The Black Horseman (Mexico)

Long ago, a black horseman started to appear in the streets of Puebla. His appearance was extremely curious because he was dressed in a black suit with some gold and silver buttons. He was gallant with an elongated figure and an imposing posture. Also, he rode a peculiar horse with fur of the same color, with eyes that look like two balls of fire. No one could understand why someone so elegant had come to their lands, but the truth was that he was the devil's personal collector and had come to collect the fees of his master.

Everything started in Tlaxcala just after the Spanish Independence. The black horseman (El Charro Negro in Spanish) was born into a very humble family, something he never accepted. He always hated to have his hands full of dirt because of his work and he could never achieve the riches he deserved. He felt he was destined to become the best of the best.

The black horseman felt so bad that he had a very low status that he preferred to go without eating to collect a few pesos and buy a good hat in the local market.

Years passed and he was a teenager, his parents died, and his poverty increased significantly. He started to get desperate, and his ambition grew more and more. He had to find a solution to this unpleasant situation and during a meeting in a bar, someone shared with him that he could invoke the devil and reach a deal.

The black horseman thought about it for a while since he might need to sell his soul, but in his desperation, he invoked the devil to ask for fortune. He was tired of this insane and undeserved poverty.

The devil agreed and granted them his wish. He would have an almost infinite fortune in exchange for his soul.

The black horseman became extremely wealthy. He could not imagine that he had never thought about this idea before. Now, he started to enjoy what he had always deserved. He began gathering with the aristocrats and enjoyed himself the best. He bought the best French wines, dated the most alluring women, and gambled without bringing him any remorse. Everything seemed to go beyond expectations.

After some months, he took advantage of the wealth to buy the finest suits that made him look respectable and highlighted his handsomeness. He also bought the finest black horse in town. He thought his life was getting better and better. He felt he was extremely happy, but after a while, he started to feel loneliness as never in his life. He discovered that all women and his new "friends" were next to him just for convenience. No one really liked him, they had no real affection toward him. They only wanted his wealth and wines.

Years passed, and the devil came to visit the black horseman to conclude their deal.

The black horseman tried to hide and escape, but this was impossible because the devil is the devil and could find him everywhere he tried to hide. The devil hated to play hide and seek.

The devil became angrier and angrier with this dumb attitude because he thought he had made a deal with a man, not with a child. After a while, he told him that he wouldn't take his soul, but he would become his debt collector from today. However, it was not the end of their new deal; he would lose all his handsomeness and become extremely skinny (figure 1) as payment.

Nowadays, the black horseman wanders lonely at night on the streets of cities or on rural roads in search of debtors like him, who also offered their souls in exchange for great wealth. Furthermore, he makes other ambitious men fall, offering them sacks full of gold coins, as well as women who get carried away by his gallantry and flirtation. Beware of him and avoid his offers!

Figure 1. The Black Horseman. ¹

Inspired by Top Adventure's version.

Credits:
¹ Top Adventure