Ciguapa
Encyclopedia
A Ciguapa is a mythological creature of Dominican
folklore. They are commonly described as having human female form with brown or dark blue skin, backward facing feet, and very long manes of smooth, glossy hair that covers their otherwise naked bodies. They supposedly inhabit the high mountains of the Dominican Republic.
Ciguapas are considered to be magical beings, beautiful in appearance to some, yet horrendous to others. All sources agree that they are wild creatures. They are compared in many cases to mermaids: beautiful yet cruel, and far from innocent. Deceitful and ready to capture the wayward traveler, it is said that they are so beautiful as to lure men into the forest, even though following footprints is misleading, to have sex with them only to kill them afterwards. Even today, one can still find inhabitants who confirm having sighted a ciguapa.
Lore states that the only way to capture a ciguapa is by tracking them at night, during a full moon
, with a black and white polydactylic dog (called cinqueño dog). http://mipais.jmarcano.com/cultura/mitos/ciguapa.html
Though many believe that the myth of the ciguapa is of Taino
origin, it has been argued that is probably of more recent concoction, being possibly attributed to African beliefs brought to the island by slaves during the colonial period. More to the point, no known Taino artifacts or lore make reference to any creature even remotely similar to ithttp://mipais.jmarcano.com/cultura/mitos/ciguapa.html. Also, the legend may have originated from other myths, as distant as the Guaraní Curupí or the Hindu
Churel
, which was described by Rudyard Kipling
in My Own True Ghost Story as having traits amanzingly similar to those of the ciguapa. Nonetheless, the Hindu hypothesis may be far-fetched since there is no way to ascertain how this story got to the Dominican Republic during the nineteenth century, when no cultural exchange whatsoever occurred between these nations.
A Dominican film called "El Mito de la Ciguapa" (The Myth of the Ciguapa) is set to be produced by Xenda Films.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
folklore. They are commonly described as having human female form with brown or dark blue skin, backward facing feet, and very long manes of smooth, glossy hair that covers their otherwise naked bodies. They supposedly inhabit the high mountains of the Dominican Republic.
Overview
These creatures have nocturnal habits. Also, due to the position of their feet, one can never quite tell from which direction the beings are moving from by looking at their footprints. Some people believe that they bring death, and it is said that one should not look them in the eye, otherwise the person is at risk of being bewitched permanently. Also, the only vocalization made by ciguapas is said to be a kind of whine or chirping.Ciguapas are considered to be magical beings, beautiful in appearance to some, yet horrendous to others. All sources agree that they are wild creatures. They are compared in many cases to mermaids: beautiful yet cruel, and far from innocent. Deceitful and ready to capture the wayward traveler, it is said that they are so beautiful as to lure men into the forest, even though following footprints is misleading, to have sex with them only to kill them afterwards. Even today, one can still find inhabitants who confirm having sighted a ciguapa.
Lore states that the only way to capture a ciguapa is by tracking them at night, during a full moon
Full moon
Full moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at...
, with a black and white polydactylic dog (called cinqueño dog). http://mipais.jmarcano.com/cultura/mitos/ciguapa.html
Though many believe that the myth of the ciguapa is of Taino
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
origin, it has been argued that is probably of more recent concoction, being possibly attributed to African beliefs brought to the island by slaves during the colonial period. More to the point, no known Taino artifacts or lore make reference to any creature even remotely similar to ithttp://mipais.jmarcano.com/cultura/mitos/ciguapa.html. Also, the legend may have originated from other myths, as distant as the Guaraní Curupí or the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Churel
Churel
A churel, also written as "churail", or rather "chudail" is a female ghost out of Hindu folklore. The spirit is said to be of a low-caste woman who died either in childbirth or during her menstruating....
, which was described by Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
in My Own True Ghost Story as having traits amanzingly similar to those of the ciguapa. Nonetheless, the Hindu hypothesis may be far-fetched since there is no way to ascertain how this story got to the Dominican Republic during the nineteenth century, when no cultural exchange whatsoever occurred between these nations.
A Dominican film called "El Mito de la Ciguapa" (The Myth of the Ciguapa) is set to be produced by Xenda Films.