Some ghost stories have become so ingrained in people’s minds that they have transcended to the ears of other countries, scaring children and keeping womanizing husbands in their place. Most of these Colombian tales and myths are passed down from generation to generation. Read on and learn about the most popular myths and legends of this country:
1. El Sombrerón
The legend of El Sombrerón (The Man with the Hat) is one of the Colombian myths that began with a real villager. This person dressed in black, rode a black horse, and was considered an elegant man with a gentle face.
But when he died, his spirit became the terror of the streets at night, playing tricks on drunks, cheaters, gamblers, and fighters or troublemakers.
It is said that El Sombrerón pursues his victims through lonely, moonlit areas, where he is sometimes accompanied by two fearsome black dogs. This legend is most often told in Antioquia, although the “black horseman” and the “headless horseman” often described in Tolima, Huila, and the Cauca Valley share many of its characteristics.
2. The Mohán
The mohán is everyone’s favorite monster in Colombian mythology. Although its description varies from place to place, it is generally a huge creature covered in hair with long claw-like nails. It sometimes has red eyes, gold teeth, and likes to play pranks. Fishermen say that the mohán capsizes boats and steals bait and hooks.
Washerwomen claim that it enchants girls with music and tricks. It is also said to keep ancient treasures in its underground palace, and its appearance heralds the arrival of floods, earthquakes, and plagues. The mohán is known as “Poira,” and its story is commonly told in Tolima.
3. The Patasola
Another popular Colombian myth is the legend of the patasola (one-legged woman) who lives in the dense jungle and is especially feared by miners, hunters, farmers, hikers, and loggers, particularly because of the speed with which she moves through the jungle on a single leg.
Some say that the patasola appears as a beauty who lures men to her lair and then traps them by transforming herself into an ugly woman with wild eyes. Others say that she attracts men by screaming for help before transforming into a blood-sucking killer beast.
Men supposedly tell the story of the patasola to scare their wives into being faithful and also to instill caution about the jungle. The story is believed to have originated in Tolima.
4. La Llorona
La Llorona is a wandering woman who cries for her children in the streets. She is covered in mud with bulging eyes, dressed in rags, and never shows her face. Some legends say that she screams for help, but anyone who takes the baby inherits the curse to become the new Llorona.
It is said that the spirit haunts lonely places and appears to anyone who plans to do mischief. Some say she was a jealous woman who killed the girl’s mother in a fit of rage. Others say she was a desperate wife who committed suicide, and that she had a child with her lover when she heard that her wandering husband was returning from war.
The story of the weeping woman is particularly popular in eastern Colombia, in the region known as Los Llanos.
5. La Madre Monte
This is another of the Colombian legends and myths known as: La Madre Monte (Mother Mountain) is a robust and elegant woman who wears moss and leaves and a green hat that hides her face. She lives in the dense jungle. She supposedly bathes in the rivers, causing floods and heavy storms.
Madre Monte stalks those who steal other people’s land and casts plagues on livestock owners who encroach on fields or ignore boundaries. She also dislikes unfaithful husbands, vagabonds, and mischievous people in general, punishing them by placing insurmountable obstacles in their path when they walk through the jungle.
Eventually, they fall asleep from exhaustion and do not wake up for hours.
6. El Silbón
El Silbón is a truly disturbing legend from the plains of Colombia and the eastern plains bordering Venezuela. The story tells of an evil young man who killed his father in a fit of rage when he failed to bring home the deer heart he craved. He brought back his father’s organs, but the family suspected his evil deeds.
His brother punished the evil man by whipping him and throwing hot peppers on his wounds. He then sent an angry dog after him to continue the punishment, so now “El Silbón,” a terrifying, emaciated figure 6 meters tall, haunts the plains at night carrying a large bag of bones, which are said to be his father’s.
You will know he is near by his whistle, which sounds distant when he is close to you and vice versa. If he is close, it will be too late. He will choose a doorstep to stop and count his bones, and if you hear him, someone in your household will die at dawn, so pay attention.
Curiously, most sightings of “El Silbón” are by drunk men who stumble around at night; there are some things that El Silbón still fears. Keep a whip, a hot pepper, and a rabid dog around to be safe on dark nights if you go out for a walk.
7. The Fireball
Another of the terrifying Colombian myths present in the plains consists of a 2-meter ball of fire that rolls quickly across the landscape on dark nights. It is said to carry the spirit of a cursed madwoman. Legend has it that years ago, a beautiful but bad-tempered wife became enraged when her husband asked her to prepare lunch for 60 cowboys.
To make matters worse, when she went to collect the firewood her husband was supposed to have chopped, he had done nothing, which made her really angry. Then she heard her son crying, so she stormed off and chopped off the poor innocent boy’s head with an axe.
She immediately went mad and was cursed to become a ball of flames. Just like her miserable heart. Now she roams the plains looking for her son Juan and stalking lone travelers.
She only prays for Juans and Don Juans (i.e., men of poor character), so if that’s not your name, you should be safe. However, if she appears or you have that name, you should start cursing and swearing to ward off her evil.
8. La Tunda
One of the Colombian myths called “La Tunda” comes from Afro-Colombian culture. It is said that this unfortunate and ugly woman lives in the jungle and is recognized by her wooden leg, a hand mill, and a common utensil in Colombia.
Her danger lies in her ability to change shape and appear as someone you know, often your mother or a loved one, so that she can lure you into the jungle.
Once in her clutches, she feeds you shrimp. After you are hypnotized, fed, and calm, La Tunda will feast on you by sucking your blood, vampire-style, or devouring you like a wild animal.
9. The Dolphin Man
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to the majestic pink dolphin of the Colombian Amazon. One of the indigenous Colombian myths says that a strong and handsome god was condemned to become a pink dolphin by the other gods, who were jealous of his good looks.
Despite the curse, this creature has the ability to turn into a man when he comes ashore with a straw hat covering his dolphin face. He is said to be a loving man, and no woman can resist his charms.
So he chooses a beautiful lady, they dance all night, and then he takes her on a romantic ride down the river. Sounds like a good date, right? But the next day, the woman remembers nothing, only to realize shortly after that she is pregnant.
In fact, many children with no known parents in the Amazon actually have “the dolphin man” listed as their father in official records.
Colombia is a country of magic and mystery, and it’s clear that when it comes to myths and legends that send shivers down your spine, Colombia is the place to be.
