Capelobo
The Capelobo is a mythical creature from Brazilian mythology. Its legend is very common, especially in the states of Maranhão, Amazonas, and Pará. It is believed to have arisen among the indigenous peoples of the northern region of Brazil.[1]
Etymology
The name Capelobo is a fusion of an indigenous Brazilian word, cape, meaning broken bone, and the Portuguese word lobo, meaning wolf.[1][2][3]
Legends
The Capelobo has two forms, an animal form and a humanoid form. In its animal form, it is like a tapir with attributes of a dog. In its humanoid form, it has the head of a giant anteater (or a tapir or dog, depending on the version of the myth), the body of a human, and rounded, bottle-shaped legs. It has lots of hair on its body, and runs through forests near human settlements in floodplain regions.[1][3][4]
It is known to hunt newborn puppies and kittens, but will kill humans to drink their blood and eat their brains if given the opportunity. The only way to defeat it is by shooting it in the navel.[2]
In order to hunt humans, it produces a powerful scream which attracts them into the woods while also scaring them.[3][4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Capelobo". Portal São Francisco (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ^ a b "Capelobo - Lendas e Mitos". Só História (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ^ a b c "Capelobo - personagem do folclore brasileiro". web.archive.org. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ^ a b Cascudo, Luís da Câmara (2001). Dicionário do folclore brasileiro (10a. ed.). São Paulo, SP: Global Editora. ISBN 85-260-0644-4. OCLC 50906174.
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