Pedro de Urdemalas (Peter the Schemer) is a popular Spanish American trickster character, also known as Pedro el de Malas (Peter the Wicked), Pedro Malasartes (Peter Evilarts), Pedro Ordimales (Peter of the Holy Water Font), Pedro Tecomate (Peter Gourd), Peter the Mischief-Maker, or Pedro the Trickster. He is a mutable and universal character, who has been part of the oral and literary tradition in continental Spain since the twelfth century, prior to being transported by colonizers to Mexico, South America, and the southwestern United States. Though the character of Pedro de Urdemalas is well known throughout the Spanish-speaking world, he is currently particularly popular in Guatemala, Chile, Brazil, and El Salvador. As a mythical and literary figure, Pedro de Urdemalas is comparable to other folktale tricksters such as Loki in Norse mythology, Pan in Greek tales, and the African Anansi.
The description of Pedro, in the picaresque tradition, alternates among presenting him as a fool, son, brother, smith, traveler, or pilgrim who is continually dissatisfied, striving to undo authority, or simply seeking personal gain. In many tales Pedro de Urdemalas appears simultaneously as a trickster, rogue, and hero protagonist. He is frequently portrayed as a young wandering adventurer. This suite of characteristics renders Pedro capable of cheating horsemen, robbing priests, outwitting thieves and murderers, tricking con men, or frustrating deities. In addition, he is also often portrayed as having made a pact with the Devil, God, or St. Peter, which he subsequently reverses or manipulates in order to alter his fate and the outcome of his adventures. Pedro’s persona and circumstances frequently change from tale to tale and alternate among the roles of someone avenging a brother’s death, an individual who can outwit the Devil or fight off thieves, or someone who delights in mocking simple townsfolk or those in authority.
Like other canonical or fabled tricksters, while Pedro is often able to overcome adverse circumstances and even deities, he is not a magical character. Instead, he is an individual who focuses on opportunity and relies upon his wit, cunning, and ability to deceive or overcome those who seek to take advantage of him to achieve his goals. The stories of Pedro often conclude with him escaping or disappearing while lessons are learned and greater truths are revealed. To this end, Pedro’s actions and commentary as portrayed in such tales invariably demonstrate that he is, or acts, as a social critic by highlighting various wrongs and injustices. Moreover, Pedro de Urdemalas is frequently presented as deceiving or tricking the wealthy and powerful to help the poor, and by extension many stories revel in mocking those in authority by emphasizing their ignorance or corruption.
Pedro de Urdemalas, or one of his various incarnations and namesakes, has appeared in hundreds of written and oral accounts, with most being shorter tales and simple informative adventures for children or public presentation. However, regional variations, different retellings, and time have given way to a number of longer stories that include Pedro de Urdemalas as well. Indeed, Pedro de Urdemalas is one of the core figures in any collection of Mexican tales, and he frequently appears in a range of continental Spanish folklore collections as well. While the origins of the character and characterization of Pedro de Urdemalas are unknown, as a literary figure he has at least existed since the publication of twelfth-century medieval Spanish texts and was famously portrayed by Miguel de Cervantes’s (1547–1616) publication and play entitled Comedia Famose de Pedro de Urdemalas (1615). Despite variations in the details of his stories, in both the oral tales and published literary texts, the character of Pedro de Urdemalas has consistently been portrayed as a trickster.
Given the popularity and archetypal nature of Pedro de Urdemalas tales, his character has influenced the development of Spanish and Latin American folklore, a process which continues into the present. In particular, his character is still regularly referenced in popular culture, essays, texts, and plays. In fact, scholars suggest that tales of Pedro have become so influential and pervasive that they have even been adapted into the Anglo-American literary canon under different names. In addition, the evident references in Chicano literature and comedy suggest that the continuing usage of his character reflects a common knowledge of the persona and his adventures, as well as an ongoing interest in him.
Sean Morton
See also Anansi/Anancy; Azeban; Coyote Tales; Napi; Tricksters, Native American
Further Reading
Campos, Anthony John. 1977. Mexican Folk Tales. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.
Dorson, Richard M. 1964. Buying the Wind: Regional Folklore in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Paredes, Americo. 1970. Folktales of Mexico. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Reesman, Jeanne Campbell. 2001. Trickster Lives: Culture and Myth in American Fiction. Athens: University of Georgia Press.
West, John O., ed. 1989. Mexican-American Folklore: Legends, Songs, Festivals, Proverbs, Crafts, Tales of Saints, of Revolutionaries, and More. Little Rock, AR: August House.