Legend has it that in old Mojácar there lived an old alchemist in the mouth of a cave, located on a hill that puts us at the Plaza Nueva viewing point.
An epidemic of plague that was devastating the population of Mojácar was the reason why María, a beautiful young local woman, bravely decided to marry the old sorcerer who possessed the infallible remedy that would alleviate this suffering.
After the marriage took place, the alchemist, fearful of his wife’s flight once she had got hold of the “secret”, day after day put off giving María the remedy for the village’s suffering.
The woman, desirous of freeing the population, one night when the sorcerer was sleeping, bravely lunged and seized the pot which contained the life-saving liquid, thus exorcising the village from its terrible punishment.
The magician’s forebodings were right, Mariquita’s only intention had been the protection of her neighbours. She, fearing the revenge of the magician upon waking up and knowing the truth, poured the liquid inside his mouth in order to rid herself of him for good. The misfortune was such that, due to impatience and enthusiasm, on shaking the jar, a drop of the mysterious liquor fell on her right hand, piercing it and casting a spell on her forever.
And they say that the two “bewitched” ones are still there…. and that on the nights of a full moon you can see Mariquita, as the fairy of the village, prowling around the streets of the village lamenting her fate… The people of Mojácar, grateful, on passing by the cave used to sing:
Come out, come out
Mariquita la “posá”
The one with the “pierced” hand
If she didn’t have it
The whole village would have perished
