domain of Itzgaye, the goddess of fresh water. Since then,
nothing more has been heard of him, and he has
never been seen alive again. A few months after this happened,
that man appeared transformed into a thaulo. So then this
continues to say, as we mentioned the story, that some
time went by and the people that were working at
(20:54):
his home they just kind of continued their work because
they were like, I mean, who knows what happened to
this guy? Will he ever return? And how do we
I would assume that they're thinking, how do we explain this? Right?
But it says that you know. Time went by, they
continued to care for the for the home and the property,
and he returned. But this continues. They were perplexed to
see him because his knees had widened so much they
(21:14):
looked like a pair of soccer balls. This says, we
said basketball's in the star, which similar sizes right as
had his lips. This is a detail that I don't
think we included in the story, but that his lips
kind of they what I've seen in what I saw
in several of these storts is his lips stretched. So
if you think like a fish's mouth, the mouth is
a lot wider, right, and it's got that like I
don't know how to make that face, but you can
(21:34):
imagine what I'm saying. So it also transformed his face. Again.
The name that Tabudo comes from Davas, which means knees,
and it says, although many people relate this with a
certain degree of fear, the truth is that that Tabudo
is a good spirit who should not be feared. So again,
after he came back already physically transformed, so in this
non human maybe kind of like aquatic humanoid form. He
(21:58):
then that's when he tells people like, hey, what is
up my guys, Like, thank you for taking care of
the property. It's yours now you it's you take it.
So he just came back to deliver that message. It
also says that when he appears to people, he appears
as a fisherman. I guess he has this shape shifting ability,
right again, these like shape shifting nature protectors. Is this
(22:19):
it just like a big genre in the stories that
we've done here on Sustal. But this says that he
appears to people as a fisherman and that those who
fear him and they flee, they run away, that they're
just kind of they don't nothing really happens to them.
But if they're out there, you know, fishing, they don't
catch anything. Right. But if they maybe not welcome him,
(22:41):
but if they're just like chill with him there, if
they're okay, they they don't freak out, they're like, yeah,
you're fine whatever, you can hang out random fishermen, then
they have a good catch. Right. So not really a
spirit or like a creature, he's not. He's not a
spirit like well, I don't know, is he a spirit?
Who knows? Because if he's still he was still around
(23:02):
or he could just be an immortal creature now, but anyway,
so he's not this like evil entity, this says. However,
it is also said that on other occasions, when confronted
by tourists, visitors, and curious onlookers, the Taboudo cordially invites
them to explore the most hidden depths of the lake.
He turns the men into enormous, colorful fish and the
women into freshwater mermaids. After such an incredible journey, he
(23:24):
returns them to the shore transformed into human beings. So,
as a tourist, if you go and you come across
the taboodle, he offers you this I guess private tour
of the lake, or you can explore it as a
sea creature. It would be fun to choose, like what
kind of sea creature? Right? And this is kind of
assigned by gender on a binary so for it's only
men and women, but gender is a spectrum. So can
(23:46):
I go and say, hey would love to take the tour?
Can I be like a mantis shrimp or something cool
like that? Right? Do you only get those two options?
Come on, Tabudo, it's twenty twenty five. What are we
offering the peace people? Right? This continues there are those
who don't wish to return to everyday life because at
the bottom of the lake they know peace, tranquility and
(24:08):
above all freedom. And when they are declared quote missing
on land, their bodies are never recovered. So I guess
people can choose to stay down there. They're like, actually,
this is a nice deal. I want to live down
here in the lake and not deal with the world
that's happening out there. But this missing part, this is interesting.
So is it they're declared missing because they've just chosen
not to come back, or is it if they're down
(24:30):
there long enough and they declare them they're declared missing,
is then like the change irreversible. I wonder if you
can go spend some time down there and then come back,
you know, however long later, would be interesting. The next
source that we have here, this is from Melosca ten
dot wixsite dot com. This is an entry or I'm
(24:52):
not sure this is the blog name or the entry,
but this says Baboolo Route or Taboolo Root And this
is just kind of like again condensed version of the
story and of Lake Guatepece. So this says one of
the most beautiful places in El Salvador is Lake guate Depeke,
which is actually located in the municipality of El Congo
or El Congo el Congo, in the department of Santa Ana.
(25:16):
Its name apparently comes from the name Guatepec of the
volcano from which it originated. It sits at an altitude
of seven hundred forty five meters above sea level and
has a surface area of twenty five point three kilometers squared.
Its depth is estimated at one hundred and fifteen meters.
The name Guatepeca means hill of snakes in Ahuat. The
lake is bordered by the municipalities of again Santa Ana,
(25:39):
El Congo, and Isalco, the latter in Sonsonate. The story
goes that fifty thousand years ago, between fifty seven thousand
and seventy two thousand BC, the Guatepeca volcano, which is
now Lake Guatepec, and other volcanoes in the area experienced
a fierce period of megatilluric activity that ended with a
(26:00):
great explosion. So I guess it was just several volcanoes
in close proximity that had this big explosion. It says
that left the enormous whole of more than twenty kilometers
in radius and about too deep, which began a long
process of capturing rain water and groundwater to become a lake.
So it's like a naturally formed lake. But it wasn't
there already, like a naturally vent happened again, I guess,
(26:24):
and it it created this crater essentially for this lake
to form. And again there's I think there's also a
lot of what's it called, like not mystery, but like
maybe mysticism, or there are like some medical physical medical
physical properties metaphysical properties to volcanoes and volcanic rock and ash.
