cultural expectations, she can be condemned for her actions. Xkeban was shamed and humiliated by her community because she did not follow the traditional expectation for woman's behaviour. Xtabay lures men with seduction, which is against the traditional Mayan culture. Legacy The legend of Xtabay is part of contemporary Maya culture, as myths influence current beliefs. In the Yucatán peninsula, the word Xtabay illustrates undesirable behavior in women and men, and the legend is used by mothers and grandmothers to inculcate good behaviour in children. The myth also serves as a warning against the dangers of marital infidelity in the modern world, Xtabay's victims being generally husbands who have ventured from their homes at night to drink alcohol and seek the attention of other women. The myth is used by both parents and grandparents to impress early upon the young the need to resist the temptations they will face in adulthood to go out drinking at night and cheat on their partners. The legend of the Xtabay has influenced music. Les Baxter's album Voice of the Xtabay by Peruvian soprano Yma Sumac depicts the lure of the xtabay in her music. Similarity to other folktales Xtabay has been compared to the churel of Indian folklore. There are many similarities to the legend of La Llorona, a ghost who is said to wander Mexico searching for her children and luring away any living children she comes across. Variants of the La Llorona legend are told throughout Mexico and because of the La Llorona figure can be pitied and feared at the same time. Throughout all of the versions, the La Llorona figure is known as "the white lady" because she wears white. Legends similar to La Llorona include La Malinche and La Xtabay. La Malinche was said to have three sons by three different men, and she drowned her three lovers, but now is cursed to look for them along the rivers and called to them endlessly. People who look at La Malinche have their necks stuck in the position in which they looked at her and must be cured by a curandero (healer). References Further reading External links La Xtabay Mesoamerican mythology and religion Latin American folklore Female legendary creatures Hunting goddesses Maya goddesses Belizean folklore Maya legendary creatures