El Silbón, the Whistler
On the plains of Venezuela and Colombia, a tall figure whistles in the night, and his whistle is quietest when he's closest.
What was reported
El Silbón, 'the whistler', is a legend of the Llanos, the great plains of Venezuela and Colombia. He's described as a very tall, thin man carrying a sack, condemned to wander for killing his own father. He's known by his whistle, a rising run of notes.
The rule everyone learns is that when the whistle sounds close, he's far away, and when it sounds far away, he's near.
Explanations offered
Folklorists see El Silbón as a warning against drunkenness, violence and betraying one's family. The unsettling idea of a sound that grows fainter as it approaches may draw on how sound carries across the open plains at night. He's a familiar figure in Venezuelan song and storytelling.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Los Llanos, Apure, Venezuela
- Witnesses
- People of the Venezuelan and Colombian plains
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.