And I don't know. I wonder what if there's any
(26:45):
connection to volcanoes and the metaphysical right, if we have
any volcano which is out there, please write and let
me know. And then this also again it has a
short entry about the Labudo. It says, legend has it
that lake quote Becket a place enchanted by a tabudo,
a good spirit who appeared small to fishermen but gradually
(27:05):
grew larger. So he appears, as I guess, as his
fisherman form, he's like maybe typical human man shape, sized height,
and then he transforms I guess, So maybe that's what
the test is with whether or not they get a
good catch. Right is he comes out as a fisherman,
and then he transformed into his I guess now natural
(27:26):
form of the tabudo with long legs, big knees, kind
of fish face, and then based on their reaction to that,
that's whether or not they'll have a good catch, right,
This says, This legend again very popular among fishermen, residents
and visitors of the lake. Yeah, and it talks about
his mansion that he left, came back, the people that
worked it inherited the property in the mansion. This says
(27:47):
again they were perplexed to see him, for his legs
had lengthened and his lips had widened, and he resembled
a sea creature more than a human being. So again
there's that confirmation that his face was also changed. It
wasn't just like the legs, right that they got really
long and huge knees. I thought this was interesting, and
I feel like, I'm like, Okay, I get why this
would be scary to see this, it says. It is
(28:09):
said that when people are anchored and fishing in the lake,
they would suddenly feel a very tall man come up
and sit on the front of the raft. So imagine
being on this lake, maybe by yourself, fishing, minding your business.
You think you're alone, and this man just comes out
of the water and climbs onto your raft and sits
on it. Whether he's in his tubulo form or fishermen form,
(28:33):
that would freak me out. I'd be like, Hey, whoa
where did you come from? Like this is unnatural, right,
Like where did you in the middle of a lake.
You would have to hear someone swimming towards you, right,
So if he just kind of came from the depths,
that would freak me out for real. Okay, the next
one that we have here, this was a really good one.
I like bolded this one because I liked the source.
(28:55):
This is from Guanaquas dot com and this entry is
called the the Bhudo of Lake Guatepeke, the legend that
few know. So again there are it's saying some of
the same things that Guatepeke is nahuatfor hill of snakes.
It's a lake that attracts both local and local people
(29:16):
and tourists that it's very The legend is popular in
the area. The lake itself is very popular in the area.
There's a drawing here. This says image courtesy, but it
doesn't have it attributed to anyone. But there's this like
kind of sea creature man drawing here that I'll probably
upload as one of the pictures odd for the social
posts for this, but also put it here for the video.
(29:37):
This says the legend of the Laboudo tells that many
years ago the data is unknown, a rich man lived
on the other side of the lake. Again, the typical
story that we've been hearing, and this every pretty much
every entry about this mentions the goddess eats Gayet and
that she's the goddess of freshwater according to Pipi l.
Bipil mythology. I couldn't find really anything about her. A
(30:00):
lot of the things that came up were other goddesses
that were said to be freshwater goddesses. Yeah, there are
other names that come up, so I'm not sure. I
wish there was more solid stuff about her, and I
wanted to look into her because this is the name
that's being used across these stories, but I'm not sure.
I'm gonna maybe have to revisit her and do a
(30:21):
little bit of a deeper dive. No pun intended, because Yeah,
it was strange to me that her name was mentioned,
but when I searched her, when I searched just general
like freshwater goddess out salad, that other names came up.
So I'm not sure. What I really liked about this
source that I got really excited about was that there's
a bunch of videos here. So there's this one. It's
a report on the legend of Tabudo, which is courtesy
(30:41):
of Noesia's for vision, Leanda l Leanda, And this is
on YouTube. And again I'll put this is within this source,
but I'll link them as well. The videos this is
other versions of the legend. Says that, you know, people
tell it with a certain amount of fear. Some people
say that he's generally small, but he grows larger in size,
so I guess like his appearance is generally debated. There's
(31:04):
that mention of him kind of blessing someone's catch of
the day and keeping them safe on the water. There's
another video here from a documentary simply titled Elabo, which
seeks to share the legend of the area, which is
from TV La Vieja. This is also on YouTube. Okay,
this is another part that I wanted to read from
this entry, it says, according to interviews conducted with locals
(31:25):
of lake quote Beckett by the director of the El
Congo Cultural Center, Jose Vanegas, some encounters with Babulo are described,
and these are a couple quotes. So this one person says,
andres chased Cella away when they went fishing. They saw
him swimming, and he'd asked them to wait for him,
and then they'd run away. So I'm assuming they saw
(31:46):
he asked them to wait and they ran away. They
say he's cele, which I looked up. It's it's spelled
either one of two ways, either cele with one L
or two l's, which would be cheye, which means someone
blonde and light skinned or pale. Says with a slanted face, naked,
a small body, and a tiny, very deformed head. When
he was crouching, his knees reached well above his head,
(32:07):
and he has very long, thin and ugly arms. This
next quote says over In put that in as another
one came along, he climbed onto the raft. Then the
fisherman grabbed him with This is translated from English, but
it looks like it's saying that the fisherman grabbed a
paddle and they pushed him off the raft with their paddle,
and that apparently this fisherman developed a fever for three days,
perhaps from the fright or from the susto. This next
(32:29):
quote says, this double widow is the guardian of the lake.
He used to come and scare people away. He didn't
like people fishing. He'd swim out and the bones would
stick out of the water. Whoever he came out to
would get a fever from the fright. So again this
idea of like people would see him and they would
essentially they would get susto and they would get physically
sick from how scared they were. And this last quote here,
it's a short one, says the lake used to be
(32:50):
very sinister, more lonely. People would suddenly throw stones at us,
their evil spirits wandering around enchantments of the lakes. I'm
guessing like people that were in the lake they were
having rocks thrown them from they don't know where. But
I think it's really cool that this is like this
was on the news there. So again, you can find
these videos, honestly, if you just search abo on YouTube.
I'm sure a bunch of these videos will come up.
