One of the most traditional legends of Brazilian folklore is the head, mythical being who has the form of an old woman with hideous features and who is motivated solely by evil. The best known image of this legend was created by Monteiro Lobato, who portrayed Cuca as an evil witch in the shape of an alligator and blond hair.
Accessalso: Curupira — one of the most famous characters in Brazilian folklore
Who is Cuca?
Cuca is a mythical being that is present in the Brazilian folklore, being well known for being responsible for kidnap the childrendisobedient. Cuca stalks people's homes at night and catches children who don't sleep at the right time and who are restless. This legend was commonly used as a way to frighten children.
THE traditional legend treats Cuca as a very old woman, thin and hunchbacked, who have very wrinkled skin and white hair. This description of Cuca caused her to be seen in many parts of the country as a true witch, a sorceress who is known for performing evil things.
Origin of Cuca
Despite being present in Brazilian folklore, Cuca is not necessarily a legend that emerged here. Scholars on the subject point out that Cuca is derivinggivesIberian Peninsula and it was present in the popular culture of both Portuguese and Spaniards. In this place, the legend of Cuca was known by the names of Çhollow and Çthe CA.
The legend of Coca in the Iberian Peninsula could be manifested in different ways. In Spain, it was seen in the form of a dragon; in the region of Galicia, it was believed that Coke went out on the streets on the day of Corpus Christi to commit evils. In general, both in Portugal and Spain, it was believed that the Coke could be a bogeyman, that is, could devour human beings.
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Coca was also related to a common practice in a region of Portugal called Minho. In this region, it was common to draw a dark face on a pumpkin and place it in public places in the village/village at nightfall. The pumpkin was decorated with a candle, which highlighted the scary face and was intended to scare children.
In all cases, Coke or Coco was a hideous being, scary and who did evil deeds. In many cases, this monstrous being would stalk children on the roofs of houses, preventing them from sleeping and waiting for an opportunity to capture them. The legend of Cuca/Coca/Coco even generated popular songs that were sung to children, such as:
go coke, get out of here
up from the roof;
let the boy sleep
your restful sleep. |1|
Also access: Iara, the sereira of Brazilian folklore
Cuca in Brazil
The Iberian origin of the Cuca legend made the story reach Brazil, possibly during the colonization period. This legend is present throughout the national territory and became well known because of the lullabies that mention this being. In general, as said, in our country Cuca was related to an old woman understood as a witch.
One of the most popular lullabies that mention Cuca is:
sleep baby
Otherwise Cuca will come.
Dad went to the field.
Mom is coming soon. |1|
The influence of African culture made some places start to see Cuca as a blackold or blackold. The folklorist and anthropologist Luís da Câmara Cascudo points out, for example, that, in the mbunda language, the term “cuckoo” or “cuca” is used to refer to a grandfather or grandmother, therefore, to an old person|1|. Thus, it is believed that the “old black man” was a version of Cuca in African culture.
Accessalso: Saci-pererê: the origin of the mischievous being who likes to play tricks on people
Cuca: witch or alligator?
The traditional way in which the Cuca legend has established itself in Brazilian popular culture is that of a wrinkled old woman with white hair and stooped body. This image was eventually replaced by another, which was popularized thanks to Monteiro Lobato.
in the books of Pica's siteforau yellow, Lobato popularized Cuca as a being that had the shape of a alligator with blond hair. Furthermore, she was described as having huge claws, a horrible face and being old. Lobato's story still presented that Cuca only slept one night every seven years, besides being a bad figure, as it became popular in our folklore.
Grades
|1| CAMERA CASCUDO, Luís da. Geography of Brazilian myths. São Paulo: Global, 2012.
by Daniel Neves
History teacher
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SILVA, Daniel Neves. "Cuca"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/folclore/cuca.htm. Accessed on July 27, 2021.
