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Apparitions · Roadside and bridge ghosts

El Silbón – the Whistler of the Venezuelan Plains

When
since c. 1850 traditional date – cannot be verified
Where
Guanarito, Portuguesa State, Venezuela
Verdict
Legend

If you hear a whistle on the Venezuelan plains that seems far away – run. It is the Silbón, the ghost of a man who killed his father, carrying the bones in a sack.

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8.70°, -69.21° · dimmed: other phenomena within 1,500 km

What happened

El Silbón (“the Whistler”) is the most feared phantom of the Llanos – the vast plains of Venezuela and eastern Colombia. Tradition says the legend was born in the mid-19th century around Guanarito in Portuguesa State. A spoiled, hot-tempered young man demanded deer offal from his mother for supper. His father went hunting, and when he came back empty-handed, the son killed him in a rage, gutted him and brought the entrails to his mother. His grandfather tied him to a post, whipped him, rubbed chili juice into the wounds and cursed him: “Cursed you are and cursed you will be for all eternity, until God takes pity on your soul.” Ever since, the Silbón has wandered the plains – a giant several yards tall, in a hat of palm leaves – carrying his father's bones in a sack. He is heralded by a whistle that climbs up the notes of the scale. If the whistle sounds close, he is far away; if it sounds distant, he is right beside you. Drunks and womanizers are said to have most to fear; his presence brings fever, paralysis or death. In some versions he can be driven off by dogs, a whip or hot chili.

Witnesses

Oral tradition of the Llanos in Venezuela and Colombia; many accounts of “encounters” with the Silbón. The legend has been described by Mercedes Franco in “Diccionario de fantasmas, misterios y leyendas de Venezuela” (2007), among others.

Explanations and hypotheses

Folklorists see the Silbón as a moral tale that warned rural communities of the Llanos against family violence, drunkenness and disobedience to parents. Versions differ: sometimes it is the mother, not the grandfather, who curses the son, and the reason for the killing varies. Night sounds on the open plains – wind, birds, animals – are easily mistaken for a whistle. The Silbón has also become part of popular culture: he appears in llanero songs, films and games, and in the 21st century his image entered internet horror stories from around the world.

Legend A story handed down through generations – it can be neither confirmed nor disproved.

Sources

  1. Mercedes Franco, Diccionario de fantasmas, misterios y leyendas de Venezuela (2007)
  2. Correo del Orinoco – Leyendas venezolanas que te dejarán con la piel de gallina

More: Wikipedia (en)