Honduras has rich folk traditions that derive from the fusion of four different cultural groups: indigenous, European, African and Creole. Each department or region, municipality, village and even hamlet contributes its own traditions including costumes, music, beliefs, stories, and all the elements that derive from and are transformed by peoples in a population. In sum, these define Honduran Folklore as expressed by crafts, tales, legends, music and dances.^[1]

Folktales and legends

Numerous characters form part of the folklore and popular beliefs of Honduras. Some are designed to terrorize listeners, while others try to convince listeners to behave well or they may suffer an unhappy outcome described in a story. The exact details of a story often differs between villages or regions, or according to the style of a story teller. Some characters of legend that stand out are:^[2]

La Lluvia de Peces de Yoro (Yoro's Fish Rain)

The Yoro Fish Rain is an extraordinary meteorological phenomenon. As of 2024, there is no cemented scientific proof of why this phenomenon occurs. According to the inhabitants of Yoro, this phenomenon has been occurring in this area for more than a century. Witnesses of this phenomenon point out that it begins with a darkening of the sky caused by dense clouds, followed by lightning and thunder, strong winds, and rain - lasting 2 to 3 hours (typical behavior of tropical storms). Once the rain has stopped, the villagers find hundreds of fish scattered on the ground, still alive. The villagers collect them and transport them to their homes to cook and eat them later. The fish are freshwater, they are always found alive, they do not lack eyes, they are not huge but small and, according to the villagers, they are not the type of fish found in nearby areas. Since 1998, a festival known as the Rain of Fish Festival has been held every year.

Cadejo

see Cadejo^[3]

1. A supernatural character from Central American and southern Mexican folklore.^[4]

2.  2. The tale of the mythical creature with which parents threatened their children not to misbehave.

La Mula Herrada (the shod mule)

see La Mula Herrada

A story of an apparition of a hellish mule accompanied by the dragging sound of a horse shoe.

El Bulero (the shoeshine man)

see El Bulero

The fantastic tale of an vengeful crowd taking a shoeshine man from the Church of Mercy (Iglesia de La Merced), where he had taken refuge in the ancient city Gracias a Dios (now Gracias, Lempira). A punishment was meted to the populace after they beheaded him for profaning the sanctuary of the church (vox populi graciana).

La Sucia (the filthy one)

see La Sucia^[3][5][6]

The popular story of a beautiful young woman denied marriage at the altar because she was unbaptized. She then wandered out of mind, never removing her increasingly filthy wedding dress until she died of heartbreak after her suitor married another. The story follows that she appears in beautiful form to lure men roaming drunk by rivers and streams, so enraptured by her beauty they follow her until she changes into a filthy horror that drives men crazy.

La Carreta Fantasma (The Cart Ghost)

The story of a ne'er-do-well who was found stabbed to death in his cart, which was then abandoned in a nearby lot. Villagers would then hear but not see the cart at night until one man determined to see it was found stricken to die shortly after.^[7]

La Llorona (The Weeping Woman)

see La Llorona

The story of a woman who drowned her children and then drowns herself. For her sin she is doomed to wander crying for her children.

El Gritón (The Screamer)

A class of stories that describe encounters with either a headless creature or lost souls that scream at night.

El Timbó

A disturbing creature that prowls around cemeteries and feeds on corpses. He walks on two legs, has a bulging belly and reddish fur, with extremely long arms and huge claws that serve to root out graves.

El Picudo

see El Picudo

A creature with a dog's body and a pig's face that feeds on the blood of other animals.

El Cíclope de la selva Misquita (The Cyclops of the Miskito Jungle)

A belief among indigenous natives of the Misquito jungle in a being that resembles the cyclops with one eye. The people in the region have many different stories about this creature.

La Taconuda

A tall woman with long hair that reaches to her calf who leaves a strong scent of perfume when she passes. She grabs men and drives them crazy, leaving them numb and naked by the road.

