It was around 60 feet long with two large dorsal fins about 6.5 feet apart. Witnesses claim it looks like a cross between a tapir and a jaguar. They are usually seen alone, but occasionally they can be seen in groups of no more than four. The legend says if the miner is spotted by the Alicanto, the bird will push the miner off a cliff. Nahuelito is a lake monster much like the famous Loch Ness Monster. At least one person has claimed it has a snout, almost like a pig. There are fewer descriptions of the feet than the rest of the body because it is often seen standing in water. South American mythology. The ears are large and face forward. Fantasy creatures are a timeless fascination of people all over the world. Below is our curated list of top mythical places that you can visit through literature, films, and in your mind’s eye. The aqrabuamelu, or scorpion man, is a monstrous creature that originated in ancient Mesopotamia, specifically in Babylonian creation myths. There are creatures that may or may not exist. These legends are often known in more than one nation, with different names for the monsters. Legendary monsters thrive in North American lore, of that there is no doubt. Encantados are usually friendly, but they occasionally hypnotize and kidnap young women and take them back to the Encante, their underground city. It also has a mouth protruding from its midsection through which it sucks blood from its victims. Cryptozoologist Bernard Heuvelmans verified his claim. It has been described as a giant serpent or as a plesiosaur. Its length has been estimated from 75 to 150 feet. However, deep in South America, accounts were coming from selected people that an Anaconda, bigger than any they had seen before, was being spotted in the area. British explorer Percy Fawcett claimed to have killed one of these snakes and measured it at 62 feet long. Seeing an Alicanto is supposed to be good luck. According to legend, he was a human in love with a woman whose father, a rice merchant, did not approve. The dorsal fin is above the pectoral fins. It has a long, whip-like tail but no barb like a stingray does. Today the small lake is called Laguan del Plesiosaurio (Plesiosaur’s Lake). The Chilean monster of that name lives in Lake Lacar in the Andes, and resembles a splayed hide with a hairless head and backbone. It has large, drooping ears shaped like a cow’s, but the legs look like those of a donkey and appears to have hooves. Spanish-language South American legendary creatures‎ (1 C, 17 P) This page was last edited on 25 March 2020, at 23:00 (UTC). It has a hairless spine and head and the body looks like cowhide. The massacooramaan (also spelled masacurraman) is a massive, hairy monster that lurks in Guayana’s rivers and seas, preying on passengers in small boats and eating them. Although he isn’t a deadly evil spirit—and in reality, compared to some Native American monsters, he looks downright tame—the merman-like creature N-dam-keno-wet is disturbing in his own right. It is described as a giant worm with black, scaly skin, an obvious mouth and two tentacles on top of its head. History Talk (0) This page includes all creatures and legendary figures in South America. The Ya-te-veo is not an animal but a carnivorous plant. Creatures by region; South America; Languages: Português do Brasil *Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, Fandom will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Natives claim the tree is the work of an evil witch doctor. One is that its urine is a lethal poison. La Madremonte (Mother Mountain) is a Colombian spirit reminiscent of the Irish Banshee. Whereas biology is the study of living organisms, cryptozoology is the study of living organisms whose existence is yet to be proved or disproved. Test your knowledge on this religion quiz to see how you do and compare your score to others. Another important deity was Viracocha, the creator god. There are mystical mythical creatures that inhabit land, the sea and the air. Narrowing the array down to a “Top 5” or “Most Popular” listing of creatures that make up the landscape of North American mythology and folklore is a difficult task. It is about 15 feet long with very large eyes. There have not been any sightings of the Minhocão in 130 years so it too may have gone extinct. The legend may have arisen from sightings of freshwater stingrays, although El Cuero is larger and has eyes on stalks, as well as claws. See a video of La Madremonte in Spanish. These mythical sites all over South America are so legendary, travelers must … The Maricoxi fled when fired upon. The Maricoxi could be considered the