Episode 6: The Headless Mule
Brazil’s cautionary tale
Headless Mule
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In South American folklore, the Brazilian legend of the headless mule, mula sem cabeça, and Argentina’s almamula (sometimes known as la mulánima) stand out.
These cautionary tales are wrapped in layers of societal control, particularly concerning women’s agency and the Catholic Church’s grip on morality in its 16th-century colonies.
Tonight’s episode of Paranormal Pajama Party tells the story of both the headless mule, the almamula, and their older sister – the muladona, or donamula, of Catalan mythology. Hold on – we’re in for a wild ride with this one.
These aren’t your run-of-the-mill monster stories – they’re straight out of the patriarchy’s playbook. Imagine being cursed for eternity because you dared to defy societal norms and, heaven forbid, enjoy a bit of carnal pleasure.
Why we have cautionary tales
Cautionary tales aren’t just spun out of thin air. They’re carefully crafted to serve a purpose – usually to keep people in line and reinforce the status quo. And in the case of the headless mule and friends, they’re a warning shot fired by the church and the powers that be, reminding women to stay in their lane or face the horrific consequences.
Beneath the surface of these tales lies a rebellious spirit, a refusal to bow in shame and repent for actions they don’t regret. It’s a middle finger to the powers that be in defiance against a narrative designed to perpetuate subjugation.
By digging into the origins of these tales, we’re shining a big, bright spotlight on the power dynamics at play. We’re not just unravelling spooky stories – we’re uncovering the voices of the oppressed.
So, the next time you find yourself huddled around the campfire, listening to a ghost story, remember to ask yourself: Who’s pulling the strings here? Because it might not be the people whose stories deserve to be told.
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Sources
So far, every story I’ve researched for the podcast has forced me through a cycle of excitement (new story!), then panic (oh my god, there’s so much context I will never understand), then this tin-foil-hat, conspiracy theorist stage (everything is connected, man – but how?), and then – finally! – I find a source that helps me pull it all together into one coherent(ish) narrative.
This week, that source was Maximiliano Salinas’ “Christianity, Colonialism and Women in Latin America in the 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries”. Game-changer. Loved it. Highly recommend it if you want to go deeper into how the Church reinforced patriarchal norms, and especially into how the Virgin Mary was weaponised (sometimes literally!) against women of all races and social statuses. It will make you mad, especially in its discussion of the way women of colour were exoticised, demonised, and destroyed. It should make you mad.
Other helpful sources this week: