I know, weird title right? Well before you laugh at it, let me tell you a few personal stories, some Mexican folklore and the story of a nation, that although bountiful, never had enough to give.

Mexico is a country that has been torn apart and re-invented several times. All historians can attest to that statement. It all seemed to have started after the Spanish Conquistadores set foot in the state that is now named Veracruz, Mexico. Since the fall of the ancient civilizations by the hands of the Conquistadores, and the tumultuous times leading up to the Mexican Revolution to the present day oppression that the U.S has on the Mexican economy; Mexico has given back very little to it’s people. If we look back at these unfortunate turn of events, we can see just how the Mexican people feel like they’ve been beaten by their own government.

Therefore I can confidently say that when it comes to money, we (Mexicans) guard it against financial institutions and governmental entities to the death. Hell, Uncle Sam is still waiting for my tax money.So why do I think that Mexican ghosts are philanthropists? It’s a matter of principal really. I would much rather give my hard earned money to my neighbor if I died, than to the Mexican government. They don’t take care of me, why would I take care of them?

Let me elaborate. During the Mexican Revolution, civilians feared the Mexican army as well as some of the insurgents that were supposed to be on the people’s side. So when the revolution was in full effect, the people (especially in rural areas) feared losing their valuables to the government’s army who was know to raid houses.

The people of Mexico could not trusts the banks, so they buried their money in their properties. It was buried in their homes, yards or even put inside the walls made of adobe or brick.

For all those who died without any chance of getting their money or telling anyone about there money, their life savings were gone. Forgotten in time.

Fast forward to Mexico in the 1980s.

My parents bought a huge dilapidated hacienda that was built before the days of the Revolution. It was fixed up and used as a restaurant. Something my father and uncle thought of. Well no sooner than we started fixing up the place when we were informed by several local people that this was a haunted place. That many people believed that there was ghosts that roamed this place, especially at night. Some went on to tell us that there was a large amount of money hidden in this property and that if we listened to the ghosts, they would tell us where it was buried at.

Typical Mexican Hacienda in a rural town

We can find references of ghosts that cannot leave this realm, unless they have given away their money in some of Mexico’s folklore.

So of course, all this hearsay was enough to convince my father and uncle to dig up the joint. I swear, there were days where they would spend the whole time digging holes that were more than 10 feet deep and 8 feet wide. They were massive. I remember standing above ground and them handing me skulls and other human bones that were buried in this old hacienda. War relics, soldier’s clothing and even once a voodoo doll. Complete with needles still stuck in it.

I remember one morning when the 3 of us got to the restaurant to prepare it for the day’s business when we noticed how one of the back windows was broken out. Not like when someone tries to break in, but more like someone trying to get out. We quickly called for the night watchman and he was no where to be found. Hours later, we get a phone call from him stating how he does not wish to return to this place because of what he experienced that night.

It turns out that while working his shift, he claimed to have seen the “devil” sitting on top of the wall that surrounded the whole place. Just sitting there and looking at him. He described him as demonic looking and I think I can remember him saying that he had glowing eyes.
The night watchman had mentioned to us before that he had seen apparitions of soldiers walking around the old place. These were not menacing to him, but this one apparition of the “devil” made him jump out through the window and run straight home.

Now we were told so many times that these ghosts were trying to tell us where the money was buried. So we dug and dug up the place. All we ever pulled out of the earth were pots, bones and war relics. Oh and that voodoo doll. Creepy.

Soldier during the Mexican Revolution

It was not until the business failed that my father and uncle decided to sell the place. As the story goes, the new owner one day was tearing down the surrounding walls of the property with a tractor when he suddenly hit the payload. Inside one of those walls were hundreds of gold coins hidden. People said that they say him collect all of them in a hurry and took off.

So what were these ghosts of Mexico’s turbulent pass trying to tell us? Were they telling us to check the walls or give the soldier’s a proper burial?

There are thousands of stories like this floating through Mexico. Ghosts of people trying to inform the new tenants or owners of a place where their money is.

I don’t know if it’s really because they need closure and cannot move on to the other side, or if it’s because they don’t want “Tio Samuel” taking that money.

So, are Mexican ghosts philanthropists?