Little People of South America.
Etymology: From the Guaraní (Tupí) curumim
(“boy”) + pira (“body”). Kuru in Aché
means “short” or “small.”
Variant names: Caá-porá (“mountain lord”),
Caiçara (for the female), Caipora, Cayporé,
Coropira, Corubira (Bakairí/Carib), Kaaguerre,
Kaapore, Korupira (Tupí/Guaraní), Kurupi
(Guaraní), Kurú-piré (Guaraní), Yurupari (Tucano/
Tucanoan).
Physical description: Height, 3–4 feet. Covered
with hair. Red or yellow skin. Large head
like a chimpanzee. Red head-hair. Shaggy mane
around the neck. Flattened nose. Large mouth.
Green or blue teeth. Large feet, said to point
backwards. Crooked toes.
Behavior: Arboreal. Poor swimmer. Emits a
birdlike whistle. Eats bananas. Said to smoke a
pipe. Lives in hollow trees. Said to abduct children
and rape women. Can shape-shift. Protects
trees, forests, and game. Rides a pig or deer.
Tracks: Apelike prints.
Habitat: Forests, hills, ravines, mountains.
Distribution: Pará, Amazonas, and Pernambuco
States in northern Brazil; Paraná, Rio
Grande do Sul, and Goiás States in southern
Brazil; Misiones Department in Paraguay;
Chaco Province, Argentina.
Present status: Caipora has become a minor
god in the Candomblé religion.
Possible explanation: Surviving Protopithecus, a
Late Pleistocene spider monkey known from
fossils in eastern Brazil.
The Curupira (Portuguese pronunciation: [kuɾuˈpiɾɐ]) is a mythological creature of Brazilian folklore. This creature blends many features of West African and European fairies but was usually regarded as a demonic figure.
The name comes from the Tupi language kuru'pir, meaning "covered in blisters". According to the cultural legends, this creature has bright red/orange hair, and resembles a man or a dwarf, but its feet are turned backwards. Curupira lives in the forests of Brazil and uses its backward feet to create footprints that lead to its starting point, thus making hunters and travelers confused. Besides that, it can also create illusions and produce a sound that's like a high pitched whistle, in order to scare and drive its victim to madness. It is common to portray a Curupira riding a Collared peccary, much like another Brazilian creature calledCaipora.
A Curupira will prey on poachers and hunters that take more than they need of the forest, and he also attacks people that hunt animals that were taking care of their offspring. There are many different versions of the legend, and so the creature's appearance and habits may vary from each region in Brazil. However, Curupira is considered a nationwide folkloric figure.