For many decades, it has been said that between the streets of República de Uruguay and El Salvador, right in the heart of Mexico City historical downtown, is the feared “Callejón de la danza” (the dance alley), also known as the “Callejón de los Nahuales” or the alley of the shapeshifters. As the story goes in the time of the Viceroyalty of New Spain in Mexico, this alley, sowed terror to the inhabitants of the area and its surroundings.
This alley was a meeting point for those who practiced occultism, magic or were nahuales, who every night gathered to perform rituals and dance around a large bonfire, naked and invoking dark and very powerful forces. The terrified neighbors had no choice but to hide in their houses, but even that was no use.
The inhabitants were no longer safe even inside their homes, as the participants of the coven broke into their houses with the intention of taking away women and children. They begged for justice and help, but the authorities never listened to the indigenous people, the nights began to seem eternal and the sounds emanating from that coven were deafening.
The young man who dared to confront these beings
Twenty-year-old Simón de Esnaurrízar, a member of the viceroy’s arquebusier’ corps, was the one who had the courage to confront the black energy that dominated the dance alley. Two shots of aguardiente (or alcohol) were enough for Simón to wrap his two weapons in his cape, with his arquebus in hand and bravery.
It is said that he found women and men dancing around a bonfire, throwing curses, naked, painted, and with feathers stuck to their skin. Simon thought they were supernatural beings but then, he realized that they were people who in the daytime probably looked totally different than the way they did at that moment.
He began to shout for the Viceroy’s soldiers, who, unlike when the inhabitants of the area asked for help, this time they arrived immediately. Finally, the alleged nahuales and sorcerers were taken to the dungeon of the holy office.
With the arrest of these criminals, it was possible to rescue the people they had kidnapped, who were kept in terrible conditions, denying them food and water and forcing them to beg for alms in the street.
Thus ending the terror that haunted the inhabitants of “El Callejón de la Danza”, but it is said that even today, at night you can hear the echoes of those moans and dark songs, or at least that is how the story goes.
