He is an extremely old, bald man missing most of his teeth who speaks an incomprehensible dialect. He possesses enormous, dirty, broken wings that prompt wild speculation from the townspeople. He acts as a largely passive figure who endures captivity in a chicken coop and severe exploitation as a sideshow attraction. His ambiguous nature leaves the community guessing whether he is a shipwrecked sailor, a heavenly messenger, or an animal.

A poor man who discovers the winged creature in his muddy courtyard. He is opportunistic and heavily influenced by others, quickly shifting from wanting to club the man to using him for financial gain. He uses the newfound wealth to drastically improve his living conditions while neglecting the living source of his money.

Pelayo's wife is a pragmatic woman who comes up with the highly lucrative idea to charge the townspeople to see their winged captive. She focuses heavily on her family's comfort and views the old man primarily as a financial asset. She quickly comes to see him as a severe nuisance in her newly renovated home once the profits dry up.

The local priest who values order and bureaucratic church hierarchy over spontaneous faith. He tests the winged man's knowledge of Latin and examines his unkempt appearance to determine his celestial authenticity. He serves as a skeptical voice attempting to curb the villagers' rapid descent into superstition.

An old sage in the community who claims to know everything about life and death. She confidently identifies the old man as a fallen angel who came for the sick child. Her brutal advice to club the creature kicks off the community's wild reactions and superstitions.

A giant spider with the head of a young woman who draws the easily distracted crowds away from the winged man. She claims her condition is a divine punishment for sneaking out to a dance against her parents' wishes. Because she speaks the townspeople's language and interacts with them, she becomes a much more engaging attraction.

The sickly child of Pelayo and Elisenda. His sudden recovery coincides with the arrival of the winged man, prompting speculation about a miracle. As he grows older, he occasionally plays near the chicken coop, remaining entirely unaffected by the strange creature's presence.