(33:11):
What I thought was very interesting also about this one
is this continues that says the tabudo bears a resemblance
to El Siljan, which we have done on Susto before,
a character from the legends of Venezuela and Colombia, as
the Siljuan's legs were so long that when he sat,
they extended past his head. This characteristic is unique to
the Tabudo of Lake Guadebeca in El Salvador, according to
(33:34):
the story, and we know the sort of El Siljuan
that he was after murdering his father, he was cursed
to wander the earthly realm with his father's bones in
his bag. And I think this is one of the
pictures that I posted on social media for Eli, and
I'll put it here in the video where he's kind
of crouched. It's this poster kind of or like this
would cut out of him, and you can see he
has really long arms and really long legs. So, I
(33:56):
don't know, I thought it was interesting that connection between
their physical appearance between Elsilon and so there are a
few more links that we have here, but they're all
essentially kind of saying the same thing. It's the really
short like condensed version. Some of them are on listicles
of like a bunch of other legends, and it's like
a small entry just generally explaining the story as we've
(34:17):
told it already. But this last source that I have here,
it's a Wikipedia entry about Guatepeche, which is more about
like the geographical kind of structure or description of it,
and I wanted to share it with you. It says
Guatepeca is a volcanic caldera in El Salvador in Central America.
The caldera was formed during a series of rhyolitic explosive
(34:38):
eruptions from a group of stratovolcanoes between about seventy two
thousand and fifty seven thousand years ago. So again, as
you mentioned earlier, this is this is a more technical way,
I guess, or more scientific way to talk about it,
but that it was several volcanoes they exploded, and they
caused this specific type of explosion that caused this crater.
It says since then, basaltic cinder cones and lava flows
(34:58):
formed near the west end of the caldera, and six
rild dacidic lava domes have formed. The youngest dome Cerro
Bachol formed after eight thousand BC. So these are very
very This is a very very very very very very
very old lake. I don't know how many verys I
could say, but just to emphasize an extremely old lake,
it says. Lake Guaateepeca is a large crater lake in
(35:19):
the east part of the Guadepeca Caldera. It is in
Guaatepeca municipality against Santana, Salvador. There are hot springs near
the lake margins. At twenty six square kilometers, it is
one of the largest lakes in Salvador. In the lake
is the island of Theopan, which was a Mayan sight
of some importance. So this mention of Theopan, I think
(35:40):
it's perfectly timed. It was in one of those shorter entries.
That was one small deviation that I noticed in the story.
In that one version it said that he, you know,
went out for his canoe ride, his butt ride, whatever,
before his transformation to Tabulo, and on his way back home,
he passed by this island, Theopan, and he he got
distracted did and he was going to venture towards it,
(36:02):
and that's when he got swept up in the currents
and that this Godess kind of took him and transformed
him right. The last little interesting part here says Lake
Gutepeca is also known to change colors from blue to turquoise.
According to authorities, this is a cyclical phenomenon that occurs
from time to time. The color change has happened in
nineteen ninety eight, two thousand and six, twenty twelve, twenty sixteen,
(36:25):
twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen, and twenty nineteen. I wonder what
color it is right now. That's interesting that I wonder
also what causes that color change. But that's interesting that
the color does change. I'm trying to think of if
I know of any other kind of bodies of water
that do that. Okay, And so it looks like those
are all the sources that we have for you today
to welcome back girl friends. Thank you so much for
(36:57):
listening to today's episode as all. If you have your
own scary story or a video, photo, audio, recording, multimedia anything,
you can send that to me by visiting linktr dot
e slash Sustal podcast or visiting sustalpodcast dot com and
finding that submit a story, Tell me a story. Button
and use the official Letters from Beyond Google form to
(37:19):
send me your story or your multimedia so that it
can be featured either on a Letters from the Beyond
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For Patreon, actually tonight that I'm recording, I'm having a
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so very excited about that. Again, if you are a
(37:42):
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(38:04):
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(38:26):
there and see if any of those work for you,
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you so much to this episode's patrons. You are Liza, Sadie, Rachel,
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(38:47):
a Ashes, Nedessa, Rachel, Asusena, Marlene, Chata, Laney, Desiree, C,
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(39:09):
for being here, for doing what you can, for writing in,
for rating or reviewing all that good stuff. It truly
does mean so much to me. Again, this is an
independently produced show. It's just me and Jeff out here,
and that guy just joined me. He just got here,
but believe me, we're putting him to work. So thank
you again to Jeffrey Doyle for researching and co writing
this episode. I will talk to you all in the
next one, and until then not the Eustas Bye Speak
(40:00):
spots st
Big girl Friends. It's me Adrian or Aiden. Either way,
I am still your host, and you are still listening
to Soustal, the podcast of spooky scary stories centered on
Latin American folklore. Not only can you listen to this episode,
you can watch me. We're making direct, uninterrupted eye contact here.
I'm looking into your soul and you're looking into where
(00:46):
I should have a soul. But I sold it, okay,
speaking of selling things, Big life update, Listen, when I
say girlfriend, I mean it. I get on here to
yap and talk to y'all, and I want you to
talk right back to me too. I sold my car.
Major life updates. I am thankfully a Jeff and I
are in a situation where we don't need two cars.
We don't each need to have a car, so we
(01:07):
downsize to one car. We hang out all the time. Anyway.
He's kind of cool. He's kind of my friend. I guess, so,
I don't know, just something fun I thought i'd share
with you. What about you? Do you have any big
life updates, anything exciting that's happened that you were looking
forward to. Aside from that, no major updates. There are
a few things coming up, but I'll announce them in
future episodes, but as always, you can follow me online
(01:30):
at at soustl podcast on every social media platform for
any and all updates on the show. Speaking of we
had our winners. I announced the winners for the Cynthia
Belile books giveaway. Again. Cynthia was so nice in the
lost episode just in general, it was a great interview.
She's amazing. Her work is so good. If you haven't
read her books, please go out and read them. Most
(01:51):
recently I read Vanishing Daughters, which I've talked about and
it was amazing. But in the giveaway, Cynthia actually sent
me two books. You sent me a signed copy of
Vanishing Daughters and assigned copy of Forgotten Sisters to give away,
and we did that, and so congratulations Tartoo winners. Your
books are on their way to you already, hopefully more
things like that in the future. You all know I
(02:11):
love to give back to you as much as I
can because y'all are so generous and so kind to me.
