La Cegua

I recently played Hades 2, and forgot how good the art direction of Jen Zee was, and how better it’s gotten in the latest game. So in the tradition of folklore and myth, I went ahead and did an illustration for one of my favorite Central American folklore creatures LA CEGUA.

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Illustration of La Cegua, a horse-faced spirit with long dark hair and wedding armor, raising a clawed hand under a glowing yellow moon.

Here’s a good ol’ timelapse for ya’ll who wanna see the whole process.

“La Cegua — also known as La Siguanaba or Sihuehuet — is a shapeshifting spirit from Central American folklore, said to appear as a beautiful woman with long hair who lures men at night. When they approach, she reveals a horse’s skull or rotting face, driving them mad. In Nicaragua, she’s told to have made a pact with the devil after being betrayed, cursed to roam rural roads punishing unfaithful men. Legends vary — some describe her as a seductive phantom, others as a mocking old crone — but all warn that lust and deceit come at a terrifying cost.” Read more on Wikipedia.

Here’s the original sketch. Hope you all enjoyed this piece of Latin American folklore. Check out my graphic novel WALO if you want to read more Central American history!