At folk legends represent the set of stories and tales narrated by the people that are transmitted from generation to generation through orality.
Meet the main legends and characters of Brazilian folklore:
Legend of Saci-pererê
Name of Tupi-Guarani origin, Saci-pererê is one of the best known Brazilian legends.
She is represented by a black boy who has only one leg. In addition, he smokes a pipe and wears a red cap that gives him magical powers.
Very playful and mischievous, Saci appears like a whirlwind and likes to scare people. Although Saci-pererê is the best known, there are three types of saci: Pererê, Trique and Saçurá.
Don't stop here! We are sure you will like the Saci articles we have prepared for you:
- Legend and history of Saci-pererê
- Saci's Day
legend of Curupira
A mischievous character from Brazilian folklore, Curupira is the representation of a boy with red hair and feet turned backwards. The origin of the name is Tupi-Guarani and means "boy's body".
Protector of fauna and flora, Curupira whistles and leaves footprints with its feet turned. The objective is to deceive the explorers and destroyers of nature.
Legend of the Headless Mule
The headless mule is a monster of Brazilian folklore that manifests itself when a woman dates a priest. By curse she is turned into a mule.
This folkloric character is literally represented by a headless mule, which releases fire through its neck and scares people and animals. However, there are versions that vary from region to region in Brazil.
Werewolf legend
The Werewolf legend has European origins. It portrays a violent monster with human and wolf forms that feeds on blood.
It is believed that when a woman has seven daughters and the eighth child is a man, the latter is likely to be a Werewolf.
In some versions, the legend has other characteristics, such as the manifestation of the Werewolf in unbaptized children.
The transformation of man into Werewolf takes place at the crossroads on full moon nights around midnight. At dawn, he becomes human again.
Many believe the Werewolf transforms on Friday nights, so don't stop here: Friday the 13th: understand the origin of this myth.
Legend of Boitatá
Boitatá is a folkloric legend known in other regions of Brazil by the names Baitatá, Biatatá, Bitatá and Batatão.
In the Tupi-Guarani indigenous language it means "fire snake". This folkloric character is represented by a large snake of fire that protects animals and forests.
Originally found in a 16th century text by the Jesuit José de Anchieta. Its narrative has undergone many changes over time, so that there are different versions depending on the region of the country.
Legend of the Dolphin
The legend of Boto originates from the Amazon region and is also known by the name "pink dolphin" or "Uauiará".
Legend has it that on the nights of Festas Juninas, the dolphin, an animal from the rivers of the Amazon, leaves the rivers and becomes a very attractive man.
Your goal is to attract and seduce women to take them to the bottom of rivers and mate. For this reason, Amazonian culture usually states that the boto is the father of all children of unknown origin.
legend of cuca
Of Portuguese origin, the legend of Cuca is often associated with the “bogeyman”. She is a character much feared by children, played by an ugly and evil old woman with an alligator face who rarely sleeps.
Her character is associated with the abduction of naughty children who don't want to sleep. That's why the traditional children's lullaby says: “Nana baby that Cuca is coming to get”.
Legend of Negrinho do Pastoreio
Of Afro-Christian origin and belonging to the folklore of the south of the country, Negrinho do Pastoreio tells the story of a slave boy who had an evil boss. When he went to herd the horses, he ended up losing a bay horse.
After being violently attacked by the farmer and thrown into an anthill, Negrinho from the pasture appears without marks on his body. He appears beside the Virgin Mary and mounted on the bay horse.
People who have lost something often light a candle and ask Negrinho to help them find it.
legend of Iara
Known as Iara or Uiara, the legend of the mother of water is of Tupi origin. Iara means “Lady of the Waters”. This character is represented by a beautiful mermaid who attracts fishermen with her sweet songs in order to kill them.
Before being a mermaid, Iara was a beautiful and intelligent Indian who aroused a lot of envy, including her brothers. So, to end the problem, the brothers decide to kill her.
