The Pombero
In Paraguayan folklore, a small hairy man of the night mimics bird calls, and can be kept friendly with gifts of tobacco and honey.
What was reported
The Pombero is a figure of Guaraní folklore in Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina: a short, stocky, hairy man who roams at night and during the quiet hours of the siesta. He's said to imitate birds, and to be heard far more often than seen.
He can be mischievous or helpful. Families traditionally leave him tobacco, honey or a drink to keep him friendly, and children are told not to wander off at siesta time.
Explanations offered
Folklorists see the Pombero as a guardian of the countryside and its birds, and a cautionary figure that kept children close to home. Strange noises and missing things on farms were often blamed on him. He remains a familiar part of rural culture.
- When
- Told in Guaraní folklore
- Where
- Cordillera, Paraguay
- Witnesses
- Rural families in Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina
- 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.