Pombero

Pombero is a fantastic creature whose existence is widely believed in by many Paraguayans, especially rural dwellers. Pombero is said to be short, hairy, and robust, but is seldom seen as he is also able to make himself invisible. His presence is known by the noises he makes, such as whistling or imitating birds, or by the mischief he causes, braiding horses' manes or letting loose domestic animals. He is a creature of the night, sometimes called kara'í pyharé (señor of the night, in Guaraní), so as not to evoke his real name. When angered, he can cause accidents or cause people traveling at night to lose their way, and he can impregnate women with his touch. He can be appeased by leaving him gifts of cigars, honey, and rum.

Pombero appears to be a post-conquest myth. Gustavo González attributes the name to the Portuguese surname pombeiro, in reference either to the bandeirantes (raiders) from São Paulo who hunted Guaraní for slaves, or to spies. Dionisio González Torres says the creature does not appear in early texts describing the Guaraní at the time of contact. Milciades Giménez argues that Pombero's hairy body is a sign of virility in European, not Amerindian, culture.

See alsoGuarani Indians .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Giménez, Milciades. Tenondeté: Mitos, leyendas y tradiciones del area Tupi-Guaraní. N.p.: Editorial El Foro, n.d.

González, Gustavo. "Mitos, leyendas y supersticiones guaranties del Paraguay." Suplemento Antropológico del la Revista del Ateneo Paraguayo 2, no. 7 (1967).

González Torres, Dionisio M. Folklore del Paraguay. Asunción: ServiLibro, 2003.

                                        Brian Turner