However, it is she who kills them. As punishment, Iara is thrown at the meeting of Rio Negro and solimões and, from there, becomes a mermaid with the objective of killing men.
Other popular legends
Besides these, there are other legends that are part of Brazilian folklore:
| Legend of Acutipupu | Creature that time is man, time is woman. With a male body, it fertilizes women who have brave boys, while with a female body, it gives birth to beautiful girls. |
| Legend of Aho Ahó | A sheep-like monster that devours people, especially Indians who fled from Jesuit missions to return to their villages. |
| Alamoa Legend | Attractive woman who seduces sailors and fishermen, like mermaids, and transforms herself into a monstrous figure disappearing with her victims. |
| Redbeard legend | Enchanted man who, throughout the day, is capable of transforming himself into a boy, young and old. Abandoned by his mother, he was taken in by Iara. |
| bogeyman legend | Monster that stays under the bed, behind the door or inside the closet and scares the naughty and rude children at night and can even eat the most stubborn ones. |
| legend of the brawler | Lost soul that goes wandering through the woods on Fridays after midnight. The reason he was returned to earth after he was buried is because the dead man did not pay for all his sins. |
| Caipora legend | Creature, male or female, which is the protector of animals and forests. In addition to scaring hunters with loud howls, it distracts them with false clues, causing them to get lost in the forest. |
| legend of the big snake | Also known as Cobra Honorato or Norato, her father is a giant snake and her mother is an Indian woman, who abandons her two children in the river after giving birth and verifying that they both look like snakes. |
| dry body | Spirit of a man who received the curse of wandering at night, because in life he committed an unpardonable sin, and his body is not accepted by either God or the devil, and the earth itself rejects him. |
| Guarana Legend | The eyes of a very esteemed little Indian in the tribe were planted so that a little plant would be born that would give energy to people, giving rise to guaraná. The boy had been killed by the envious god of darkness. |
| Legend of Jurupari | God of darkness, visited the Indians in their sleep to provoke nightmares. In other versions of the legend, Jurupari is a legislator of indigenous peoples, who at birth revealed that he would bring laws to men. |
| Legend of the Golden Mother | A beautiful woman who flies, takes the form of a fireball, and manages to find hidden gold to protect it from extraction, which is why she is known as the "protector of treasures". |
| Legend of Cassava | Mani, a very dear little Indian, died and was buried by her mother in her hut, which with her crying seemed to water the earth. In this place, a nutritious tuber, the cassava, was born. |
| Legend of the Papa-Figo | A hunchbacked and bearded old man, also known as “sack man”, precisely for wandering the streets with a sack on his back where he keeps disobedient children, then eat their livers. |
| Santa Claus legend | A nice old man who, on Christmas Eve, visits homes to distribute presents, which he leaves under the tree, to children who behaved well during the year. |
| Legend of Vitória-Régia | An Indian woman who fell in love with Jaci, the god of the moon, was waiting for him every night. Seeing Jaci's light reflected in the river, the Indian Naiá leans over to kiss him and drowns, being transformed into a plant known as the “water star”. |
You may also be interested in:
- Awesome Indigenous Legends
- Legends of the North Region that you need to know
- Northeastern Folk Legends You'll Love
- Unmissable Legends of the South Region
- Legends of the Southeast that you can't miss
- Fantastic Legends of the Midwest Region
- Amazing African Legends
- Myths and legends from Brazil and the world
Folklore Day
In Brazil, the Folklore Day is celebrated on the 22nd of August.
The word "Folklore", of English etymology, represents the "culture of the people". While folk means "people", lore corresponds to "knowledge".
Learn more about Brazilian folklore and its various manifestations:
- Brazilian folklore: legends, games, songs, dances and parties
- what is folklore
- Folk Songs: Brazilian Folk Songs
- Folk Dances in Brazil
- Folk Plays: Traditional Toys and Popular Games
