Monsters live in the land of the unknown. Everyone knows that, or maybe they used to. Monsters are trapped there, they've been ever since they were locked away by the Gods and forbidden from the land of the living. The Gods created monsters before man, relishing in how horrible or cruel or bizarre they could make them, but as the Gods grew older, they realized their mistakes. They began to create species that had purpose, rather than hideous beasts, and the beasts were locked away, hoping never to be seen again.
One day Xolotl, the god of sickness and deformity, decided that he was to create one last fiend. He took the largest bull from the small town of San Angel, and gave him foolishly large horns and tusks too big for his mouth. He gave him a purple coat, to match the skin of his dog, the Xoloitzcuintli, and painted his horns black and gold, intending to mimic a traje de luces in some form of cruel humour. He named the now ridiculous looking monster Chaneque as a further form of mocking. The hulking beast was not small or sprite-like, unlike the creature he had been named for. He was hideous and the gold x's upon his horns glimmered in the sun. Xolotl set him free into the wild.
Despite the curse poor Chaneque was now forced to bear, he relished in life, for he was free. Were he not freed, he would have been set in the bullring to fight against Manolo Sanchez, supposedly the best bullfighter in the world, and eventually ended up as a part of el toro muerto, a hulking vengeful bull made of bones, set upon destroying those who had wronged him. The Sanchez bullfighters. Instead of cursing them, Chaneque praised the Gods, over and over he thanked them. He was happier than any monster had ever been. Once, he sat by Lake Chalco, once more praising the Gods, when Quetzalcoatl happened by. When he saw the monster, he immediately went to banish it to the land of the unknown, but Chaneque looked up. He looked up and stared Quetzalcoatl in the eyes and thanked him from the bottom of his heart, smiling gleefully all the while. First, Quetzalcoatl was taken aback. Then his eyes welled with tears and he reached out to the beast.
"Chaneque," said he, "I am to banish you to the land of the unknown." Chaneque's face fell. He was supposed to be free. "But," Quetzalcoatl picked up again, seeing the poor creature's misery, "You are in luck today. I am owed a favour by La Muerte." Chaneque's face lightened once more, everyone, even cows from small villages, knew of La Muerte and the land she ruled. "You cannot remain in the land of the living, as it is forbidden by our laws, but I can send you to the land of the remembered, if that is what you so wish." Chaneque once more thanked and praised the Gods for their graciousness and spent his days happy in the land of the remembered, where he became a beloved friend of the beautiful La Muerte.
One day Xolotl, the god of sickness and deformity, decided that he was to create one last fiend. He took the largest bull from the small town of San Angel, and gave him foolishly large horns and tusks too big for his mouth. He gave him a purple coat, to match the skin of his dog, the Xoloitzcuintli, and painted his horns black and gold, intending to mimic a traje de luces in some form of cruel humour. He named the now ridiculous looking monster Chaneque as a further form of mocking. The hulking beast was not small or sprite-like, unlike the creature he had been named for. He was hideous and the gold x's upon his horns glimmered in the sun. Xolotl set him free into the wild.
Despite the curse poor Chaneque was now forced to bear, he relished in life, for he was free. Were he not freed, he would have been set in the bullring to fight against Manolo Sanchez, supposedly the best bullfighter in the world, and eventually ended up as a part of el toro muerto, a hulking vengeful bull made of bones, set upon destroying those who had wronged him. The Sanchez bullfighters. Instead of cursing them, Chaneque praised the Gods, over and over he thanked them. He was happier than any monster had ever been. Once, he sat by Lake Chalco, once more praising the Gods, when Quetzalcoatl happened by. When he saw the monster, he immediately went to banish it to the land of the unknown, but Chaneque looked up. He looked up and stared Quetzalcoatl in the eyes and thanked him from the bottom of his heart, smiling gleefully all the while. First, Quetzalcoatl was taken aback. Then his eyes welled with tears and he reached out to the beast.
"Chaneque," said he, "I am to banish you to the land of the unknown." Chaneque's face fell. He was supposed to be free. "But," Quetzalcoatl picked up again, seeing the poor creature's misery, "You are in luck today. I am owed a favour by La Muerte." Chaneque's face lightened once more, everyone, even cows from small villages, knew of La Muerte and the land she ruled. "You cannot remain in the land of the living, as it is forbidden by our laws, but I can send you to the land of the remembered, if that is what you so wish." Chaneque once more thanked and praised the Gods for their graciousness and spent his days happy in the land of the remembered, where he became a beloved friend of the beautiful La Muerte.