Count the legend that Juan Machete era en vida un hombre llamado Juan Francisco Ortiz, el cual era dueño de algunos terrenos en la Macarena in it Departamento del Meta; era un hombre ambicioso y adquirió el apodo o sobrenombre de “Juan Machete” debido a que pasaba todo el tiempo con un machete en la cintura, dicho machete lo había mandado a hacer adaptado a su gran estatura, de igual forma era conocido en la región por su gran manejo del mismo.
Juan Machete's ambition led him to make a pact with the devil, offering his soul and that of his wife and children in exchange for riches. For this, he took a toad and a black chicken and sewed their eyes and buried them alive in the middle. night of a holy Thursday; The following year on the same day and at the same time he dug them up and then went to a solitary place where he threw the bones into the wind and invoked the devil, there the evil one appeared to him, who accepted the pact.
(read also: The legend of Sayona; the terror of unbelievers and gossips)
From that moment on, Juan Machete began to do well in everything he did, his lands became the most fertile, his cows gave birth to two calves, his fortune grew more and more.
One day a large black bull appeared on his land, it stood out for its large size and its loud moos. At first he did not pay attention to it since he thought it was a neighbor's bull, but the next day he found a goat. who spoke to him, she told him that some workers would arrive at his farm that he had to hire, these would be commanded by a man whom he had to baptize as a Constantinople, he had to perform the baptism by praying a creed backwards, Juan Machete did as he was told. and his men were in charge of making him the richest in the entire region, but also the most abusive and tyrant, he was in charge of appropriating his neighbors' lands and imposing himself in the region.
After several years of good fortune, Juan Machete began to receive signs that the day to pay his debt to the devil was near, a great drought hit the region and all his cattle died, everything, except the black bull, his family abandoned him. Like all his men, his large house was consumed by an unexpected fire.
(Also read: The legend of Silbón; a spoiled son who tried to eat his father)
So, scared and repentant, he took all the wealth he still had and put it in chests that he hid in an underground cave in the forest. In that place he stayed guarding the treasure until he died and went before the devil to pay his debt.
Juan Machete returned in the form of a specter (horror) guarding the treasure he buried and chasing with his large machete anyone who tries to take it.
Other versions of the Legend of Juan Machete
In other versions of the legend it is mentioned that Juan Machete wanted to make the pact and the devil himself told him how to do it, taking the toad and the chicken and sewing their eyes, and that the act of burying them had to be done on Good Friday and that he did not have He had to wait a year to unearth the bones, since a few days after doing the act he began to notice how his wealth increased.
(Also read: Legend of Mohán; a specter that kidnaps beautiful young women)
Likewise, it is mentioned how he tried to remove the black bull from his land because it scared his cattle and made a big fuss with the mooing, but it would not leave no matter how much trouble they gave him. One day he was woken up at midnight by the mooing. bull and found thousands of cattle on his land that drastically increased his fortune.
It is said that years later he began to feel regret for the pact, that is when he began to lose all his fortune, he took what little he had left and went into the forest where he remained until his death.
What does Juan Machete look like?
Those who claim to have seen Juan Machete describe him as an unusually tall and very skinny man, who vomits fire and chases with his large machete anyone he perceives as a danger to his treasure.
Origin of the legend
The legend of Juan Machete has its origin in the eastern plains or the Orinoquia region, more specifically it is said that he lived in the municipality of Macarena, Meta; Since the eastern plains are a territory that is shared with Venezuela, this legend is also very popular in the neighboring country.
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