La leyenda del indio que se convertía en tigre

Stories of a demonic tiger in that converted to and from an Indian to a tiger (The Legend of the Indian who Converted to a Tiger, Rancho Grande).^[8][9]

Folk music

Indigenous music

The music of the indigenous groups is derived from cultural traditions of the pre-Hispanic civilizations of Central America. Indigenous groups still in Honduras include the Lenca, Miskitu, Tawahka, Pech, Maya Chortis, and Xicaques.^[10] Indigenous traditions have been well documented. Some of the pre-Hispanic musical instruments include Mud Frogs Whistles (type of whistle made from clay or mud in the shape of a frog), conch shells, tortoise shells, and maracas. The maracas are two hollowed-out shells, which contain natural seeds, called "tears of Saint Peter." Other traditional Honduran instruments used with indigenous dance include the marimba, caramba, and accordion, along with drums.

Creole music

• El Candú - ^[11]
• Pitero (The Armadillo)^[12][11]
• Flores de Mimé^[11]
• El Bananero^[13][11]
• Los inditos^[11]
• El costeño (The man from the [Miskito] coast)^[14]
• El Tartamudo^[11]
• Corrido a Honduras (Run to Honduras)^[11]
• La valona^[11]
• Adios Garcita morena^[11]
• Al rumor de las selvas Hondureñas (To the rumour of the Honduran jungles) by Carlos Maria Varela^[15]

Typical clothing

There is a variety of Honduran traditional or folkloric clothes and costumes, mostly named for the region from which they originated. Traditional clothing and music are often labeled by one of four broad categories:

• Indigenous (originating from native traditions dating back before the colonial conquest)
• Creole (resulting from the mix of European and indigenous traditions)
• Colonial^[16] (resulting from European roots)
• Garifuna (resulting from African roots)

Within these categories, costumes are categorized by specific region (department, city or municipality, village, or hamlet) and ethnic group from which they originate.^[a] The following is a list of some of the traditional costumes:^[18][16]

• Costume of Carrizalón and Tapesco (village Carrizalón municipality of Copán Ruinas, Copán Department)
• Costume of Cacautare (village in the municipality of Pespire, department of Choluteca)
• Costume of Jocomico (department of Francisco Morazán)
• Costume of Copán (department)
• Maya Ch'orti costume
• Costume of the Muslims and Christians (Saint Andrés, Ocotepeque Department)
• Costume of the Viejos (Saint Andrés, and Saint Rafael, province of Ocotepeque)
• Costume of the Forastines (Saint Andrés, and Saint Rafael, province of Ocotepeque)
• Costume of Linaca (in the department of Choluteca)
• Costume of Opatoro (municipality in the department of La Paz)
• Costume from Santa Barbará (hamlet of Escondido, Estancia municipality of Santa Bárbara Department, Honduras
• Campesino costume from Santa Barbará
• Guancasco costume^[b] of Gracias and Mejicapa Lempira Department
• Dance costume of Garrobo (La Campa, Lempira Department
• Mogigangas costume (Chinda, Gualala and Ilama, municipality of Santa Barbará)
• Colonial princess-style costume of Comayagua Department
• Lamaní costume, department of Comayagua
• Negrito costume (municipality of Santa Elena, La Paz)
• Costume of La Paz department
• Costume of Marcala, La Paz
• Indigenous costume of La Esperanza, Intibucá^[20]
• Costume of Guajiniquil (village of Guajiniquil, municipality of Concepción, department of Intibucá)^[21]
• Costume from La Villa de Camasca (municipality Camasca, department of Intibucá)^[22]
• Costume of the department of Francisco Morazán
• Costume of Comayagua
• Costumes of the Muslims and Christians of Ojojona and Lepaterique (department of Francisco Morazán)
• Costume of Tolupan (mountain of the flower) department of Francisco Morazán
• Costume of Valley of Agalta (village the Avocado, municipality of Saint Esteban, department of Olancho)
• Costume of Sierra de Agalta. (villages The Avocado, Dead Bull, the Sale, municipality of Saint Esteban, department of Olancho)
• Costume of Coyolar (hamlet Coyolar, municipality of Saint Esteban, department of Olancho)
• Costume of Los Desmontes (village Los Desmontes, municipality of San Francisco de la Paz, department of Olancho)
• Costume of Tilapa (village of Tilapa, municipality of San Francisco de la Paz, department of Olancho)
• costume of Santa Elena (village Pedrero, municipality of Saint Esteban, department of Olancho)
• Pech costume (department of Olancho and Yoro)
• Tawahkas costume (department of Olancho)
• Gracias a Dios costume, Misquitos costume
• Cortés costume, Omoa costume (department of Cortés)
• Atlántida costume, costume of La Ceiba
• Costumes of Afro-Caribbean ethnicity from Colon^[c]
• Indigenous costumes of Muslims and Christians of Ojojona and Lepaterique. (Ojojona, department of Francisco Morazán)
• clothes of the blacks of Gracias and Mejicapa (Graciasand Mejicapa, department of Lempira)
• Dance costume of San Sebastián, Lempira (the dance of the crowns between San Sebastián and Mejicapa)
• Costume of the Muslims and Christian (Saint Andrés, department of Ocotepeque)
• Costume of the Garrobo (La Campa, department of Lempira)
• Mogigangas costume^[23] (Chinda, Gualala and Ilama, department of Santa Barbará, Francisco Morazán Department)
• Forastines costume (San Andrés, department of Ocotepeque)
• Veijos costume (San Andrés, department of Ocotepeque)
• Tolupan costume (Montaña de la Flor, department of Francisco Morazán)

