El Cuero, the Living Hide
In the lakes of southern Chile, people say a creature lies in the water like a flat cowhide, edged with eyes and claws. It wraps itself around swimmers.
What was reported
El Cuero, 'the hide', is a creature told about in the lakes of southern Chile and Argentina. It looks like a cow's hide stretched out flat in the water, with eyes all around its edge and claws, or a tail, at the end.
It lies on the surface or on the shore, and when a person or animal comes near, it wraps around them and drags them down. Some say it sunbathes on the rocks, and that only lemon leaves or a sharp stone can stop it.
Explanations offered
The legend probably draws on the Mapuche belief in a water creature called the trülke-wekufe, and perhaps on sightings of large rays, or floating debris. It warns of cold, deep lakes.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Lake Llanquihue, Los Lagos, Chile
- Witnesses
- Chilean and Argentine folklore
- 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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