The Mystery of Mengollo: Tragedy in Asturias in 1854
In the 19th century, a shocking event forever marked a small community in the mountains of Asturias. 🏔️ The village of Mengollo, within the municipality of Quirós, experienced a tragic episode in 1854 when its entire population perished suddenly inside their homes, without showing signs of struggle or aggression. This documented fact generated great commotion and opened the debate about what really might have happened.
The official investigation: collective poisoning
The authorities who examined the case proposed a cause based on science. Their main conclusion was mass poisoning. The hypothesis focused on rye ergot, a parasitic fungus that contaminates this cereal. When grinding the infected grain to make bread, the toxins, called alkaloids, were released. Those who consumed that food suffered terrible symptoms that could include spasms, gangrene, and, in the most severe cases, death. This poisoning is known as Saint Anthony's fire or ergotism, which would explain the absence of visible wounds on the bodies. 🍞
Main characteristics of ergotism:- Produced by the fungus Claviceps purpurea that parasitizes rye.
- The alkaloids cause neurotoxic and vasoconstrictive effects.
- In the Middle Ages, it caused epidemic outbreaks known as "holy fire".
“The boundary between documented history and popular narrative blurs in Mengollo.”
The popular narrative: supernatural punishment
Facing the scientific explanation, oral tradition wove a very different story. The legend passed down through generations prefers to narrate a divine punishment, a curse, or a paranormal event that erased the community in a way as rapid as it was enigmatic. This version transforms Mengollo into a site imbued with mystery, where the rational and the legendary merge.
Key elements of the legend:- It speaks of an inexplicable curse that fell upon the village.
- The disappearance was so sudden that it was attributed to supernatural forces.
- The oral history kept the memory of the event alive as a cautionary tale.
The current legacy: ruins and silence
Today, anyone who ventures to the place finds nothing more than stone remains invaded by weeds. A profound silence dominates the landscape, a mute witness that seems to confirm that, whether by a fungus or a curse, something definitively ended life in that remote corner of the Asturian mountains. The mystery of Mengollo persists, alive in the archives and in the echo of legends. 🍃