The Chullachaqui
In the Peruvian rainforest, a friend who calls you deeper into the trees might not be your friend. Look at his feet.
What was reported
The Chullachaqui is a forest spirit of the Peruvian Amazon. He is said to take the shape of someone you know, a friend, a relative, a lover, and appear on a forest path to lead you away from it, until you are hopelessly lost.
He gives himself away by his feet: one is a normal human foot, and the other is a hoof, a paw or a shrunken, twisted foot, which he tries to hide. People say you should never follow anyone deep into the forest without checking.
Explanations offered
He is also seen as a guardian of the forest, who punishes people who take too much from it. The legend carries a sensible warning in a place where it's easy to get lost, and it's still widely told around Iquitos.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Near Iquitos, Loreto, Peru
- Witnesses
- Folklore of the Peruvian Amazon
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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