The Legend of Juan Machete: The Fire-Vomiting Phantom of the Colombian Plains

Legend has it that Juan Machete was, in life, a man named Juan Francisco Ortiz, who owned some land in La Macarena, within the Meta department. He was an ambitious man who earned the nickname “Juan Machete” because he spent all his time with this tool hanging from his waist. He had this machete custom-made to fit his unusually tall stature. Likewise, he was well-known throughout the region for his remarkable skill in wielding this weapon.

Ambition drove Juan Machete to make a pact with the Devil, offering his own soul as well as those of his wife and children in exchange for vast riches. To achieve this, he took a toad and a black hen, sewed their eyes shut, and buried them alive at midnight on Maundy Thursday. The following year, on the exact same day and time, he dug them up. Then, he went to a secluded spot where he tossed the bones into the wind and invoked the Devil. There, the evil one appeared to him and accepted the dark pact.

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From that moment on, Juan Machete began to succeed in everything he did. His lands became the most fertile in the area, his cows birthed twin calves, and his fortune kept growing more and more.

One day, a massive black bull appeared on his property. It stood out because of its enormous size and deafening bellows. At first, he paid it no mind, assuming it was just a neighbor’s bull. However, the next day he encountered a goat that spoke to him. The animal told him that some workers would arrive at his hacienda (a large traditional estate or plantation) and that he must hire them. They would be led by a man whom he had to baptize as Constantinoplo, performing the sacrament while reciting the Apostle’s Creed backward. Juan Machete did exactly as instructed. His new men made him the wealthiest person in the entire region, but also the most abusive and tyrannical, as he dedicated himself to seizing his neighbors’ lands and imposing his will by force.

After several years of good fortune, Juan Machete started receiving signs that the day to pay his debt was drawing near. A severe drought struck the region, and all his livestock died, except for the black bull. His family abandoned him, as did all his men, and his grand house was consumed by an unexpected fire.

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Terrified and full of regret, he gathered all the riches he had left, packed them into chests, and hid them in an underground cave deep within the forest. He stayed in that spot guarding his treasure until he died and went before the Devil to pay his dreadful debt.

Juan Machete returned as a phantom, eternally guarding his buried treasure and relentlessly chasing away anyone who tries to take it with his massive weapon.

Other Versions of the Legend of Juan Machete

In other versions of the legend, it is mentioned that Juan Machete deeply desired to make the pact, and the Devil himself instructed him on how to do it (by taking the toad and the hen and sewing their eyes shut). Furthermore, the act of burying them had to be done on Good Friday. In this telling, he did not have to wait a full year to dig up the bones, as he began to notice his wealth increasing just a few days after the ritual.

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Likewise, some accounts mention how he tried to drive the black bull off his land because it frightened his cattle and caused a huge commotion with its bellowing. However, the beast refused to leave, no matter how much they whipped it. One day, he was awakened at midnight by the bull’s roars and discovered thousands of heads of cattle on his property, which drastically increased his fortune.

It is said that years later, he began to feel deep remorse for the pact. That was when he started losing his entire fortune. He took what little he had left and vanished into the forest, where he remained until his dying day.

What Does Juan Machete Look Like?

Those who claim to have seen Juan Machete describe him as an unusually tall and extremely skinny man. He vomits fire and relentlessly chases anyone he perceives as a threat to his treasure with his giant machete.

Origin of the Legend

The legend of Juan Machete originates in the Eastern Plains, also known as the Orinoquía region. More specifically, it is said that he lived in the municipality of La Macarena, in the Meta department.

(Read also: The Legend of the Black Man’s Hand on the Hill of the Cross)

Because the Eastern Plains are a binational territory that shares a strong cultural identity with Venezuela, this legend is also highly popular in the neighboring country.

Tributes and Representation of Juan Machete in Popular Culture

Juan Machete is a very popular legend in the eastern plains of Colombia and Venezuela. This tale is still used today as a cautionary story about the dire consequences of greed and ambition.

His impact is quite noticeable in the artistic representations created around his figure in Colombia, such as various regional sculptures.