'Don Goyo's angry': the folk legends behind rumbling Mexican volcano

A volcanic stone sculpture made by a stone carver in gratitude to the Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl volcanoes is seen on a street in Santiago Xalitzintla, Puebla State, Mexico. Photo: AFP

In the foothills of Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano, locals have their own beliefs about why ash is recently raining down on them -- and it has little to do with conventional science.

According to legend, the spirit of the volcano located 70km southeast of Mexico City is embodied by a man known locally as "Don Goyo."