El Sombrerón, the shadowy enchanter. As the cloak of night begins to spread at dusk the spirit El Sombrerón roams the land. El Sombrerón appears as a short man, cloaked in dark clothing while a large hat sits upon his head. When the full moon is raised in the sky, El Sombrerón goes on the prowl for young women to enchant and spirit away. There was once a woman with long hair and large eyes, and on the night of the full moon she was called out to the balcony by El Sombrerón. El Sombrerón, attracted to her beauty, began to play a serenade with his silver guitar. Every night onwards he played her his song, however she began to lose energy, unable to sleep or eat food as it was covered in dirt. To fix this her parents brought a cut of her hair to their local church, with the priest dousing it in holy water and offering her a blessing. As a result El Sombrerón left his hold on the parent’s daughter, leaving for lands unknown. El Sombrerón travels with horses or Mules and is known to regularly braid their hair, however sometimes he’ll braid the hair of local dogs instead.
Alongside La Llorona, El Sombrerón is one of many “boogeyman” folklore spirits in Guatemala and Latin America. His story is used to scare young women from leaving the house at night, however it is also used as a warning to women of toxic relationships and behavior used by men with ill intentions. The name El Sombrerón means “the hat man” in Spanish. El Sombrerón goes by many other names as well, such as Tzipitio, Tzizimite, and the Goblin. The identity of El Sombrerón varies, mainly he’s a nocturnal spirit that emerges at dusk, while in others he’s a demon, sometimes said to be the devil Lucifer.
