Cipitio: The Mischievous Boy Ghost
An artist's depiction of El Cipitio. Image: espookytales.
Cipitio is a legendary spirit from Salvadoran folklore. He is said to lure young girls into the jungle and cause them to disappear.
Who is Cipitio?
Cipitio is the mischievous spirit of a young boy aged about 8-10 years old. He is described as having a large pot belly and wearing a large cone shaped hat.
He is said to be the son of La Siguanaba, a goddess who was cursed for her immoral behavior.
Cipitio was the product of an illicit affair between La Siguanaba and Lucero de la mañana or Lucifer. When La Siguanaba’s husband found out about the affair he got got help from the god Teotl to curse both La Siguanaba and Cipitio.
Cipitio was forced to live for eternity as a small boy with his feet twisted to point in the wrong direction.
Cipitio’s favorite activities are throwing pebbles a beautiful women, eating ashes and eating special banana’s called "Guineo Majoncho".
His large pot belly is said to be the result of malnutrition from his mother’s neglect.
Cipitio is said to be able to teleport and appear suddenly without warning.
In some stories Cipitio is said to be invisible to adults and only children are able to see him.
You can protect yourself from Cipitio by eating food while on the toilet. This is said to disgust him so much that he will leave you alone.
Encounters with Cipitio
A video with more information about El Cipitio
There are stories that have gone around for centuries of farmers who found the footprints of a young boy in their fields. They are said to follow the footprints into the woods looking to help the child.
Unfortunately Cipitio’s feet are turned backwards so his footprints go in the opposite direction causing the farmers to become hopelessly lost in the woods.
Young girls who go missing in El Salvador are sometimes said to have been taken by El Cipitio. Cipitio is known for causing young girls to become lost in the woods and never seen again.
Have you ever seen Cipitio? Let us know in the comments.
If you enjoyed this article you may be interested in other Central American legends such as Cipitio’s mom La Siguanaba or El Cadejo.
Further Reading
The Life and Times of El Cipitio by Randy Jurado Ertll
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