Duendes hold a significant place in the cultural fabric of Latin America. They represent a connection to the supernatural and continue to captivate and intrigue people across different cultures.
Duendes are mythical creatures that have been part of Latin American and Spanish folklore for centuries. They are often portrayed as elf-like beings with mischievous personalities. In different regions, duendes take on various forms and have unique characteristics.
One popular representation of duendes can be found in the South American country of Ecuador, where they are known as El Duende. In Ecuadorian folklore, El Duende is often portrayed as a small, gnome-like creature.
El Duende is believed to inhabit natural landscapes such as forests, mountains, and rivers. They are said to dwell in hidden places, using their magical powers to guard the environment and its inhabitants. These mythical creatures are often described as small beings with pointy ears and hats, who are known for their playful and sometimes prankster nature.
I recently received a telephone call from Juan De Dios Silva, an Ecuadorian man who lives in the United States. He is quite familiar with the folklore of his native Ecuador, especially when it comes to El Duende.
He told me about an experience that his grandmother and great-aunt had during the 1910s. The sisters, named Amada (Juan’s grandmother, aged 8 years old) and Zoila (Juan’s great-aunt, aged 7 years old) lived in the small town of Alausi, located in the Chimborazo province of Ecuador, among the foothills of the Andes Mountains.
Juan prefaced the story by explaining that the women in his family were very beautiful and that they possessed another unique characteristic. Namely, that they were very hairy.
The family had a small store in the town, and the sisters were responsible for gathering the rubbish from the business and taking it to a field outside of town so that it could be burned. This was usually a daily chore.
One day, the sisters were dragging the rubbish toward the field. As they were walking, Zoila told Amada that a small boy was standing by the tree and that he was smoking a cigar. Also, the boy had very large shoes. This boy intently watched the girls as they passed by him. He didn’t take his eyes off them. The boy was an El Duende, or what they referred to as a Tintin.
It was said that Tintin usually appeared at night and threw pebbles at girls to get his attention and make them fall in love. He would follow the girls that interested him and wouldn't leave them alone. He would chase beautiful and virgin women, with long black hair and lots of body hair. He made them fall in love to take them away or to father abnormal children, often half animals, half men.
The sisters tried to ignore Tintin, but he began to follow them. According to Amada, he got close to them and began to tickle the sisters, thus falling under his possessive spell.
Sometime later, the sisters were found lying in the field by a local man who happened to notice the unresponsive girls. They were both foaming at the mouth. The man knew the girls and the family from the town, so he picked them up and quickly took them home, where they soon recovered. It became apparent that Tintin did not harm them or violate the sisters.
Juan told me that it was a tale that both his grandmother and great-aunt would relate to their children, though Amada was somewhat hesitant to do so at times.
I have received many Duende accounts over the years, but I was intrigued and pleased to have this personal story told to me."
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