"El Silbón" a story beyond of the myth.

"El Silbón" A Story Beyond Of The Myth

Original myth from the Llanos Orientales in Colombia and Venezuela.

This story is about the phantom of a man, who murdered his father, since then he is known as the cursed man.

Once upon a time, a man called Jerónimo, who had all what someone would wish have in the all life like money, properties and a beautiful family formed by loving parents. One day, this Jerónimo lost everything, when he decided to kill treason his father, after they have had a hard discussion because his father wanted to sell some properties, but Jerónimo had a big thirsty for greed, he only thought to be the richest and most powerful man from Llano. Father’s Jerónimo during his die cursed to him saying:

“I hate you!

 Why did you betray me?

 You were my son darling, all my life I worked for you, me and your mother loved you and we wanted the best for you in your future. But the biggest was your avarice, now you will pay for what you did. You will be dying for all Colombian Llanos, because you love more the material things than your life and your family.

I curse you!

Now run to your beloved lands, today the dead are you and your cries will disturb the peace of this land with whistles, shouts desperate and laughs because your conscience will never leave you alone”

After that day, when he reacted, he felt dead died in life, this man began to wander by roads and lands around in the Llanos as a wanderer, time after he died, but his soul was live and the habitants always at the night around 10 or 12 midnight the habitants listened to cried a person as someone crazy or desperate and the habitants knew that those stormy noises anyone goosebumps came from this lost soul.

One day a peasant said that there was a drunk man, who was mean, selfish and he just thought in stuff for his own good. One day around 11-12 pm, this man was drinking and walked around in the streets back to home. When he was half-way, he started to hear whistles far away, but he felt like if these were closer and closer but he did not see anything, but suddenly he heard a laugh behind him. The man did turn around because he was scared, but he did not see anything, so he continued with his way home, but something happened, a terrifying spirit with his disfigured face, his eyes and mouth out blood with dirt and on his back carried with a sack, where he had some body parts of his father.  He was scared, he could not speak breath and blink. The spirit said to him: “I see you are lost” and after that time, people of all region didn’t know where the man is. Someone says that he is crazy and he is walking for all Llano, and other ones say that he disappeared. The only thing people know is that “El silbón” is a sorrow soul who takes revenge on seeing greedy and selfish men.

Profiles

Date of birth: October 31, 1887

Name or nickname: Jeronimo (El silbón)

Profession: scare people.

Hobbies: avaricious and selfish scare people and play chess with “La Patasola”

Dislikes: To be disturbed, doesn’t like vegetables and doesn’t like the babies.

Description: He is a spirit who likes to play with her best friends, around 11-12 pm starts working fighting selfishness and greed of people. He is not an evil spirit; he is always at shared evil of society.

        

Date of birth: July 12, 1850

Name or nickname: father’s silbón

Profession: cattle rancher

Hobbies: listen to music “Joropo”, care his animals.

Dislikes: fight with his family, listen to contemporary music.

Description: He is a very kind person with his family and neighbors; he always fought to educate his son well.

Cultural contextualization.

The Colombian llanos orientales are localized in the north zone from the country. It's conformed by departments: Arauca, Casanare, Meta, Vichada, Guainia and Guaviare, these departments shape the Orinoquia region.

Gentilic: Llanero(a)

Area: approximately 28% from colombian territory (328.000 km²)

Temperature: 28-30 celcius

Economy: agriculture,animal husbandry and oil.

Tourist places.

• Biopark Los Ocarros: localized in Villavicencio, this preserves fauna and flora from the Orinoquia.
• Park Las Malocas: theme park to learn about the culture's Llanos Orientales.
• Park Agroecológico Merecure: it is a little world full of aventure with native landscapes from the Orinoquia.

Activities: Riding, Fishing, hiking, acuatic sports, photografy, crafts, etc.

Fairs and festivals in Llanos Orientales colombians.

• The festival song national: Meta-Villavicencio
• Fairs patronal from Arauca: the people offer tribute to the symbols from the Llanera culture.
• the Negrera's festival: this is about a tribute to the saints (Saint Barbara, the Asuncion's virgen, the Candelaria's virgin)
• the fair Agroindustrial of Catama: Villavicencio- January
• the festival Joropo's International: Villavicencio- June and July
• the celebration of Carmen's Virgin: villavicencio - July
• the championship Coleo's International: villavicencio - october.

Gastronomy

Some of the typical dishes of the region are:

Ternera a la llanera o mamona
roast beef steak or baked at 250 C ° for 8-14 hours.

Hallaca
Tamal filled with turtle meat and vegetables.

Palo a Pique 
Beans with meat

Arroz Llanero
rice, oxtail and vegetables.

Conejo en vino

Pabellón criollo
Beef, "Caraotas" (black beans), white rice, egg and sliced bananas.

Cachapa
sweet corn arepa with cheese or "jojote or choclo".

Hervido de Guamarra
soup with chicken "taparuca"

Picadillo con carne de res cecina
salted and sun-dried meat.

Coporo or cachama
 Fish prepared with lard.

Casabe 
roasted yucca

Drinks: chicha de arroz y el Guarroz

Glosary

Cachama: a variety of fish 

carota: a variety of beans that is known in this area.

guarroz: typical drink of rice.

taparuca: a hen does not lay eggs.