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Exploring the Haunting Legend of El Coco

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The Spanish legend of El Coco frightened children and was used by parents to make their children go to sleep. But what really was behind the horrible legend about the child devouring monster that would come for you?

Go to sleep child,
go to sleep now,
the coconut is coming
and it will eat you

Many Spanish parents spook their children by cautioning them about El Coco, a Boogeyman monster who snatches children away if they misbehave or refuse to sleep. It has also been associated with a horrible crime that was like a manifestation of the old legend. 

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories from Spain

Parents warn their children of El Coco using the popular rhyme, “Duermete niño, duermete ya, que viene El Coco y te comerá.” (“Sleep child, sleep now, or else Coco will come and eat you.”

Origins and Cultural Variations of the El Coco Legend

The legend of El Coco has its roots in Galician Spanish and Portuguese folklore, but it has spread to various countries and cultures around the world, each with their own unique variations. 

In Spain, El Coco is often depicted as a dark, shadowy figure lurking in the night. Some say that he appears on moonless nights and puts lying children in a sack and turns them into soap.

Other cultures have their own versions of the legend, such as the Bogeyman in English-speaking countries and the Sack Man in France.

El Coco: Francisco de Goya illustrated, Que viene el coco (Here Comes the Bogey-Man), published 1799.

The origins of the legend can be traced back to the 17th century when the first lullabies were written down, where parents would use stories of monsters and boogeymen to frighten their children into behaving. These cautionary tales served as a way to instill discipline and obedience in children, as they believed that the threat of El Coco would keep them in line. 

Over time, the legend evolved and became deeply ingrained in the collective consciousness of various cultures. And with time, the tale of Coco spread to Latin America that also put their own touch on the legend. 

Terrifying Tales and Encounters with El Coco

Throughout history, there have been numerous chilling tales and alleged encounters with El Coco. These stories have been passed down from generation to generation, fueling the fear and fascination surrounding the legend. One such tale recounts the story of a young boy who was abducted by El Coco and never seen again. The boy’s parents claimed to have seen a dark figure with glowing eyes and a black cloth bag lurking outside their home on the night of the abduction.

Perhaps the most terrifying thing about this is that it is well in with a horrible real crime that happened to a child. 

The Real El Coco Francisco Ortega

A real person that has been associated with El Coco was Francisco Ortega. In 1910 he lived in Gador in Spain with no family, alone in his house. He had tuberculosis and was near death. 

At the time there was no cure for tuberculosis, but Ortega didn’t want to die. He went to a healer called Francisco Leona that also practices black magic. He told Ortega he needed the blood of a child and 3000 reais to pay the healer. 

They kidnapped a seven year old named Bernando from his house and put him in a sack. Leon cut the child’s heart out with a knife and crushed his head with a rock. They drank his blood, put his heart in a jar and used his body to make a medical paste. 

Leona got rid of the body with the help of Julio. But Julio didn’t receive any payments so he went to the police and turned them in. They were all arrested and sentenced to death. 

The Goodnight Story El Coco

The legend of El Coco is a haunting tale that has been passed down through generations, instilling fear and fascination in children and adults alike. Its origins in Spanish folklore have spread to various cultures, each with their own unique variations of the legend. Throughout history, there have been terrifying tales and alleged encounters with El Coco, fueling the fear and intrigue surrounding the creature.

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References:

Crime of Gádor – Wikipedia
Simple Stories in Spanish: La Leyenda del Coco
Coco (folklore) – Wikipedia
La Leyenda del Coco

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The Dark Tale of Enriqueta Martí: The Infamous Vampire of El Raval in Barcelona

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For years children kept disappearing in the El Raval neighborhood in Barcelona. When the culprit finally was found it was Enriqueta Marti and her twisted crimes at fault. She was because of the darkness of her crimes called The Vampire of El Raval, and perhaps the scope of her crimes will never be revealed.


Step into the dark streets of El Raval, Barcelona, and immerse yourself in the chilling tale of Enriqueta Martí, the infamous vampire who haunted this neighborhood in the late 19th century. 

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Known for her macabre activities, Enriqueta Martí preyed on the most vulnerable members of society, luring innocent children into her clutches. This dark tale unravels the secrets behind her heinous crimes, revealing a web of deceit, manipulation, and unspeakable horrors that made people refuse to believe that she was actually human. 

The Dark and Scary Neighborhood: El Raval

The Raval neighborhood in Barcelona had a dark and sinister reputation in the years leading up to the first world war. This area, still commonly referred to as the Barri Xino or red light district, has a long history of criminal activity and poverty as well as the bohemian homes to artists, theaters, bars and cabarets. 

Its dimly lit streets and alleys have witnessed countless crimes, making it the perfect setting for the haunting tale of Enriqueta Martí. At the start of the 20th century it was the most densely populated district in Europe. The atmosphere of fear and unease that permeates the Raval adds an extra layer of dread to the story of the infamous vampire.

The Missing Children Nobody Looked For

In the late 19th century, Barcelona was a city plagued by poverty and social inequality where there was a big difference between the highs and lows of social status. It was in this environment of desperation that Enriqueta Martí found her victims. She preyed on the most vulnerable members of society: the poor children that no one really noticed. These innocent souls were often neglected and forgotten by society, making them easy targets for Martí’s twisted desires. 

The disappearances of these children went unnoticed for far too long, as their absence was overshadowed by the chaos and hardships of the time. Martí’s ability to operate in the shadows, unnoticed by the authorities, allowed her reign of terror to continue unchecked.

