Alamoa is a female creature that seduces unsuspecting sailors and fishermen on the beaches of Fernando de Noronha.
Legend[]
Alamoa is described as a woman with Germanic traits, like white skin, blond hair, and very tall. This resemblance to the Germans is the reason for her name, Alamoa being a corruption of the word "alemão". She lives in a dark cave in the Morro do Pico hill. On dark nights, she goes out completely naked to seduce men who cross her path.
Upon seeing her, passers-by cannot resist her enchantments and follow her bewitched to her home. When they overcome the 323 meters high of the Morro do Pico, the Alamoa turns into a skull and imprisons the unfortunate person who accompanied it. Other versions comment that she throws them off the Morro do Pico.
The only way to break the Alamoa's magic is the light of the lightnings, because she fears them and has to flee back to her dark cave.
Origins of the Legend[]
For some scholars, like the historian Pereira da Costa, it is claimed the legend of the Alamoa is reminiscent of the time of the Dutch invasion of Brazil, because of her appearance. Luís da Câmara Cascudo, on the other hand, points out that there is no document that proves and characterizes it as a convergence of several foreign legends of mermaids. The theme of "supernatural woman who attracts and seduces men" is common and recurrent in the popular imagination, being, therefore, impossible to determine its origin with precision.