South American version of Bigfoot. In 1887, J.W. One animal that was thought to be a myth and then turned out to be real is the platypus. The Tapire-iauara is an animal supposedly found in remote areas of the Amazon Rainforest. Encantados are curious about humans and are especially attracted to big, noisy festivals, which they often attend as musicians, staying in human form for years. It reached lengths of 25 feet and could weigh up to 550 pounds. Some may be total fantasies and some may be creatures thought to be extinct but have actually been living in low population areas for centuries, if not millennia. The monster lives in rivers and lakes, and will mate with livestock, producing deformed offspring. Her clothing is made of leaves and moss. Their diet dictates what color they are. It’s also said that some Alicantos will help miners find gold and silver, but the miner is expected to share with the creature. There are two kinds of Alicantos. The Alicanto is a luminescent bird that is supposedly found in the mines and caves of Chile. There have been reports of the creature going back to the late 1800s, but press coverage didn’t really begin until 1922. The creature can be placated by tobacco or confused by running away from it backwards. According to Abenaki mythology, N-dam-keno-wet is half man and half fish, with a slender face. This leaves scattered tribes in Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Colombia where the El Dorado rumors started.. Then we plunge through Brazil, down the Amazon and Xingu Rivers, until we reach the coast. It is said to leap out of the water like an orca and engulf its prey. The legend El Dorado, for instance, has its origins in Muisca Mythology. It has two ways of killing. It supposedly lives in the rainforests of South America. From Uncle John's Endlessly Engrossing Bathroom Reader: Encantado means "enchanted one" in Portuguese and refers to a special kind of boto, or long-beaked river dolphin native to the Amazon, that can take human form. Another is the okapi. It eats all other sea creatures, and does not hesitate to drown and dismember any human it catches. It also had two long sickle-shaped flippers. The closest most people get to her is to hear her screams and wails coming from the woods on a dark night. Oct 14, 2017 - This Pin was discovered by Joy Durben. It has been seen with a caiman in its mouth. The Huallepen or Guallipen is a Chilean chimera with the head of calf, the body of a sheep, and twisted feet. He takes up residence in streams and lakes where women frequently bathe. El Cuero means "cow hide." 6 Perverted Merman. It also has fangs and huge, swinging genitalia. The animal is thought to be carnivorous and has sharp teeth. These organisms are called cryptids. He watched the animal for about 15 minutes and made very detailed observations. Thousands of years ago he is said to have discovered the key to immortality. Ancestor worship played a central role in Inca religious observances. It burrows and has created trenches measuring over ten feet in width. The Boraro is a creature that lives in the northwestern Amazon Rainforest along the Vaupés River, mostly in Colombia. It is extremely tall with pale skin but covered with black hair. Zoologist Clemente Onelli has contributed funds for an attempt to find evidence of the plesiosaur, but to date there is still no proof. The next reported sighting was in 1983 by French zoologist Jacques Margret between Corsica and France. Men, most of them drunk, can walk her home. However, anyone encountering such an animal is not liable to stay around long enough to accurately measure it. Most sightings describe the creature as a giant sloth. The Yacumama engorges itself with water that it uses to spray and stun its prey. Its description is quite grotesque. Look under its hat: They always have bald spots that are actually disguised blowholes. Bogeys, Ogres, South American folklore Chonchón Variations: Chonchon, Chonchoñ, Chon Chón, Chuncho, Chucho, Chuchu, Chaihue; Chonchones (pl. The first verified sighting was at the National Malpelo Park when park director and biologist Sandra Bessudo came face to face with the unknown species during a routine drive. We have already extracted the Inca civilization from the top end and given it its own section. I'm also a fan of cryptozoology. The Maricoxi is a South American ape-man, possibly analogous to Bigfoot, described by explorer Colonel Percy Fawcett (before he mysteriously disappeared) as … Viracocha: He is the main creator god for the Inca. Miners will follow the creature to find gold and silver. 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