Moroccan legends you've never heard of
In the arms of Moroccan soil, we find many interesting legends, those charming stories that tell about heroes, princes, jinn and geniuses, embodying the roots of identities and folklore, and mixing fact and fiction with great ingenuity, to remain immortal in the memory of the unique Moroccan people.
Show key points
- Moroccan folklore is rich with captivating legends blending myth and reality, serving as a deep reflection of the country's cultural identity.
- Aisha Qandisha is a fearsome figure in Moroccan legend, described as a seductive yet deadly woman who preys on men and is only defeated by fire.
- The tale of Mira portrays her as a fairy possessing different personalities, believed to possess girls and entangle both men and women in supernatural fates.
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- Sidi Yahya Ben Youssef is a revered character associated with a miraculous healing hot spring said to have been created by his divine intervention.
- According to legend, a widow who violated mourning traditions was cursed to become a violent mule spirit, haunting cemeteries and attacking night travelers.
- Moroccan caves are believed to house jinn and mystical forces, and visitors often seek visions, healing, or spiritual encounters in their eerie depths.
- The myth of Chellah Castle involves magical fairies guarding Solomon’s treasures, transforming into celestial fish that appear at dusk to dance through the sky.
The legend of Aisha Qandisha
Deep in picturesque valleys and in the shadow of cedar trees soaring into the sky, a suspenseful legend revolves around a mysterious woman who lurks in men's enchanting beauty. This woman wears a white silk dress that hides her deadly claws, and uses her charisma to attract her prey. Forma men fall into the nets of her beauty, show her deadly anger, kill them and eat their meat and drink their blood, so no one survives her except with the fire that burns her forever, this is how this ancient legend is told, which is an integral part of the heritage of Morocco, still arouses curiosity and horror in the souls living in those remote parts of the world, but some of the novels that explain this myth say that it is adapted from the story of a woman who was expelled by the Portuguese and killed her family at the time of the fall of Andalusia, so she migrated to Morocco, where It cooperated with the Moroccan army to take revenge on them.
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The Legend of Mira
It is a legend in the Moroccan heritage that tells that a fairy wears girls and her beauty is reflected in them, stealing the hearts of men. They can also slowly end a woman's life if she is caught up in witchcraft or flagrante delicto. Some Moroccan sheikhs say it is a myth and others warn girls not to visit graves and remote places and read the two mu'awdhatin as a form of prevention.
People describe her differently, some of them believe that she is a fairy, others believe that there is more than one Mira, besides Mira Al-Harithiyah, there is Mira Al-Zahwani, who has a bright and cheerful personality. Lovers of laughter include Mira Zayania, with beautiful tattoos, Mira of the multilingual Sahara, Mira of Amazigh, Christian Mira of compassion and tenderness, and of the satanic Mira of intelligence.
The legend of Sidi Yahya Ben Youssef
In the banks of Morocco's ancient heritage stands the legend of the hot spring, which tells the story of a righteous man named Yahya Ben Youssef. Locals in Morocco's desert living around a hot spring say that this good man, with his sublime foot, without an epic tragedy on their land, as he made a hot spring emanate from the ground.
Legend has it that this hot spring carries wonderful powers, it cures serious diseases, treats infertility, and many infertile women give birth under its shade. The legend also tells the story of this righteous man burying himself, under the depths of this hot spring, to complete his role in the service of humanity and although some question this myth, it still surprises many.
The legend of the cursed widow (grave mule)
It is believed in some isolated villages that the mule of Morocco takes in some isolated Moroccan villages the form of a fairy that comes out of the cemetery at dawn and begins a crazy run that does not end until early dawn and sparks fly from her eyes, tearing everyone who passes by and according to popular legend, and legend also says that she is a Moroccan widow who did not commit to several months after the death of her husband and fell in love with a young man shortly after his death, so she turned into a mule that sleeps among the dead during the day and wakes up At night to take revenge This legend also lived in people's minds for centuries until it became part of the Moroccan heritage. Some people still believe it to be true and others believe it to be a myth.
The legend of caves and screams
Since ancient times, caves and caves have been a source of myth and legend in the heritage of Morocco, where people believe that they are outlets for jinn coming out of the ground, and that their springs are tears coming out of the ground, and are famous for limescale deposits that resemble candles. It is believed that they contain sounds and screams that reveal secrets and convey news about certain people. Some caves are home to jinn, such as the cave of Tagardasht and the cave of Moulay Bousselham, where people visit to heal and have children, and there are also caves associated with dreams and visions, such as the cave of Sidi Shamhrouche, which people believe inspires dreams and true visions for those who sleep in it.
The legend of Chellah Castle
A famous legend within Morocco's heritage revolves around the "fairy of Chellah Castle", where it is said that the castle basin is inhabited by jinn, and that the creatures that swim in its waters are not just ordinary fish, but fairies ruled by a great queen, tasked with guarding the treasures of Solomon. The myth includes that these fairies with their huge size and snake-like shape and when darkness falls, the fairy emerges from its hiding place in Jalal Wahba, followed by the rest of the fairies slowly, turning into fish that jump and hover in the sky of the castle, covering it like endless swarms of bees.