So with that being said, no major updates, So we'll
go ahead and get into today's episode, which is the
story of El Tabulor on the peaceful shores of Lake Guatepeke,
(02:45):
nestled among the volcanic hills of El Salvador, a wealthy
man made his home. He wasn't a native of the region.
He relocated from San Salvador, fleeing the chaotic bustle of
the city for the serene beauty of the lake. His
mansion stood grand and imposing, staffed by locals, but the
(03:06):
man held little respect for them. He scoffed at their
customs and laughed at their tales of the goddess Eatz Gallet,
the ethereal guardian of the lake's depths. To him, their
warnings and beliefs were phantasies, unworthy of his attention. One
summer night, as a gentle breeze stirred the surface of
(03:30):
the lake and the moon hung like a lantern in
the sky, the man decided to take his canoe out
for a moonlit ride. The locals begged him to reconsider
the goddess doesn't welcome visitors at night. They warned, the
currents are her whispers, and those who don't heed her
will be taken. But the man dismissed them with a
(03:50):
wave of his hand and set off. His laughter echoed
across the water. Disappearing into the silence of the night.
As he paddled back into the dark expanse, the lake
seemed to come alive. The currents swirled around him, playful
at first, then insistent. The air grew cold, and the
(04:14):
waters churned with unnatural force. His canoe spun faster and faster,
until the man's cries were swallowed by the roar of
the lake. A final mighty swell rose, and the man
vanished beneath the surface. By dawn, his canoe washed ashore,
(04:34):
empty and still the villagers knew the truth Itzgayea had
claimed him, yet they did not rejoice. The staff cared
for the abandoned mansion, unsure of their future, while the
lake remained calm and silent once more. That silence, however,
did not last. Months later, the man returned, but he
(05:00):
was no longer the figure they had known. His legs
had stretched grotesquely unnaturally long, and his knees had ballooned
to monstrous proportions, round and swollen like basketballs. His presence
sent chills down the spines of those who saw him.
The locals dubbed him el tabudo, drawing from the regional
(05:23):
word for knees. Thabas, But to their surprise, El Tabudo
was not vengeful. He announced that his home and its
lands now belonged to the local people who had once
worked for him. He urged them to live in harmony
with the lake and honor its guardian. The locals, ever
(05:45):
respectful of the goddess, erected a monolith on the Aban
island to honor Ittgaye. Fishermen who approached the waters with
reverence found their nets heavy with fish, their lives blessed
by the goddess and protected by Tabullo. Years passed, and
Lake Guadepeca's beauty began to attract outsiders, drawn by its
(06:09):
shimmering waters and lush surroundings. Among the visitors were Anna, Leslie,
and Julio, three friends on vacation eager to soak in
the lake's charm. Anna was the boldest of the group,
her energy infectious but often reckless. Julio shared her carefree attitude,
(06:30):
quick to dismiss anything he deemed old fashioned. Leslie, on
the other hand, was thoughtful and kind, her curiosity tempered
by respect for the local culture. Their first day at
the lake began with a stroll through the bustling market
that lined the shore. Vibrant stalls overflowed with handmade crafts,
(06:52):
fresh produce, and steaming plates of bubusas Leslie admired the
intricate pottery and struck up conversation with the artisans, asking
about their techniques and their stories behind their designs. Anna meanwhile,
darted from stall to stall, snapping photos without asking permission
and loudly haggling over prices. Julio followed suit, laughing as
(07:16):
he grabbed a handful of fruit samples without so much
as a thank you. Other tourists wandered the market, but
none were as loud or brash as Anna and Julio.
Leslie couldn't help but notice the disapproving glances from the locals.
She pulled her friends aside. You're embarrassing yourselves, she said quietly.
This isn't just a vacation spot, it's their home. Anna
(07:41):
rolled her eyes relaxed, Leslie, We're just having fun. Besides,
they're used to tourists. Leslie's sighed, knowing her words would
fall on deaf ears. She stayed close to the artisans,
hoping her genuine interest would make up for her friend's behavior.
Later that afternoon, the trio of approached Lake Guadepeke, its
(08:02):
surface glimmering like molten silver under the blazing sun. The
air seemed changed, humming with an energy that Leslie couldn't
quite place, but felt instinctively. As they stepped closer to
the water's edge, a woman emerged from a nearby grove
of trees, her movements graceful and fluid, as though she
(08:25):
were gliding rather than walking. Her expression was warm, yet
her eyes held an other worldly depth, like they carried
ancient secrets no mortal could comprehend. Welcome to Lake Guadepeke,
she said, her voice soft but rich, each word resonating
(08:46):
like the gentle lapping of waves. Anna and Julio barely
glanced at her, too preoccupied with pointing out photo worthy
spots near the lake, but Leslie couldn't look away. The
woman had an air about her, something intangible, like the
lake itself, was reflected in her being. Her long black
(09:07):
hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her presence seemed to
shift the atmosphere, the breeze cooling as she stepped closer.
You may enjoy its waters, the woman continued, her tone,
carrying a weight that seemed to echo through the hills,
but only if you do so respectfully. The lake is sacred,
(09:29):
protected by itzgayet and a tabulo. They do not tolerate disrespect. Anna,
snapping another photo of the lake, replied with a distracted
got it, while Julio nudged her with a smirk. Clearly unmoved. Leslie, however,
felt the words ripple through her, planting themselves like seeds
(09:50):
in her mind. She couldn't shake the feeling that this
wasn't just a casual warning, but something divine, a message
wrapped in layers of mistice that Anna and Julio were
too stubborn to see. Leslie cautiously stepped closer to the woman,
compelled by something she couldn't explain. For a moment, she
(10:11):
thought she saw a flicker of light pass through the
woman's eyes, like sunlight reflecting off water. Thank you, Leslie
said quietly, her voice tinged with awe. The woman smiled
gently at Leslie, her expression softening. Respect the lake, she
said simply, Then, with a glance at Anna and Julio,
(10:33):
who were now laughing and nudging each other, her serene
expression seemed to harden ever so slightly, as though she
already knew their hearts were untouched by her warning. She
turned and walked away, her figure seeming to dissolve into
the dappled shadows of the trees. Anna and Julio laughed
(10:54):
it off. That was dramatic, an equipped. Come on, we're
here for fun, not ghost stories. Elderly man in a
weathered fishing coat approached them, his face lined with years
of experience. I can take you out on the lake,
he offered, gesturing to his nearby motor boat. Leslie hesitated,
(11:14):
her feet frozen in place. I'll stay here, she said firmly.
