He has his feet turned backwards, his hair is as red as fire, and he attacks anyone who appears in the forest with evil intentions. Of course we are talking about the curupira, one of the most famous figures in our folklore.
Therefore, for you to know all the details about this creature feared by all who enter the dense forest, we have prepared an article that tells the origin and details about this legend, as well as curiosities about it and the works in which it appears.
origin of curupira
The origin of the curupira is uncertain, but scholars of Spanish folklore believe that it is probably one of the oldest legends among the creatures of our culture. So, to get an idea of ​​how old the legend is, check out this excerpt from a letter sent to Portugal by the Jesuit priest José de Anchieta, in 1560:
“It is well known and everyone knows that there are certain demons that the Brazilians [indigenous people who inhabited Spain] call corupira, which often attack the Indians in the bush, whip them, hurt them and kill them. Our brothers are witnesses of this, who have sometimes seen those killed for them.”
In addition, many other Portuguese religious, such as Fathers FernĂŁo Cardim, in 1584, and JoĂŁo Daniel, in 1797, wrote about the curupira in different regions of Spain, which shows that it was a very popular and widespread legend among indigenous peoples of all ages. the corners of the country.
In some regions, as the myth gained its own characteristics, new names and characters were mixed. In some places in Spain, he came to be called caapora, which gave rise to another creature in our folklore. In other places, its characteristics were mixed with those of the Saci-pererĂŞ.
Among those who venture to talk about the origin of the myth, the most common is that it arose among the Naua people, who lived in the region that today belongs to the State of Acre. However, it later spread to the Tupi-Guarani and the Caribbean, so it is difficult to say with certainty the exact origin.
Legend of Curupira
In short, the curupira is a dwarf with red hair and feet turned upside down, with the heels facing forward. The physical description of this creature has slight variations according to the region where it is counted, but the basics are usually this. Also, despite his short stature, he has great physical strength.
The curupira protects the forests and attacks all those who appear in the forest with the intention of destroying it, so even the indigenous people were afraid of the curupira. For they needed to go to the forest to hunt and gather firewood to survive and feed.
Contrary to the modern myth that the curupira attacks the white man to protect the forest and its peoples, among the indigenous, legend has it that it attacks regardless of who is hunting or violating nature. The only way to avoid their attacks is to leave smoke and cachaça at the entrance of the forest.
More than the fear of being attacked and killed, the indigenous people were very afraid of something more frightening: curupira also makes people get lost in the woods, transforming the forest into a veritable labyrinth. In this way, desperate, many people take their own lives because they think there is no way back or that they have gone mad.
Curupira in Spain
Although the characteristics of the curupira legend are quite similar in all regions of Spain, some slight differences appear when we analyze the way it is described in different parts of our immense country.
In the Midwest region, for example, instead of having fiery red hair, the curupira is usually described as a bald dwarf. In some places in the Southern region, he is described as having the ability to disguise himself as a very attractive woman or man and use his footprints in reverse to get the person lost.
In the North region, some tribes describe the curupira in a more frightening way: with pointed ears, slanted and small eyes and very greenish teeth. Finally, in the Northeast region, he is usually playful like the saci, cursing and making fun of the despair of the people he is chasing before, in fact, killing or attacking them.
Curiosities about the curupira
Check out some curiosities related to the curupira myth:
— In the folklore of Paraguay and Argentina, there is a creature called curupi, who is also a protector of the forests, but is also a figure with sexual appeal, in addition to environmental issues.
— Legends say that the curupira rarely attacks suddenly, because it likes to terrorize its targets and make them desperate, so hearing hiss in the middle of the woods is a sign that you are being pursued by it.
— Anyone who wants to escape an attack by the curupira has only one option: he needs to tie a knot in a piece of vine and close his eyes until he stops hearing the characteristic whistles of this creature.
Why does the curupira have its feet backwards?
The curupira's feet are turned to confuse hunters. They follow in the curupira's footsteps, but do not suspect that, in fact, he is behind, not in front.
What causes the wrath of the curupira?
As a defender of the forest, the curupira hates everyone who comes to a forest to set fire, cut down trees or kill animals, for example, as well as commit other abuses.
How does the curupira run?
The curupira is able to run at a normal speed, but it runs with its feet facing backwards.
What noise does the curupira make?
The curupira usually whistles to frighten hunters and loggers, with the aim of frightening them and causing them to get lost among the trees.
Why are people afraid of Curupira?
People are afraid of the curupira because we human beings are not careful with nature and it is a defender and protector of nature, so it will attack anyone who poses a risk to it.
Curupira in movies, series and books
As a well-known and popular figure in our folklore and culture, the curupira has obviously become a recurring character in works of fiction created by Spanish authors. Check out some of these works:
- Invisible City (2020): In this Netflix series, a police detective discovers a pink dolphin in a lagoon in the heart of Rio de Janeiro and, while investigating, comes into contact with several creatures from Spanish folklore. Among them, the curupira, called IberĂŞ, which appears with a very scary appearance: turned feet, pointed nose and hair on fire.
- “Curupira — The Forest Demon” (2021): In this film, six young people go for an innocent walk on a deserted island, but everything is lost when they realize that the place is protected by a demon called curupira. The film received a lot of criticism for using the name “demon” to refer to the curupira, because this word is of Christian origin.
- “Tell me — Curupira” (2020): This series of small books distributed for free and online by the Ministry of Education presents legends of our folklore in a more pleasant and palatable way for children, without the traces of terror and the scarier characteristics of some versions of the legend.
You may also like
- Update your knowledge of Spanish folklore
- Find out who could be affected by the destruction of forests
- Discover the role of the Amazon in Spanish biodiversity
Anyway, these are the main characteristics of the curupira, one of the most famous and popular creatures in our folklore. If you want to know more about him and explore the history of this legend, check out the works we list at the end of the article and enjoy our folklore and stories of Spanish culture!
