The Curupira
In the Amazon, people tell of a small forest guardian with red hair and backwards feet, who leads hunters astray.
What was reported
The curupira is one of Brazil's best-known forest beings. Usually described as a small figure with flaming red hair and feet that point backwards, it protects the forest and its animals. Its backward footprints mislead anyone who tries to follow it.
The Jesuit priest José de Anchieta wrote about it in 1560, describing how Indigenous people left offerings to keep it friendly. Hunters and woodcutters still tell of getting lost after taking more than they need.
Explanations offered
The curupira is a figure of folklore, not a reported animal, and no one claims it can be caught. Many see the stories as a way of teaching respect for the forest, and it is often used as a symbol of forest protection in Brazil.
- When
- Recorded since 1560
- Where
- Amazon rainforest, Brazil
- Witnesses
- Amazonian communities
- 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.