Her voice was quiet but resolute, surprising even herself. You
two go ahead, but I don't think it's a good idea.
Anna snorted in disbelief. Leslie, you're seriously buying into that nonsense.
We're going to have a blast. You're missing out. Julio
(11:34):
nodded in agreement, already heading toward the dock where the
old man waited with his boat. Leslie didn't budge. She
turned back towards the woman's path, where the trees now
stood still and silent, no trace of her presence remaining,
but Leslie felt it an unseen force, as vast and
enigmatic as the lake itself. While her friends boarded the boat,
(11:58):
Leslie sat quietly on the show, her heart heavy with foreboding.
Out on the lake, Anna and Julio marveled at the scenery,
the volcanic hills rising majestically around them. The elderly man
piloted the motor boat in silence, his gaze fixed on
the horizon. Anna and Julio, however, were anything but quiet.
(12:21):
They blasted music from their phones, shouted over the engine's roar,
and tossed food wrappers into the water without a second thought.
The lake is alive, the man said suddenly, his voice
low and grave. It feels everything. Anna smirked, well, I
hope it enjoys the snacks for sharing, Julio laughed, tossing
(12:43):
another rapper overboard. Relax, old man, It's just water, the
man said nothing more, his expression unreadable. As the sun
began to set, the lake's beauty took on a mysterious quality.
The water darkened and the air grew heavy. Anna and
(13:04):
Julio signaled that they were ready to return, but the
man did not move. His silence turned to heavy breathing,
and then cracks. The transformation began slowly, then accelerated with
horrifying intensity. His legs stretched grotesquely, the flush contorting and
(13:25):
snapping with sickening pops. His knees swelled, ballooning outward like
monstrous spheres. The boat rocked violently as his new form
took shape, El Tabulo had revealed himself. Anna and Julio froze,
their laughter replaced by terror. What's happening, Anna screamed, clutching
(13:46):
the edge of the boat. Julio tried to start the engine,
but it sputtered uselessly. The shore was too far to swim,
and the currents too strong to fight. You desecrated the lake.
Il la Bulo said, his voice resonating like thunder. You
ignored its warnings. A dense fog rolled in, enveloping the boat.
(14:09):
The waters churned, and with a swirl of wind and waves,
their fates were sealed. Anna's legs fused together, transforming into
a shimmering tail. Her voice became a haunting melody, her
screams replaced by the mournful song of a siren. Julio
cried out as his body shrank, his skin hardening into
(14:31):
vibrant scales. He was now a fish. Swimming aimlessly through
the currents. Their punishment was complete. Back on the shore,
Leslie sat in the growing twilight, her heart heavy with
dread as she waited for Anna and Julio. The lake
lay before her, its surface unnervingly still, as if it
(14:55):
had swallowed the noise of the world. The gentle hum
of crickets and the rustle of leaves did little to
ease the tightening in her chest. Something about the air
felt charged, like the calm before a storm. As the
moon's pale light cast its glow over the landscape, the
woman from earlier appeared again. This time, her presence felt
(15:18):
almost ethereal. She moved silently, her form seeming to shimmer
faintly under the silvery beams. Leslie hadn't heard her approach,
but she wasn't startled. Somehow she had known the woman
would return. The woman's expression was grave, but serene. Your
friends disrespected the lake, she said, her voice carrying a weight.
(15:44):
Her tone wasn't harsh, but it resonated with an undeniable authority,
a truth that Leslie couldn't dispute. El Tabulo does not
allow such deeds to go unpunished. The waters are sacred,
and those who mock them face consequences that even prayers
(16:04):
cannot undo. Leslie's breath hitched. She felt it all along,
but now the words confirmed what her heart already knew.
What will happen to them? She asked, her voice barely
above a whisper, her lips trembling. The woman didn't answer Immediately,
(16:26):
she gazed out at the lake, her silhouette blending with
the shadows of the trees. The water seemed to ripple
in response, as though it understood her silent communion. If
they had shown respect, the woman finally said, her tone softer,
now almost mournful. Their bodies would return human, unharmed. But
(16:51):
now she paused, and the silence that followed felt eternal.
Now they have become part of the lake, They will
be remembered, but never returned. Tears welled in Leslie's eyes,
and she forced herself to look at the lake, its
(17:11):
surface deceptively calm, holding unfathomable mysteries beneath. She wanted to
call out to her friends, to demand answers from the
goddess she now felt was listening, but the weight of
inevitability silenced her. Leslie knew with chilling certainty that she
would never see Anna and Julio again, at least not
(17:34):
as she remembered them. The woman turned to Leslie, her
expression softening with the faintest trace of compassion. You understood
the warning, she said, and for a fleeting moment, her
voice sounded less like a person's and more like the
whispers of the water itself. That understanding will protect you.
(17:58):
Honor the lake, and it will honor you You in return.
Without another word, the woman stepped back into the shadows,
her form dissolving like mist into the light. Leslie sat
there alone, the lake stretching endlessly before her, its beauty
now tinged with grief and reverence. She stayed by the
(18:21):
shore until the stars reflected off the water, her heart
heavy with the lesson she hoped others would heed. To
this day, Lake Guaateepecha remains a place of beauty and mystery.
