Francisco el Hombre (Francisco the Man) is a legendary character of Colombian folklore. He is the archetype of a juglar (roughly translated, jester or minstrel), a traditional player of Vallenato, a traditional Colombian genre of music. It is generally acknowledged that the popularly known story of Francisco el Hombre contains elements of myth, as well as historical fact. Background Vallenato is a very important part of the Colombian culture as a whole, but especially its region on the Caribbean Coast. It originated in the Valle de Upar (Valley of Upar), which is also the origin of the genre's name (Vallenato literally translates to 'Born in the Valley' Valle=Valley, Nato=Born). There are a couple of integral aspects to the traditions surrounding Vallenato that are also important for the legend of Francisco el Hombre. The first is the instruments traditional to the playing of Vallenato, especially the accordion. The second is the concept of the piqueria. A piqueria is a showdown between two juglares of Vallenato. They are freestyle competitions where the participating juglares battle over who has the better accordion-playing skills, as well as who can freestyle sing better verses challenging and insulting the other. The concept of a piqueria is somewhat comparable to the "rap battle" of American hip hop culture, except for the added component of playing the accordion while delivering verses. The famous song, La Gota Fría (The Cold Sweat) is a good example of a piqueria vallenata. The Legend Legend has it that Francisco traveled throughout Colombia, going from town to town participating in piquerias, which he always emerged victorious from. One night, as he traveled, he pulled out his accordion and began playing some notes and singing to occupy himself as he walked. Suddenly, he realized that every tune he played was answered by a better one from afar. He spent several hours searching for his opponent in the darkness, to no avail. Suddenly, a ray of moonlight burst through the clouds and shone down on his adversary, revealing his identity: it was Satan himself. Upon revealing himself, the devil played a powerful song, so powerful that the light of the moon and stars were snuffed out, leaving his burning eyes as the only source of light in the night. Understanding that this would be his greatest battle, the juglar fell to his knees, looked up to heaven, signed the cross, and prayed the Apostles' Creed