Big Book Of Mythology (Spanish Edition)

La Ciguapa

Translation: Unknown

Other names: The Dominican Succubus

Type: Human

Region: Dominican Republic

Habitat: Caves and forests

Diet: Birds, rodents, small animals, fruits, and nuts

Danger zone: Yellow (Hostile)

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About:
La Ciguapa is a mythological creature of the Dominican folklore. She supposedly inhabits the high mountains of Dominican Republic.

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Appearance:
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 bodies. The Ciguapa is a magical being, beautiful in appearance to some, horrendous to others. One thing people usually agree upon is that they are wild creatures and are compared to a mermaid. The Ciguapa is beautiful and cruel, not quite human yet innocent.

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Behavior/Interaction:
The Cigupa usually comes out of her lair, be it a wooded area, cave or hidden spot, on the eve of the full moon. She is said to be such a spectacular beauty that men will follow her into the forest even though following her tracks were very difficult. The difficulty is because her footprints are pointed in the opposite direction (the backward feet are found in ancient traditions to signify death, entry into the land of no return). Even thought following this striking creature was difficult she was followed because of the promise that a beautiful woman was waiting. She seduces men, kissing them passionately while sucking their life breath from their body. The cinguapa is very mischievous. She likes to steal raw meat and butter from peoples homes. She has also been known to braid horses tails in the middle of the night.

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Target(s):
Young men

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Escape plan:
Funny thing, people try to capture an Cigupa and the only way to do this is to track them at night during a full moon with a cinqueno (a black and white polydactylic dog).

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Origin story:
Though many believe that this creature is from the Taino origin, it was argued that it could be attributed to the African beliefs brought to the island by slaves during the colonial period. More to the point, no known Taino artifacts or lore makes reference to any creature even remotely similar to it.

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NOPE Rating:
3/5