This means that the legend of the Cadejo is a Mesoamerican legend, where "mesoamerican" defines the region that the Maya-Quiché people occupied. Since El Salvador's current territory belongs to Mesoamerica, the people happen to be influenced by the Maya-Quiché culture and its legends, which is why they talk about the Cadejo today in El Salvador.
The other two are the Lenca and the Nahuat’l-Pipil. It might be cool if you read more about these three native cultures!
Many people living in this country and other Central American areas are really anxious and worried about the danger of their surroundings. Post-Columbian culture here has always carried some sense of risk and danger, and as such, these legends have been adapted to help people navigate difficult or dangerous environments.
In El Salvador, the Cadejo negro helps people remain aware and steers people in the right direction. When people want to do bad things (usually late at night), the Cadejo negro, with its big, red eyes, appears in front of these people to instill fear in them, making them go back home and really think about what they had planned to do. The Cadejo blanco is also said to appear in front of people who need protection, like a vulnerable person walking in the street late at night.
Generally, if a Cadejo negro appears in front of you, it means you yourself were trying to do something bad. If a Cadejo blanco appears in front of you, it means that it’s trying to protect you from something bad that was going to happen to you.
