He has backwards-facing feet, fire-red hair, and attacks anyone who appears in the forest with bad 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 those who enter the jungle, we have prepared an article that tells the origin and details about this legend, as well as curiosities about it and works in which it appears.

Origin of the curupira

The origin of the curupira is uncertain, but scholars of Brazilian folklore are of the opinion that it is probably one of the oldest legends among 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 Jesuit priest José de Anchieta, in 1560:

"It is well known and common knowledge that there are certain demons that the brasis [Indians who inhabited Brazil] call corupira, which often attack the Indians in the bush, beat them, hurt them and kill them. Our brothers are witnesses to this, having sometimes seen those killed by them.

In addition, many other Portuguese priests, such as Fernão Cardim, in 1584, and João Daniel, in 1797, wrote about the curupira in various regions of Brazil, which shows that it was a very popular and widespread legend among the indigenous people in all corners of the country.

sunnyrabbit / Canva / Me Without Borders

In some regions, as the myth gained its own characteristics, new names and characters were mixed together. In some places in Brazil, he came to be called caapora, which gave origin to another creature of our folklore. In other places, his characteristics were mixed with those of saci-pererê.

Among those who venture to talk about the origin of the myth, the most common is that it is said to have originated among the Nua people, who lived in the region that today belongs to the state of Acre. But it then spread to the Tupi-Guarani and Caribs, so it is difficult to say with certainty the exact origin.

Legend of the Curupira

In a nutshell, The curupira is a dwarf with red hair and upside down feet, with his heels pointing forward. The physical description of this creature has slight variations according to the region where it is told, but the basics are usually always 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, which is why even the indigenous people were afraid of the curupira, because they had to go into the forest to hunt and gather firewood in order to survive and feed themselves.

Unlike the modern myth that the curupira attacks the white man to protect the forest and its people, Among the indigenous people the legend says that he attacks regardless of who is hunting or violating nature. The only way to avoid their attacks is to leave smoke and cachaça at the forest entrance.

More than the fear of being attacked and killed, the indigenous people were very afraid of something more frightening: The curupira also makes people get lost in the forest, turning the forest into a real labyrinth. In this way, in desperation, many people take their own lives because they think that there is no way back or that they have gone crazy.

Curupira in Brazil

Although the characteristics of the curupira legend are quite similar in all regions of Brazil, some slight differences appear when we analyze the way it is described in different places in our huge country.

Celso Costa / Rede Amazônica / G1 - Globo

In the Midwest region, for example, instead of fire-red hair, the curupira is usually described as a bald dwarf. In some places in the South, 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, some tribes describe the curupira in a more frightening way: with pointed ears, small pointed eyes, and very green teeth. Finally, in the Northeast, he is often a joker like the saci, cursing and making fun of the desperation of the people he chases before actually killing or attacking them.

Curiosities about the curupira

Check out some curiosities related to the myth of the curupira:

- In the folklores of Paraguay and Argentina, there is a creature called the curupi, which is also the protector of the forests, but is also a figure with sexual appeal, in addition to environmental issues.

- Legends tell that the curupira hardly ever attacks suddenly, because he likes to terrify his targets and make them desperate, so hearing whistling in the middle of the forest is a sign that you are being chased by him.

- He who wishes to escape from an attack by the curupira has only one option: he must tie a knot in a piece of vine and close his eyes until he stops hearing the creature's characteristic whistles.

Why does the curupira have his feet backwards?

The curupira's feet are turned to confuse the hunters, who follow the curupira's footsteps, but don't realize that he is actually behind them, not in front.

What provokes the curupira's anger?

Being a defender of the forest, the curupira hates everyone who comes into a forest to burn, cut down trees, or kill animals, for example, as well as to commit other abuses.

How does the curupira run?

The curupira is able to run at a normal speed, but runs with its feet turned backwards.

What is the noise that the curupira makes?

The curupira usually whistles to scare hunters and loggers, in order to terrify them and make them lose their way among the trees.

Why are people afraid of Curupira?

People are afraid of the curupira because we human beings don't take care of nature at all, and he is a defender and protector of nature, so he will attack anyone who represents a risk to it.

Curupira in movies, series and books

Being 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 Brazilian authors. Check out some of these works:

Reproduction / Netflix

• Invisible City (2020): In this Netflix series, a police detective discovers a pink river dolphin in a lagoon in the middle of Rio de Janeiro and, while investigating, comes into contact with several creatures from Brazilian folklore. Among them, the curupira, called Iberê, who appears with a very scary appearance: overturned feet, a pointed nose, and hair on fire.

• "Curupira - The Demon of the Forest" (2021): In this film, six young people go for an innocent walk on a desert 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.

• "Conta pra mim - Curupira" (2020): This series of small books distributed free and online by the Ministry of Education presents legends from our folklore in a more enjoyable and palatable way for children, without the horror features and scarier characteristics of some versions of the legend.

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Anyway, these are the main characteristics of the curupira, one of the most famous and popular creatures of our folklore. If you want to know more about him and explore the history of this legend, check out the works we have listed at the end of this article and enjoy our folklore and the stories of Brazilian culture!