The Myth of El Silbon at a Glance
| Origin | Colombia, Venezuela |
| Appearance | Tall, Skinny |
| Sound | Whistling |
| Targets | Drunkards, Womanizers |
| Fear | Dog, Chili, Whip |
| Activity | Night |
El Silbón is a ghost from the mythology of Venezuela and Colombia, whose tale is rooted in the territory of Guanarito, Portuguesa State. He is the tortured spirit of a young man who killed his father, so the story goes. His grandpa was so angry that he wanted to murder him but instead ordered that he be beaten. He also cursed El Silbon to carry his father’s bones. The cursed young man wandered the plains while carrying his father’s bones in a bag and making odd musical note-sounding whistles. The story of El Silbon first appeared in the 1850s and the Los Llanos region is especially identified with him.
El Silbon has been variously described as a shadowy, tall, skinny man with a hat or as a huge figure seated in trees with a bag holding bones.
The Disturbing Story of El Silbon
El Silbon had grown up spoiled beyond belief and was therefore extremely obstinate, petty, rude, and self-centered. He wasted his life away boozing it up in bars all around town and his specialty was whistling, thus his nickname, “El Silbon” (“The Whistler”). One night, however, he was enraged by the food that was presented to him, since he had specifically requested deer offal from his mother. He walked out of the house in a rage and headed straight to the bar. His mom begged his dad to go hunting for a deer so she could feed their family, but he also came home empty-handed.
The Murderer
On his way home after a night of drinking, El Silbon ran into his exasperated father, who attempted to explain why he couldn’t shoot the deer he desired. He had been drinking heavily and had lost all sense of reason before beating his father so viciously. His father had just collapsed when he began shooting him repeatedly with his hunting gun. Then he ruthlessly gutted him with his father’s hunting knife, stuffed the organs inside his shirt, and brought them home.
After he did this horrible thing, he took the insides to his mom. She became suspicious upon seeing them and peppered him with questions. The mother didn’t start screaming for aid until she saw that he was really roasting her husband’s insides. His grandpa tied El Silbon to a post in the center of the field and began viciously flogging his back, leaving bruises that were then exposed to hot water and aloe vera.
Sent into the Wilderness
His grandpa tortured El Silbon and then sent him out into the wilderness to be devoured by ravenous, rabid dogs called the “devil’s hounds.” The myth says that these canines will never stop pursuing him. His grandpa released El Silbon, but not before cursing him and condemning him to eternally carry his father’s remains:
“Cursed you are and cursed you shall be for the rest of eternity until God has mercy on your soul.”
El Silbon proceeded to the place where wild animals had devoured his father’s body. He put his father’s remains in a soiled bag, flung it over his shoulder, and walked away, becoming a folk villain as he was trailed by the hounds.
El Silbon’s Appearance
Those who claim to have seen El Silbon on the Venezuelan lowlands describe a slender adult male who can grow to a height of 20 feet. He’s dressed in rags, has a large hat on his head, and is carrying about a bag of bones. He wanders the plains and forest canopy, making his eerie whistle heard wherever he goes. He travels the plains, murdering womanizer and intoxicated people and sucking their blood straight from their navels so he may have his fix of alcoholic blood. One tale has it that his whistle echoes the familiar do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do in a spooky, eerie fashion.
Sometimes he’ll sit in front of people’s homes and carefully tally the number of bones in his bag. Nothing will happen if the occupants inside the home just listen to what he says and don’t host any drunks or whores. However, there will be a death in the house the following morning if they don’t listen to El Silbon’s words.
The local people believe that they can get away from him more easily if they’re armed with a whip, a hot chili pepper, or a dog. These three factors, in addition to avoiding nighttime drinking on the Venezuelan plains, are enough to keep him from going out there alone.
He represents the mythology of a boogeyman.
The Thing with His Whistle
When his whistle is heard nearby, it means that El Silbon is actually far away. But when his whistles sound far away, that means he is near, so lone travelers should be wary in the late hours of the night on the Venezuelan plains. As the hounds follow him over the plains, El Silbón will forever bring misery and death to his unlucky victims. When his whistle is loud, he is supposedly after a man, but when it’s gentle, he’s allegedly after a woman.
Many Los Llanos locals claim to have seen El Silbon, and these sightings are most common in the summer and on days with high humidity.
El Silbon’s Friendlier Version
In Colombia’s eastern lowlands, where he goes by the name “El Silbador,” many think he is the lost spirit of a womanizer or partygoer who died in solitude. They say he wants to hang out with anyone who is brave enough to stay up late with him. However, this friendly version is an exception because, also in Colombia, he still hunts by whistling.
He really materializes with a shrill whistle that hurts your ears and makes your whole body shiver. The legend states that if someone hears a high-pitched tone, it predicts the death of a woman, while a low-pitched tone signifies a man. In any case, the person who passes away is usually known to the individual who heard the whistle.
In Popular Culture
Books:
- “El Silbón de Venezuela” is a novelette that introduces the people and culture of Venezuela.
Movies:
- “El Silbón: Orígenes” (2018) is a movie where a parent fights a curse and a phantasmal being to protect his daughter’s soul.
Games:
- El Silbon is a concept character discussed for the game “Dead by Daylight” as a new killer, but it was never adopted.
- “El Silbón” is a game created during the Global Game Jam where you play as a character trying to reach your dog while avoiding El Silbon.
- “El Silbon” by Katatoe is a horror game focusing on two folklore creatures, two legendary creatures worldwide, and one well-known demon witch.
- In the game “HYENAS”, there’s a character named Izzy Gato who has the nickname “El Silbon”.
TV Shows:
- In an episode of “Monstrum” on PBS, film director Juan Fernández Gebauer discusses why a murderous ghost became a symbol of Los Llanos.
- In an episode of “Victor & Valentino”, Victor enlists the help of El Silbon to make his haunted corn maze scarier.