It welcomes those who honor it and casts out those
who dare to defy its guardians. And if you ever
(18:43):
find yourself there, remember to respect its depths or risk
facing a tabuto himself. True True. Welcome back, well, friends,
(19:05):
Thank you so much for listening to this story, which
is another Sustal original researched written and co written by
Jeffrey and myself. So we have a couple of sources
to get through right off the bat, though, I do
want to say that this story is coming out of
El Salvadord, which I believe you mentioned in the story itself, right, Yes,
we did so. That's the area of the world that
(19:26):
we're exploring today. And we have against several sources. This
first one that I have perfect, perfect, perfect name for
this website leandas the dot com and again all director
links are in the Susto Google docs on Patreon. This
is just from their mythological legends, the entry of the
Tabudo or El Tabudo, and this is talking about the
(19:48):
area itself and El Tabudo himself, right it says. Lake
Guaatepeca is a fantastic spot located in the department of
Santa Ana in the municipality of El Congo. This lake
is popular with tourists who want to admire the natural
beauty that adorns it. Although many people come to this
place every day, I few know that there was a
legend hidden here that is well known to most residents.
The legend of the Tabulo and then this again, this
(20:11):
is going to kind of recab the story itself, but
a kind of like condensed version. This says, the Salvadoran
legend is well known to fishermen residence and some visitors
of Lake Guaateebeke Hotel of a day when the owner
of a beautiful mansion located on the other side of
the lake went out for a ride in a canoe.
But something strange happened. According to the story, while he
was on the shores of the lake, he was mysteriously
(20:32):
swept away by an underground current that carried him to
the domain of Itzgaye, the goddess of fresh water. Since then,
nothing more has been heard of him, and he has
never been seen alive again. A few months after this happened,
that man appeared transformed into a thaulo. So then this
continues to say, as we mentioned the story, that some
time went by and the people that were working at
(20:54):
his home they just kind of continued their work because
they were like, I mean, who knows what happened to
this guy? Will he ever return? And how do we
I would assume that they're thinking, how do we explain this? Right?
But it says that you know. Time went by, they
continued to care for the for the home and the property,
and he returned. But this continues. They were perplexed to
see him because his knees had widened so much they
(21:14):
looked like a pair of soccer balls. This says, we
said basketball's in the star, which similar sizes right as
had his lips. This is a detail that I don't
think we included in the story, but that his lips
kind of they what I've seen in what I saw
in several of these storts is his lips stretched. So
if you think like a fish's mouth, the mouth is
a lot wider, right, and it's got that like I
don't know how to make that face, but you can
(21:34):
imagine what I'm saying. So it also transformed his face. Again.
The name that Tabudo comes from Davas, which means knees,
and it says, although many people relate this with a
certain degree of fear, the truth is that that Tabudo
is a good spirit who should not be feared. So again,
after he came back already physically transformed, so in this
non human maybe kind of like aquatic humanoid form. He
(21:58):
then that's when he tells people like, hey, what is
up my guys, Like, thank you for taking care of
the property. It's yours now you it's you take it.
So he just came back to deliver that message. It
also says that when he appears to people, he appears
as a fisherman. I guess he has this shape shifting ability,
right again, these like shape shifting nature protectors. Is this
(22:19):
it just like a big genre in the stories that
we've done here on Sustal. But this says that he
appears to people as a fisherman and that those who
fear him and they flee, they run away, that they're
just kind of they don't nothing really happens to them.
But if they're out there, you know, fishing, they don't
catch anything. Right. But if they maybe not welcome him,
(22:41):
but if they're just like chill with him there, if
they're okay, they they don't freak out, they're like, yeah,
you're fine whatever, you can hang out random fishermen, then
they have a good catch. Right. So not really a
spirit or like a creature, he's not. He's not a
spirit like well, I don't know, is he a spirit?
Who knows? Because if he's still he was still around
(23:02):
or he could just be an immortal creature now, but anyway,
so he's not this like evil entity, this says. However,
it is also said that on other occasions, when confronted
by tourists, visitors, and curious onlookers, the Taboudo cordially invites
them to explore the most hidden depths of the lake.
He turns the men into enormous, colorful fish and the
women into freshwater mermaids. After such an incredible journey, he
(23:24):
returns them to the shore transformed into human beings. So,
as a tourist, if you go and you come across
the taboodle, he offers you this I guess private tour
of the lake, or you can explore it as a
sea creature. It would be fun to choose, like what
kind of sea creature? Right? And this is kind of
assigned by gender on a binary so for it's only
men and women, but gender is a spectrum. So can
(23:46):
I go and say, hey would love to take the tour?
Can I be like a mantis shrimp or something cool
like that? Right? Do you only get those two options?
Come on, Tabudo, it's twenty twenty five. What are we
offering the peace people? Right? This continues there are those
who don't wish to return to everyday life because at
the bottom of the lake they know peace, tranquility and
(24:08):
above all freedom. And when they are declared quote missing
on land, their bodies are never recovered. So I guess
people can choose to stay down there. They're like, actually,
this is a nice deal. I want to live down
here in the lake and not deal with the world
that's happening out there. But this missing part, this is interesting.
So is it they're declared missing because they've just chosen
not to come back, or is it if they're down
(24:30):
there long enough and they declare them they're declared missing,
is then like the change irreversible. I wonder if you
can go spend some time down there and then come back,
you know, however long later, would be interesting. The next
source that we have here, this is from Melosca ten
dot wixsite dot com. This is an entry or I'm
(24:52):
not sure this is the blog name or the entry,
but this says Baboolo Route or Taboolo Root And this
is just kind of like again condensed version of the
story and of Lake Guatepece. So this says one of
the most beautiful places in El Salvador is Lake guate Depeke,
which is actually located in the municipality of El Congo
or El Congo el Congo, in the department of Santa Ana.
(25:16):
Its name apparently comes from the name Guatepec of the
volcano from which it originated. It sits at an altitude
of seven hundred forty five meters above sea level and
has a surface area of twenty five point three kilometers squared.
