Embedded Files
My monster that I have added into Summer of the Mariposas is El Sombreron. I decided to add him for the reason that writing about a modernized version of him can help teach others that things aren’t always as they appear. In Latin American folklore, El Sombreron is a mysterious goblin dressed in all black attire, wearing his signature big black sombrero (Barbot and Hassan). Additionally, he rides on his black horse and finds young girls to play songs to with his magical guitar during the night. Furthermore, he gives his victims insomnia through serenades and a magical bond made by him braiding your hair (Barbot and Hassan). He is unable to be defeated, but can be beaten by cutting off the braid to break the bond. In the new scene I have written for Summer of the Mariposas modernizing El Sombreron, I have kept many characteristics of the original monster so that it is recognizable, but I have modernized the tale by writing in the fact that El Sombreron is now handsome and charismatic to show the theme that things aren’t always as they appear.
In some ways, I kept both depictions of El Sombreron very similar. Of course, I kept his full black attire and black sombrero since that’s what makes him most recognizable. I also kept his same motivations, wanting to serenade young girls and braid their hair to form a magical bond. In my new scene, this is what El Sombreron does to Junanita as Odilia and her sisters try to find ways to break the bond. In addition, I also didn’t change his silver guitar, since that’s his main tool used to serenade young girls and it is also another way for El Sombreron to be beaten. At the end of my scene, the sisters find out that braids and his guitar are how he can be beat so after tricking El Sombreron with the ear pendant, Odilia grabs the guitar, smashing it and at the same time, Juanita’s braid is cut, severing her bond with the monster. Keeping both physical characteristics and interior motives makes sure that El Sombreron is still recognizable in my new scene.
I also modernized my monster by making his appearance handsome and charismatic instead of being an ugly goblin. I made this change to show a wider theme than just to stay away from strangers. In the original tale, El Sombreron is only able to serenade his victims through his guitar. In contrast, the modernized monster in my new scene is also able to hypnotize victims with his calming and charming voice. This is also how he even got into Juanita’s head in the first place. When Odilia confronts Juanita in the middle of the night, Juanita describes him as a beautiful and very caring man when Odilia knows his true intentions. Although with drastically different appearances, they both retain the same evil intentions, which illustrates the theme that things aren’t always as they appear. You can look as good or bad as you want, but that won’t change your true intentions.
I have kept many of the physical characteristics and motivations of the original El Sombreron monster in my new scene the same. This is to make sure it’s still recognizable from Latin American folklore. At the same time, I modernized my monster for the new purpose of showing the theme that things aren’t always as they appear. My new version of my monster tells us that no matter how good or bad you look, it will never be able to hide your true intentions. So, when talking to unfamiliar people, approach all people with caution. Just because someone looks pretty or ugly, that shouldn’t be the deciding factor if they are a kind or evil person.
Sources
Barbot, Matt, and Marcos Hassan. “Everything You Need to Know About El Sombrerón.” Remezcla, 25 October 2011, https://remezcla.com/culture/el-sombreron-que-horror-halloween-guatemala/. Accessed 28 October 2025.
McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. Summer of the Mariposas. New York, Tu Books, 2012.
Picture Sources
Summer of the Mariposas: Guadalupe Garcia McCall
El Sombreron:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/El_sombreron.jpg
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