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THE POMBERO – THE NOCTURNAL MACABRE GOBLIN

It is night, and two silhouettes, barely visible in the dark, go into the forest. They are Manuel and Pablo, the two sons of a farmer, who, instead of sleeping in their room, have escaped without their father’s permission to hunt owls, foxes, raccoons, birds, or any other nocturnal animal that roams the woods.

They hadn’t been walking for long when they heard a very long whistle that made them shudder. They looked at each other, and their eyes reflected fright as they knew someone was coming to take them away. They quickly hid behind a tree in the hope that he would not find them, and there they remained without speaking or moving for a long time until the sweet song of a bird broke that prolonged silence.

They hadn’t been walking for long when they heard a very long whistle that made them shudder. They looked at each other, and their eyes reflected fright as they knew someone was coming to take them away. Both quickly hid behind a tree in the hope that he would not find them, and there they remained without speaking or moving for a long time until the sweet song of a bird broke that prolonged silence.

It seemed strange to Manuel since he knew that the birds usually sing during the day, but Pablo, guessing his thoughts, told him: -The lord of the night is here, but we cannot see him, and he is letting us know of his arrival by imitating the whistling of men and the singing of birds. Suddenly, the spirit of the forest came out of the grass and took them by the arm. “Let go of us!” Manuel shouted. The spirit looked at him mockingly and said: -Don’t even think about that! You came here to hunt for no reason, but I caught you, and you’ll get what you deserve. Be thankful that I am not going to kill you, but instead, I will lock you in a cage from where you will never be able to leave, and thus you will learn what you should not do-.

The next day when the children’s father saw that they were not in their room, he went looking for them all over the farm, and when he did not find them, he went to the forest in desperation. A few minutes later, he saw behind a tree the ammunition his sons had brought to hunt, two slingshots, and several stones. He was beginning to worry when the sound of some branches caught his attention, and when he looked up, he saw the children at the top of that tree locked in a cage. He went looking for help in a nearby town, and when he lowered them, they saw their bodies covered in scratches, they seemed hypnotized, and they had an expression of terror on their faces. Their father asked them what had happened, but they remembered absolutely nothing. They did not know who took them up there. Then, people began to murmur and blamed the terrible Pombero.

The Pombero is a kind of macabre goblin in human form, belongs to Guarani mythology and roams the fields between northern Argentina, Paraguay, and southern Brazil. It is a nocturnal being, although it sometimes ventures out during the day and seeks refuge in abandoned houses or sheds. People who have seen him have described him as a small creature with a large straw hat on his head and a bag on his shoulder where he carries the children he kidnaps because they misbehave. It is muscular in appearance, terribly ugly, and very dirty, with hands and feet completely covered in black hair and short legs with reversed feet to confuse whoever tries to track it.

His mission is to take care of nature, protect birds, and ensure the safety of wild animals. For this reason, it roams through the forests, jungles, and fields, and since it is very violent, it attacks lumberjacks who dare to cut down trees for no reason, as well as fishermen and hunters who kill for fun.

To this day, farmers say they have seen him cause damage on farms and ranches, such as trampling fields, releasing cows from pens, stealing chickens and eggs, or scaring horses in to escape from the stables, and that in addition to this, they have also had to face him in their own homes. It turns out that this evil and grumpy being can become invisible and enter through a keyhole. In this way, he enters their homes and, if he hears them speak ill of him, or if they say his name out loud, then he becomes enraged, and as revenge, he begins to break things, scaring them in such a way that he kills them. However, he can also stop being mean and does good deeds if people leave him honey, tobacco, and liquor near the forest. When this happens, he gets satisfied, and in exchange, he uses his magic to help them so that the crops grow faster. He also takes care of their houses and animals and gives them all kinds of favors.

Undoubtedly, the Pombero will defend his forest and the wild animals. So, if you intend to go hunting or fishing, or need firewood for your fireplace, be very careful where you walk because he could get you lost in the depths of the forest. And later, he could ruthlessly break each one of your bones.

AUTHOR: LATIN AMERICAN MYTH

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