Its depth is estimated at one hundred and fifteen meters.
The name Guatepeca means hill of snakes in Ahuat. The
lake is bordered by the municipalities of again Santa Ana,
(25:39):
El Congo, and Isalco, the latter in Sonsonate. The story
goes that fifty thousand years ago, between fifty seven thousand
and seventy two thousand BC, the Guatepeca volcano, which is
now Lake Guatepec, and other volcanoes in the area experienced
a fierce period of megatilluric activity that ended with a
(26:00):
great explosion. So I guess it was just several volcanoes
in close proximity that had this big explosion. It says
that left the enormous whole of more than twenty kilometers
in radius and about too deep, which began a long
process of capturing rain water and groundwater to become a lake.
So it's like a naturally formed lake. But it wasn't
there already, like a naturally vent happened again, I guess,
(26:24):
and it it created this crater essentially for this lake
to form. And again there's I think there's also a
lot of what's it called, like not mystery, but like
maybe mysticism, or there are like some medical physical medical
physical properties metaphysical properties to volcanoes and volcanic rock and ash.
And I don't know. I wonder what if there's any
(26:45):
connection to volcanoes and the metaphysical right, if we have
any volcano which is out there, please write and let
me know. And then this also again it has a
short entry about the Labudo. It says, legend has it
that lake quote Becket a place enchanted by a tabudo,
a good spirit who appeared small to fishermen but gradually
(27:05):
grew larger. So he appears, as I guess, as his
fisherman form, he's like maybe typical human man shape, sized height,
and then he transforms I guess, So maybe that's what
the test is with whether or not they get a
good catch. Right is he comes out as a fisherman,
and then he transformed into his I guess now natural
(27:26):
form of the tabudo with long legs, big knees, kind
of fish face, and then based on their reaction to that,
that's whether or not they'll have a good catch, right,
This says, This legend again very popular among fishermen, residents
and visitors of the lake. Yeah, and it talks about
his mansion that he left, came back, the people that
worked it inherited the property in the mansion. This says
(27:47):
again they were perplexed to see him, for his legs
had lengthened and his lips had widened, and he resembled
a sea creature more than a human being. So again
there's that confirmation that his face was also changed. It
wasn't just like the legs, right that they got really
long and huge knees. I thought this was interesting, and
I feel like, I'm like, Okay, I get why this
would be scary to see this, it says. It is
(28:09):
said that when people are anchored and fishing in the lake,
they would suddenly feel a very tall man come up
and sit on the front of the raft. So imagine
being on this lake, maybe by yourself, fishing, minding your business.
You think you're alone, and this man just comes out
of the water and climbs onto your raft and sits
on it. Whether he's in his tubulo form or fishermen form,
(28:33):
that would freak me out. I'd be like, Hey, whoa
where did you come from? Like this is unnatural, right,
Like where did you in the middle of a lake.
You would have to hear someone swimming towards you, right,
So if he just kind of came from the depths,
that would freak me out for real. Okay, the next
one that we have here, this was a really good one.
I like bolded this one because I liked the source.
(28:55):
This is from Guanaquas dot com and this entry is
called the the Bhudo of Lake Guatepeke, the legend that
few know. So again there are it's saying some of
the same things that Guatepeke is nahuatfor hill of snakes.
It's a lake that attracts both local and local people
(29:16):
and tourists that it's very The legend is popular in
the area. The lake itself is very popular in the area.
There's a drawing here. This says image courtesy, but it
doesn't have it attributed to anyone. But there's this like
kind of sea creature man drawing here that I'll probably
upload as one of the pictures odd for the social
posts for this, but also put it here for the video.
(29:37):
This says the legend of the Laboudo tells that many
years ago the data is unknown, a rich man lived
on the other side of the lake. Again, the typical
story that we've been hearing, and this every pretty much
every entry about this mentions the goddess eats Gayet and
that she's the goddess of freshwater according to Pipi l.
Bipil mythology. I couldn't find really anything about her. A
(30:00):
lot of the things that came up were other goddesses
that were said to be freshwater goddesses. Yeah, there are
other names that come up, so I'm not sure. I
wish there was more solid stuff about her, and I
wanted to look into her because this is the name
that's being used across these stories, but I'm not sure.
I'm gonna maybe have to revisit her and do a
(30:21):
little bit of a deeper dive. No pun intended, because Yeah,
it was strange to me that her name was mentioned,
but when I searched her, when I searched just general
like freshwater goddess out salad, that other names came up.
So I'm not sure. What I really liked about this
source that I got really excited about was that there's
a bunch of videos here. So there's this one. It's
a report on the legend of Tabudo, which is courtesy
(30:41):
of Noesia's for vision, Leanda l Leanda, And this is
on YouTube. And again I'll put this is within this source,
but I'll link them as well. The videos this is
other versions of the legend. Says that, you know, people
tell it with a certain amount of fear. Some people
say that he's generally small, but he grows larger in size,
so I guess like his appearance is generally debated. There's
(31:04):
that mention of him kind of blessing someone's catch of
the day and keeping them safe on the water. There's
another video here from a documentary simply titled Elabo, which
seeks to share the legend of the area, which is
from TV La Vieja. This is also on YouTube. Okay,
this is another part that I wanted to read from
this entry, it says, according to interviews conducted with locals
(31:25):
of lake quote Beckett by the director of the El
Congo Cultural Center, Jose Vanegas, some encounters with Babulo are described,
and these are a couple quotes. So this one person says,
andres chased Cella away when they went fishing. They saw
him swimming, and he'd asked them to wait for him,
and then they'd run away. So I'm assuming they saw
(31:46):
he asked them to wait and they ran away. They
say he's cele, which I looked up. It's it's spelled
either one of two ways, either cele with one L
or two l's, which would be cheye, which means someone
blonde and light skinned or pale. Says with a slanted face, naked,
a small body, and a tiny, very deformed head. When
he was crouching, his knees reached well above his head,
(32:07):
and he has very long, thin and ugly arms. This
next quote says over In put that in as another
one came along, he climbed onto the raft. Then the
fisherman grabbed him with This is translated from English, but
it looks like it's saying that the fisherman grabbed a
paddle and they pushed him off the raft with their paddle,
and that apparently this fisherman developed a fever for three days,
perhaps from the fright or from the susto. This next
(32:29):
quote says, this double widow is the guardian of the lake.
