| “ | The Stars in the Sky, watch them travel two by two,
That's how my eyes follow, When I'm walking behind you, |
„ |
| ~ El Sombreron |
El Sombrerón, also known as the Goblin and sometimes Tzipitio and Tzizimite, is a legendary character and one of the most infamous legends of Central America. El Sombrerón regarded as a bogeyman figure in Mexico and other parts of Central and South America, and is one of the most important legends of Guatemala alongside La Llorona, Cadejo, and Siguanaba.
Appearance[]
The main characteristics of El Sombreron are always the same: he appears as a short man dressed in a black poncho, thick and brilliant black belt and boots which make lots of noise when he walks, and most notable of all, a large black sombrero that obscures his face in shadow. He is often seen riding horses with braided tails and manes, and he is also said to braid the hair of the stray dogs when he wanders into a town if no horses are around.
Description[]
He is most infamous for courting young ladies who have long hair and big eyes. When he spots a woman he likes, he follows her and attempts to serenade her with his silver guitar. Any woman who respond positively to his advances will become relentlessly perused by this figure, who will then attempt to braid her hair and serenade her even late into the night when she is trying to sleep. If the woman allows her hair to be fully braided by El Sombreron, she will become forever bound to the entity, who will from then on scatter dirt and pebbles into all her meals so that she can never eat.
In other legends, El Sombrerón is also known to threaten lone travelers he encounters in his journeys between towns, particularly young men. These travelers will usually describe spotting a dark figure of average height in the distance, all dressed in black and bearing a large black sombrero. Upon noticing the traveler, the figure will brandish his pistol and call out to them, threatening to "put it" (his pistol) on them if he catches them. He will then proceed to chase them relentlessly, vanishing only once the traveler manages to reach a populated area. In other tales, a herd of braided mules will arrive in town ahead of El Sombreron, believed to somehow be the lingering spirits of his previous victims.
History[]
Background[]
According to legend, a long time ago lived a priest who was so devoted to God that he would not participate in discussions between other religious men on philosophy or art. One day this father was sitting alone in his cell reading the scriptures when a boy passed by the street playing with a rubber ball when the ball flew through the window and bounced around the room a couple times before coming to rest at the father's feet. He reached to pick it up and was about to throw it back when he was suddenly filled with a joyful sensation and a desire to jump up and down like the ball had just a moment ago. It was then that the priest thought "this must be what the earth is like, in the hands of the creator". From that day on, in the halls of that monastery, the father could be seen in the corridors, bouncing a ball playfully as he walked on by.
One day this priest called the faithful to mass; it was then that a woman came up to him and said "I come to ask you to pray for my son. He has been crying for days since he lost his ball right here next to this monastery, and he has not been eating or sleeping well since." Hearing this, the father realized his selfish mistake and ran to his cell to retrieve the ball. Upon finding the ball the priest threw it out the window screaming "Stay away from me Satan!" The ball bounced down the road before rolling to a stop, and then began to open as if by art of magic, taking the form of large black hat. From underneath this hat rose a dark, child-like figure that would come to be known as the Sombrero of Satan, El Sombreron.
Defeat[]
Although El Sombreron is known for his relentless persistence, there are a few known ways for girls to free themselves from the goblin's harassment. Girls can give him a piece of black cloth and soap. They must ask him to bleach the black cloth with soap, if he wants to be reciprocated in love. This way, the goblin will go to the river in an attempt to wash the cloth, only to give up after being unable to cleanse it fully no matter how hard he tries.
Another way is to ask El Sombreron to fetch you water, using only a net. Essentially, this entity can be tricked into attempting to complete a fool's errand if he believes he must accomplish it to demonstrate his love. As a last resort women can also cut their hair so that he is no longer attracted to them and stops bothering them, because if they do listen to him, they will surely die.