Folktale from Mexico The Bells

Original Folk Tale

There once was an evil priest who did not fear God or man. His duties for the
church included counting the offerings and ringing the bells to summon people to
Mass. But his heart was filled with greed, and he began to take advantage of the
good people of his parish. The priest stole money out of the offerings to keep for
himself, and when he had filled a chest full of gold, he killed a man and buried him
with the chest so the murdered man’s ghost would guard it. Anyone who tried to
dig for the treasure would be devoured by the skeleton of the murdered man.
The evil priest planned to return to Spain with his ill-gotten treasure, but he fell ill
with a fever a week before his ship was scheduled to leave. On his deathbed, the
priest repented of his crime. He swore to his confessor that his soul would not
rest until he returned the gold to God. The priest died before he could reveal the
place where the treasure was buried. As he gasped out his last breath, he said:
“Follow the bells. They will lead you to the treasure.”
The Padre who attended the dying priest did not heed his words. But the sweeper
who was working in the hallway at the time of the evil priest’s death was struck
by the notion of buried treasure. He was very poor and wanted a better life for
himself and his family, so the sweeper determined to take the treasure for
himself. Each night for a week, he took a shovel and dug in the monastery
gardens, searching for the priests treasure. He found nothing.
One night the sweeper was awakened from his dreams by the sound of the parish
bells ringing out loudly in the darkness. He leapt to his feet, fearing some
emergency, and then realized that his wife and children had not stirred in their
beds. Remembering the evil priest’s last words, the sweeper felt sure that the
mysterious ringing of the bells was for his ears alone, to lead him to the treasure.
Taking his shovel, the sweeper followed the sound of the church bells up and up
into the hills. He was gasping for breath when he reached the source of the
sound. He was on a wide ledge overlooking the valley. Two trees guarded the
spot, and it was beside these trees that the glowing, ghostly church bells hovered.
Taking his shovel, the poor sweeper dug a deep hole among the roots of the
trees. After several moments, his shovel hit something hard! Eagerly, he swept
the dirt away from the object and found a small chest. He hauled it out of the
ditch with trembling hands, placed it on a rock, and broke the lock with the edge
of his shovel. when he opened it, piles of yellow gold met his dazzled eyes. He
gathered up a handful of coins, reveling in the weight of so much money. The
coins were cool to his touch, and he felt the smoothness of the metal as he
rubbed the coins between his fingers. And that was when he heard the moaning…
Looking up, the sweeper saw the skeleton of the murdered man whom the evil
priest had buried with the treasure. It was rising out of the pit under the trees,
eye sockets glowing with blue flames. “Mine,” the skeleton intoned, stretching its
bony arms toward the sweeper. “Mine!”
The sweeper screamed in terror and leapt away from the box of treasure,
dropping the coins that he held in his hands. He ran down the hill as fast as he
could go, the skeleton in hot pursuit. Behind him, the bells began to ring again as
he fled for his life from the ledge.

Summary

An evil priest killed a man and buried him in a chest full of gold to
keep for himself. The priest died before he could reveal the place
where the treasure was buried. A sweeper determined to take the
treasure for himself, but found nothing when he searched the
monastery gardens. The sweeper followed the sound of the
church bells up and up into the hills. "Mine!" the skeleton intoned.

How is it reflected to Mexican Culture ?

Folklore reflects culture because it relates to the way of life of the people who
produce it: their ceremonies, their institutions, their crafts as in the folktale (The
Bells) you choose what to do whether you think its right or wrong. Mexican
culture have demographic transition is generally described as “late and fast”. 

Mexican Culture:

Mexico has a variety of cultures which came from European

and Mesoamerican cultures. This mix of cultures leads to the
creation of traditional tales and narrations better known as
myths and legends.
Mexico's culture is rich, colorful and vibrant, influenced by its
ancient civilizations such as the Aztec and Maya as well as
European colonization. It is unique and probably one of the
most fascinating cultures in the world. The traditions and
customs of the Mexican people are varied and diverse.
Mexico does not have an official religion. However, Roman
Catholicism is the dominant faith and deeply culturally
pervasive. It is estimated over 80% of the population identifies
as Catholic. Many Mexicans see Catholicism as part of their
identity, passed on through the family and nation like cultural
heritage.