Iara, Lady of the Waters
Along the rivers of the Amazon, people say a beautiful woman with long green hair sits on the rocks and sings, and men who follow her song go under the water.
What was reported
Iara, or Uiara, is a water spirit of Brazilian folklore, a beautiful woman, sometimes with a fish's tail, who lives in the rivers and lakes of the Amazon. At sunset she's said to sit on rocks combing her long hair and singing.
Men who hear her song are drawn to the water and follow her down to her palace beneath the river. Those who come back are said to be changed, never quite free of her.
Explanations offered
Iara draws on Tupi beliefs about water spirits, mixed with European tales of mermaids and sirens brought by colonists. She warns of the real dangers of the rivers, and is one of Brazil's most famous legends.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Witnesses
- Amazonian 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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