Initially considered a guardian spirit of jungle birds, the Pombero's myth evolved, acquiring new abilities. It gained the power to easily blend in or metamorphose into any animal, mimic the song of any bird, become invisible, or slide through any crevice or hole. 

It slithers through the undergrowth, silent and lively, its eyes shining with diabolical cunning. Invisible at times, it knows the secret of becoming a trunk or shrub in the fleeting moments when lightning tears through the dark abyss. Its prolonged whistles send shivers of terror. It seduces with the form of a woman or the brilliance of some object, which it will later steal. 

If the Pombero is an enemy, one is exposed to countless dangers within the forest, as it will always try to deceive and lose them in the thickets. Sometimes it causes strange accidents in the huts, such as doors closing on their own or kitchen utensils mysteriously falling. Those at odds with the sprite often hear footsteps and voices around the hut at night, as if someone were walking in the yard. 

However, if it is a friend, great advantages can be gained, as it will invisibly guide the hunter to where the largest and fattest prey, the good catch, or the best wild fruits for food are found. To win its friendship, it is necessary to leave pots of honey or tobacco behind the hut every night for thirty days without interruption. 

Its name should never be spoken aloud, nor should one speak ill of it or whistle at night, as this angers it. It can seek revenge by bothering or tormenting that person. A mere touch from its hairy hands can cause a person to become foolish, mute, or experience tremors. 

It is lustful, in its nocturnal wanderings it enjoys waking women with the gentle and chilling touch of its hands. Sometimes it kidnaps and possesses them, and after satisfying itself, it lets them go, usually pregnant, in which case the child will be very similar to it. It is responsible for the birth of extramarital children; it is said that merely touching the belly can impregnate. This occurs if the lonely, unbaptized woman, when visited at night by it, does not offer honey or tobacco.