He used to come and scare people away. He didn't
like people fishing. He'd swim out and the bones would
stick out of the water. Whoever he came out to
would get a fever from the fright. So again this
idea of like people would see him and they would
essentially they would get susto and they would get physically
sick from how scared they were. And this last quote here,
it's a short one, says the lake used to be
(32:50):
very sinister, more lonely. People would suddenly throw stones at us,
their evil spirits wandering around enchantments of the lakes. I'm
guessing like people that were in the lake they were
having rocks thrown them from they don't know where. But
I think it's really cool that this is like this
was on the news there. So again, you can find
these videos, honestly, if you just search abo on YouTube.
I'm sure a bunch of these videos will come up.
(33:11):
What I thought was very interesting also about this one
is this continues that says the tabudo bears a resemblance
to El Siljan, which we have done on Susto before,
a character from the legends of Venezuela and Colombia, as
the Siljuan's legs were so long that when he sat,
they extended past his head. This characteristic is unique to
the Tabudo of Lake Guadebeca in El Salvador, according to
(33:34):
the story, and we know the sort of El Siljuan
that he was after murdering his father, he was cursed
to wander the earthly realm with his father's bones in
his bag. And I think this is one of the
pictures that I posted on social media for Eli, and
I'll put it here in the video where he's kind
of crouched. It's this poster kind of or like this
would cut out of him, and you can see he
has really long arms and really long legs. So, I
(33:56):
don't know, I thought it was interesting that connection between
their physical appearance between Elsilon and so there are a
few more links that we have here, but they're all
essentially kind of saying the same thing. It's the really
short like condensed version. Some of them are on listicles
of like a bunch of other legends, and it's like
a small entry just generally explaining the story as we've
(34:17):
told it already. But this last source that I have here,
it's a Wikipedia entry about Guatepeche, which is more about
like the geographical kind of structure or description of it,
and I wanted to share it with you. It says
Guatepeca is a volcanic caldera in El Salvador in Central America.
The caldera was formed during a series of rhyolitic explosive
(34:38):
eruptions from a group of stratovolcanoes between about seventy two
thousand and fifty seven thousand years ago. So again, as
you mentioned earlier, this is this is a more technical way,
I guess, or more scientific way to talk about it,
but that it was several volcanoes they exploded, and they
caused this specific type of explosion that caused this crater.
It says since then, basaltic cinder cones and lava flows
(34:58):
formed near the west end of the caldera, and six
rild dacidic lava domes have formed. The youngest dome Cerro
Bachol formed after eight thousand BC. So these are very
very This is a very very very very very very
very old lake. I don't know how many verys I
could say, but just to emphasize an extremely old lake,
it says. Lake Guaateepeca is a large crater lake in
(35:19):
the east part of the Guadepeca Caldera. It is in
Guaatepeca municipality against Santana, Salvador. There are hot springs near
the lake margins. At twenty six square kilometers, it is
one of the largest lakes in Salvador. In the lake
is the island of Theopan, which was a Mayan sight
of some importance. So this mention of Theopan, I think
(35:40):
it's perfectly timed. It was in one of those shorter entries.
That was one small deviation that I noticed in the story.
In that one version it said that he, you know,
went out for his canoe ride, his butt ride, whatever,
before his transformation to Tabulo, and on his way back home,
he passed by this island, Theopan, and he he got
distracted did and he was going to venture towards it,
(36:02):
and that's when he got swept up in the currents
and that this Godess kind of took him and transformed
him right. The last little interesting part here says Lake
Gutepeca is also known to change colors from blue to turquoise.
According to authorities, this is a cyclical phenomenon that occurs
from time to time. The color change has happened in
nineteen ninety eight, two thousand and six, twenty twelve, twenty sixteen,
(36:25):
twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen, and twenty nineteen. I wonder what
color it is right now. That's interesting that I wonder
also what causes that color change. But that's interesting that
the color does change. I'm trying to think of if
I know of any other kind of bodies of water
that do that. Okay, And so it looks like those
are all the sources that we have for you today
to welcome back girl friends. Thank you so much for
(36:57):
listening to today's episode as all. If you have your
own scary story or a video, photo, audio, recording, multimedia anything,
you can send that to me by visiting linktr dot
e slash Sustal podcast or visiting sustalpodcast dot com and
finding that submit a story, Tell me a story. Button
and use the official Letters from Beyond Google form to
(37:19):
send me your story or your multimedia so that it
can be featured either on a Letters from the Beyond
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every platform where you can follow for any and all
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For Patreon, actually tonight that I'm recording, I'm having a
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so very excited about that. Again, if you are a
(37:42):
best gool friend on Patreon, you also had the opportunity
to watch this episode, to see me telling the story
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(38:04):
show with your own ghoul friends and encouraging them to
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my friend told me to come listen to the show. Hi, Hello, welcome,
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(38:26):
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you so much to this episode's patrons. You are Liza, Sadie, Rachel,
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(38:47):
a Ashes, Nedessa, Rachel, Asusena, Marlene, Chata, Laney, Desiree, C,
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(39:09):
for being here, for doing what you can, for writing in,
for rating or reviewing all that good stuff. It truly
does mean so much to me. Again, this is an
independently produced show. It's just me and Jeff out here,
and that guy just joined me. He just got here,
but believe me, we're putting him to work. So thank
you again to Jeffrey Doyle for researching and co writing
this episode. I will talk to you all in the
next one, and until then not the Eustas Bye Speak
(40:00):
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