Draft:Black Charro

• Comment: Realistically, this is probably and potentially WP:N, however, the sources fail to establish it as such. Chetsford (talk) 08:53, 10 January 2024 (UTC)

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The Black Charro (Spanish: Charro Negro) is a legend in Mexican folklore. In popular tradition, he is a tall, handsome man. He is elegant with an impeccable black suit, which is made up of a short jacket, a shirt, tight pants, and a wide-brimmed hat. At night, he roams the streets of Mexico on the back of a large, jet-black colored, horse.

According to legend, he comes from the state of Puebla, in the city of Cholula to be exact. However, sightings of him are usually in Hidalgo, Guerrero, Morelos, etc.

He is associated with the devil though multiple versions claim his appearances date back to indigenous sources and the conquest of Mexico. He is a vigilante being who punishes the greedy, making him a Mexican cultural inspiration for international literature.

The Black Charro should not be confused with "El Sombrerón" (The Shadow), who is a legend from southern Mexico and other countries. Although the Shadow also dresses in black, the hat he wears is more similar to a cordovan-style hat, and his appearance is that of a more serene or a troubadour type.

Movie poster for El Charro Negro (1940), based on the popular legend of the Black Charro.

Origin

According to some, the Black Charro's story surged in 1920, from a mixture of indigenous and European beliefs. The Black Charro represents the dark side of the human soul. It is a story that warns others about blind greed.​

This character was transformed into a dark deity by ethnic groups like the Huichol (also known as the Wixárika). The Huichol link the Black Charro to deities like the "Vecinos" or "Mestizos" who are the gods of the non-indigenous people. ​

The deity who stands out the most within this group of "Vecino" or "Mestizo" gods is Tamatsi Teiwari Yuawi. In Spanish, he is called "Our Big Brother, the Dark Blue Mestizo." He is the result of when the two cultures and the two religions united: the Mesoamerican (the Huichol, specifically) and from Spain. The result will be a popular Mestizo culture that creates a figure in Mexican folklore that is the "Black Charro".​

The coexistence between the indigenous and the mestizo cultures resulted in economic conflicts, where the mestizos took over the land and used it for their own personal gain, for commerce, etc. According to sociological records, the god "Mestizo Azul" ("Blue Mestizo"), in indigenous culture, specifically within the Huichol culture, represents the stereotype of the colonizer who comes to threaten their culture. This "Blue Mestizo" god is more powerful than the Huichol gods themselves. However, he is a despot, a collector, and knows no forgiveness.​

From a Mixtec perspective, it is said that he is the "patron of the place," who lives on the top of the mountain, and is the caretaker of the region. This individual does not have indigenous features. On the contrary, it talks about the features of the European colonizers. That is to say, he is a tall, white man mounted on horseback. The Mixtecs talk about how dangerous it can be to encounter him, which is why they believe in carrying garlic to scare him away. This “Lord of the Hill" punishes those who cause destruction in the forests, guards treasures, and punishes the greedy. Such is the importance of the "Lord of the Hill" that the indigenous people would ask for permission to work on his lands by giving him offerings. The offerings consisted of cigars (tobacco?), mezcal, and food...

There is a story in the Sierra del Norte of Puebla, where the indigenous people stopped working on a road because permission from the "Lord of the Hill" had not been requested.

San Martín de Caballero is a saint known in the cities whom one asks for money by saying the phrase "San Martín de Caballero, dame tantito dinero" ("San Martín de Caballero, give me a little bit of money") while offering alfalfa to his horse. ​

While in the Mazatec culture, they explain, he is a nocturnal being that has nothing to do with being a saint. He is known as the owner of the land and hills. He shares the characteristics of the colonizers; his skin is white, and he greets you in Castilian Spanish. Some nights, he goes to visit his animals and to watch over buried treasures. Those who wish to obtain money from this being must go in a state of indulgence (a Catholic belief) by abstaining from sex, and they must arrive offering cacao or a turkey. San Martín de Caballero gives them instructions, which include taking a horse by the tail to the house of the solicitor and to not say anything for 4 years. If this promise is broken, then the solicitor's soul is condemned. He dies instantly, and San Martín de Caballero takes their body and soul to go work with him.​

Practically all societies believe in the existence of the concept of "darkness," which is presented as an essential element for the existence of balance. In this equilibrium darkness is a type of constant temptation linked to human passions, which could make man lose his mind, and therefore lose himself or his inner light as a consequence.

Tezcatlipoca, lord of the night, is a symbol of the ancient cosmic battle between day and night, between light and darkness in the Mexica worldview.Tezcatlipoca is one of Ometéotl's four sons and the brother of Quetzalcóatl (who is referred to as the "White Tezcatlipoca").​

With the arrival of Christianity in Mexico, the duality of light versus dark was also supported by the figures of God and Lucifer. In this cultural diversity, the myths and legends over endless temptation capable of destroying the soul surged.

Legend of the Black Charro

As the story goes, the legend of the Black Charro arises from a man who was betrayed by his own ambition. He was from a humble family. Though he was loved by his parents, they were never able to satisfy his whims. Years later when his parents died, he fell into poverty. He made the very dangerous decision of invoking the devil to ask him for wealth. Lucifer appeared and offered him money in exchange for his soul. The charro accepted the offer without any thought. As time passed, the charro grew tired of spending his riches on vices. Realizing that he wasn't loved for who he was but because of his wealth, he was gradually consumed by loneliness.

Lucifer returned, reminding the charro that his time to pay was near, causing him an immense terror. The charro's fear was so great that he asked the staff of his hacienda to put crosses all around it, and they even built a small chapel. Despite all this, his fear did not allow the charro any sleep or joy. In a fit of fear, he took his horse and the few remaining coins he had left.

The charro fled at night, thinking the devil wouldn't notice. The devil went after him and found him. He told the charro he would have waited until the hour of his death. However, due to the charro's fear and cowardice, the devil decided to take him that very night.

From then on, the charro was condemned to suffer the torments of hell. He waits there only to collect from those with outstanding debts with the hopes that one night, a traveler will take his place leaving the charro and his horse to rest in peace.

In Popular Culture

There aren't many works about this evil being that exist in popular culture. However, he has appeared in literature within the story "Macario," which inspired the creation of the movie with the same name.

In 2018,"La Leyenda del Charro Negro" (The Legend of the Black Charro)", an animated film created by Anima Studios, premiered. It is based on the legend where the charro is the main antagonist of the film and the franchise.

In episode 6 of "Drag Race, Mexico," the contestant Argennis references the Black Charro with her dress on the runway.

Also see

• Shadow
• La llorona
• Nahual
• The Mummies of Guanajuato
• The Chupacabra
• Charro Negro (coctail), alcoholic drink inspired by this figure
• The Whistler

Referencias

This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.

Categories:

• Mexican mythology
• Mexican legends
• Legends of Yucatán