Dance in Honduras

Honduran folklore is very varied and interesting by the cultural elements that result in the four major ethnic groups (indigenous, creole or mestizos, Spaniards, and Garífuna). As each province has its own traditions, music and beliefs, so it was for dance.^[24][25][d]

Indigenous dances

The indigenous dances are influenced primarily by the pre-Columbian culture. The following are indigenous dances that have been authenticated by the National Office of Folklore:

Creole dances

The creole (or mestizo) dances result from the mix of indigenous and Europeans in the new world. The following are creole dances that have been authenticated by the National Office of Folklore:

Imitative Creole dances

These dances have movements characteristic of animals and also of some activities like fairs, bullfights, frights, flights of birds, and hunts.

Colonial dances

The dances originating from Spanish colonial influences, which have been assimilated by the people without losing their traditional essence.

Honduran folklorists

• Henry Leonel Andean (Researcher and collector of dances like El corridito, El corrido de Don Juan, "The Polka of Apakunka" and "The dance of the Junquillo", Director of the Group Yaxall of Honduras)
• Carlos Gómez Genizzotti^[28][29]
• Professor Diógenes Orlando Álvarez Rodas (Choreographer and Investigator) Dances like Los Lirios (The Lilies), El Danzón and La campesina (The Peasant Woman), among others
• Doctor Jesús Aguilar Paz (music and folk habits)
• Jesús Muñoz Tábora (director of the department of the National Folklore in the 80's)^[30]
• Jorge Montenegro — Compilation of tales and national legends
• Luis Castellón (collected dances such as: Destrocon, Polca of the dish, for example)
• Professor Pompilio Ortega
• Rafael Manzanares Aguilar — Honduran folklorist, author and musical composer; founder and first director of the National Office of Folklore of Honduras (Oficina del Folklore Nacional de Honduras); founder and first director and choreographer of the Cuadro de Danzas Folklóricas de Honduras.
• Rafael Rubio
• Sebastián Martínez Rivera (writer on Honduran folklore)^[31]
• Tania Pinto de Moran (Folcloróloga National)
• Wilberto Allan Bonilla Rios^[32] — Collected dances such as: La pulgita (The Little Flea), Arranca terrones de Nueva Esperanza (Pull up the clods of Nuevo Esperanza), and Peineta (Comb), among others
• David Adolfo Flores Valladares — Folklorist and innovator in Honduran folk dance
• Johann Seren Castillo — Director of Ballet Folklórico de Honduras Oro Lenca^[33]