El Silbón
Overview
A cursed wandering spirit of the Venezuelan and Colombian Llanos who carries his murdered father's bones in a sack and whose whistle reverses with distance: close-sounding when far, distant-sounding when very near.
Details
- Origin:
- Folkloric range across the Llanos savanna of Venezuela and the Eastern Llanos of Colombia, with the densest tradition in the Venezuelan state of Portuguesa.
- Regions:
- Llanos (Orinoquía), Portuguesa State, Guárico State, Apure State, Eastern Llanos (Colombia), Casanare Department, Meta Department
- First Reported:
- 19th century
Full Account
El Silbón ('the whistler') is a legendary spirit of the Llanos region of Venezuela — particularly Portuguesa state and Guanarito Municipality — and of Colombia's Eastern Llanos, said to have arisen as a folk legend in the mid-19th century. According to the most widely told version, El Silbón was a spoiled son who, in a drunken rage, killed his father, and (in some versions) prepared the body as food for his unsuspecting mother; on discovering the truth, his grandfather whipped him, rubbed lemon and pepper into his wounds, and cursed him to wander forever, carrying his father's bones in a sack. He appears as the shadow of a tall, gaunt man, sometimes wearing a hat; in some accounts as a six-metre giant moving among the treetops. His characteristic whistle is held to be inverted in distance: when it sounds near, he is far; when it sounds faint and distant, he is dangerously close. He preys particularly on drunkards and unfaithful husbands. Folkloric protections include a barking dog (the only thing he reportedly fears), chili peppers, and a whip — items linked to the curse imposed by his grandfather.
Also Known As
- El Silbón (Spanish)
- Silbón Llanero (Venezuelan and Colombian Llanos)
Etymology
- Origin:
- Spanish 'el silbón', literally 'the whistler' or 'the one who whistles', from the verb 'silbar' (to whistle).
- Meaning:
- 'The Whistler'.
- First Use:
- Recorded in 19th-century Llanero oral tradition; widely standardised in 20th-century Venezuelan folkloric literature.
Timeline
- 1850-01-01 — El Silbón legend takes shape in Venezuelan Llanero oral tradition (per Wikipedia) (Approximate origin of the tradition)
- 1939-01-01 — Rómulo Gallegos publishes 'Cantaclaro', situating the Llanos in modern Venezuelan literary imagination and creating an audience for Llanero folklore (Cultural context for 20th-century literary engagement with Llanero folklore)
Sightings & Evidence
Cultural Significance
Hearing the whistle is itself an omen; if the whistle sounds close, no immediate danger; if it sounds far, the listener is in immediate peril. Protection is sought through dogs, chili pepper, and the whip.
Related Phenomena
- La Llorona — Wandering, weeping female spirit of Latin American folklore
- El Sombrerón — Hat-wearing nocturnal harasser of Guatemalan and Mexican folklore
- El Coco — Pan-Hispanic bogeyman figure
- Patasola — Colombian one-legged forest-spirit hunter of unfaithful men
- Madremonte — Colombian/Venezuelan forest mother-spirit