The Dark Legend of Enriqueta Martí as the Vampire of El Raval

Enriqueta Martí i Ripollés, a name that still sends chills down the spines of those who dare to speak it. Born in 1868, Martí would go on to become one of the most notorious figures in Barcelona’s history.

Enriqueta Martí i Ripollés: Photo of the alleged serial killer from Barcelona.

She was known by many names: “The Vampire of carrer Ponent”, “The Vampire of Barcelona,” and “The Vampire of the Raval.” The press sensationalized her crimes, perpetuating the image of a bloodthirsty monster who fed on the innocent. 

Read more: Check out the stories about Paris’ Haunted Père Lachaise Cemetery or Poveglia Island — The Most Haunted Place in the World for more stories about suspected vampires.

Martí’s macabre activities included kidnapping, murder, and even running a brothel that specialized in child prostitution. But what drove this woman to commit such heinous acts?

Before being renovated in 1923, the street was something else entirely than the home of a bar, pub and fancy shops. It used to be a brothel that Enriqueta owned.She was a simple country girl that moved to the city to earn her living. She started out as a nanny and a waitress, but soon ended up becoming a prostitute until she became a madam and opened her own brothel on Carrer Ponent. 

The Vampire’s Work as a Witch Doctor

One of her darker endeavors was her work as a witch doctor. She was said to sell miracle skin creams to rich ladies that promised them eternal beauty. 

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories about: Witches

The only thing they didn’t know was that these supposed creams contained the blood and fat of children. Or perhaps they knew, but just didn’t care. 

She also claimed to have found a cure for tuberculosis that plagued the city at that time. She said that by drinking the blood of children, they would be cured. 

The Horrible Crimes

It is said that she dressed up as a poor woman and looked for children that had no grown ups watching them. She then took them and sold them in her brothel. 

She was arrested once in 1909 during the Tragic Week for selling children but was never convicted as she utilized her friends in high places that relied on her services. 

It was only when a particular girl went missing that the police really bothered to investigate properly as she was not a poor and orphaned child as many of her other victims had been. 

The Tragic Tale of Teresita Guitart Congost

Although Teresita Guitart Congost’s parents weren’t necessarily rich, they were popular and had a fair amount of influence to make this case matter compared to all the other cases. A neighbor saw the girl in Marti’s apartment on 29 Ponent Street or Carrer de Joaquin Costa as it is today, and notified the police. When they arrived they found both Teresita Guitart Congost and a girl called Angelita. Teresita Guitart Congost said that Marti had lured her there with sweets before locking them up in her apartment. 

Saved: Teresita Guitart Congost at 5 years old after she was found and rescued from the Vampire of El Raval.

No one knew who Angelita was, and even if Marti claimed it was her daughter, her ex husband said they never had any children. It was from this girl that harrowing details came into the light. According to this young girl, she had apparently seen Marti butcher a 5 year old in the kitchen table called Pepito that she had stolen from a single mother that was new to the city. 

The police also found bags filled with small and bloody human bones as well as dirty clothes as well as around 50 jars of fat, blood, hair and skeletons, some already mixed into an ointment, ready for sale. 

Although there was a filthy apartment with a horrible stench, there was one room where it was clean with expensive furniture and nice looking clothes for both girls and boys, most likely where her clients were taken. 

In her former apartments they found bones, in the yards, a skull of a child. They had no way of piecing all of them together, and the forensic could only identify twelve children. But how many it really was, is unknown. 

The Arrest and Trial of Enriqueta Martí

The police accused her of abducting and killing children, how many is unknown. She had 20 years to commit her crimes in peace. She never confessed to killing any of the children, but admitted that she had brought children to rich child molesters through her brothel. She never named her clients. 

Arrested: Enriqueta Martí was finally arrested after the discovery of two kidnapped children in her apartment that told the authorities about the killings. Although she was finally arrested for her crimes, she never had a proper trial and became convicted, and a lot of questions remain.

Martí was never convicted. Her fellow inmates took matters into their own hands and hung her in the prison yard in May 1913. In some versions she was beaten to death. The official death claims it was cancer. Rumors circulated that Martí’s wealthy patrons had paid for her murder to ensure that their dark dealings with her would never come to light. The official cause of death listed on her death certificate was uterine cancer, effectively closing the door on any further investigation into her crimes.

Was the Rumor False?

While Martí’s reign of terror came to an end with her death, questions still linger about the true extent of her crimes. Did she really kill them, or was she more of a scapegoat for the elite to throw away when the police came too close? 

They suggest that she can only be reliably linked to the abduction of one young girl, Teresita Guitart. These researchers contend that the black legend attributed to Martí cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. 

However, the stories and legends surrounding her continue to haunt the dark corners of Barcelona, perpetuating her infamous reputation and for many years, there were countless of local Barcelonians that claimed that they had been tried or were kidnapped by her.

Enriqueta Martí’s Dark Tale Lives On

The tale of Enriqueta Martí, the infamous vampire of El Raval, is a chilling reminder of the darkness that can lurk in the human soul. Her crimes shocked a city and left scars that still remain to this day. While the truth may never be fully known, the legend of Martí continues to captivate and terrify those who dare to delve into the depths of her dark tale. 

As we walk through the streets of El Raval, it’s impossible not to feel a sense of unease, as if the echoes of her crimes still linger in the shadows. Enriqueta Martí may be gone, but her legacy as one of Barcelona’s most notorious figures lives on, reminding us of the thin line between good and evil, and the horrors that can lie hidden just beneath the surface.

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References:

Enriqueta Martí – Wikipedia

Enriqueta Martí – The Vampire of the Raval – Barcelona Lowdown

https://www.thepastworld.com/post/the-vampire-of-raval