The legend of the patetarro tells the story of a man who is condemned to wander the world as a ghost who has on one of his legs a jar (bucket) that emanates foul odors.
According to legend, the Patetarro In life he was a man with a bad character, a quarrelsome, a womanizer who was often involved in machete fights; One day during one of those typical fights that he used to take part in, he received a very serious injury to one of his legs.
(Also read: The legend of Mohán or Poira)
After what happened, he took refuge in an old cave that belonged to a mine. The wound he received worsened every day until he had no choice but to amputate it, then he replaced his leg with a guadua jar which not only served as a substitute leg but also used it to do his physiological needs (defecate and urinate); Everything indicates that he died in that mine shaft and his tortured soul began to wander through the areas of Antioquia, Choco, Cundinamarca and other regions of Colombia.
Those who claim to have seen it say that it looks like a man of enormous size who, instead of a leg, drags a bucket of guadua that gives off a foul smell and which spills filth that creates wormholes where they fall. This rot usually destroys crops very quickly. .
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It is said that the appearance of the patetarro is usually the announcement of misfortunes such as the death of someone close or floods. They say that when it finishes destroying crops or carrying out its misdeeds, it lets out macabre laughter and screams that overwhelm people and make them dogs howl in fear.
Other versions of the Patetarro legend
Since legends are a cultural element that is mostly transmitted from generation to generation through orality, various versions of them are usually created depending on the region where they are told.
Another popular version of the legend says that the patetarro was a thief who used to steal chickens, and in one of those robberies he was surprised by gunshots from the owner of a farm who was hunting him believing he was a fox. When he ran away he put a foot in a bucket of manure and as a result, in revenge, he usually ruins the crops.
What does the patetarro look like?
According to legend, the patetarro looks like a man much larger than usual and who has a bamboo valde on his leg that spills rot.
Where does the patetarro appear?
The patetarro makes appearances especially in the mining areas of Colombia and in crops, the areas where its appearance has been most reported is in Antioquia, Choco and Cundinamarca.
Learn about the history of Patetarro in the following video
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