La Mulata de Córdoba: The Enigmatic Witch of Veracruz

The legend of La Mulata de Córdoba is one of the most fascinating and terrifying mysteries in Mexico, especially in the region of Veracruz. It is said that this woman, whose real name was never known, was a mulata of dazzling beauty, with bronzed skin and eyes so piercing they seemed to look into your soul. However, her physical attractiveness was as enigmatic as her very existence.

La Mulata lived alone on the outskirts of the town of Córdoba, in a small house surrounded by plants and mystery. Rumors about her began when people noticed that, despite the passage of time, she never seemed to age. It was said that she had supernatural abilities: she could heal illnesses with simple herbs, predict the future, and some claimed to have seen her speaking with spirits or controlling the elements.

Despite her apparent gifts, rumors of witchcraft began to grow. Jealousy, fear, and the ignorance of the time made people start to see her as a threat. How could a woman so young, beautiful, and solitary live without aging or getting sick? The answers they found were dark: they accused her of practicing black magic and making a pact with the devil.

The situation escalated when a prominent government official fell gravely ill. No doctor or healer could save him, but one day, La Mulata went to his house and cured him with a mysterious remedy she quickly prepared. Although the man's family thanked her for her intervention, rumors that she had used witchcraft to save him spread like wildfire. Shortly after, she was denounced to the Holy Office of the Inquisition.

La Mulata was arrested and taken to the feared dungeons of the San Juan de Ulúa fortress, in the port of Veracruz. There, she was interrogated and accused of being a witch. However, throughout her imprisonment, La Mulata never lost her calm nor showed signs of fear. Instead of pleading for her life, she is said to have remained serene, almost indifferent to the accusations.

As the days passed, the guards who watched over her cell began to notice strange things. Despite being in a damp, dark place, La Mulata remained as beautiful and youthful as ever. Some swore they heard her whispering in unknown languages, and others claimed to have seen strange lights in her cell at night.

One day, a guard found her drawing on the wall of her cell with a piece of charcoal. She had made a detailed and complex drawing of a ship, with sails billowing in the wind and waves that seemed to move. The guard, astonished by the realism of the drawing, asked her why she had done it. She simply smiled and said that it was her way out.

That same night, the cell was checked again, but La Mulata was no longer there. There was no trace of her or how she could have escaped, but the ship drawn on the wall remained, as vivid as ever. Legend has it that she had used her magic to board the ship and sail far away, disappearing forever.

After her disappearance, no one saw La Mulata in Córdoba again, but her story remained etched in the memory of the inhabitants. Some said she was indeed a witch; others that she was simply a misunderstood woman who became a victim of the superstition and fear of her time. But what everyone knew was that the ship still remained on the wall of her cell, and on stormy nights, whispers and the sound of waves crashing could be heard, as if La Mulata still sailed between this world and the next.

Today, the legend of La Mulata de Córdoba lives on. The story has endured for centuries, and it is still a subject of debate whether what happened was magic or simply a mystery that will never be solved. But those who visit the old San Juan de Ulúa fortress swear that the cell where she was imprisoned feels strange, as if La Mulata is still present, waiting for someone to uncover the true secrets of her escape.

This legend reflects how prejudice and fear of the unknown marked the history of many women during colonial times, but it also serves as a reminder that some mysteries can never be fully explained