Anhangá is the god of the infernal regions, a spirit that can take the form of various jungle animals, most commonly a deer. He is considered the protector of animals and hunters.
Legend[]
Infernal God[]
Anhangá, as the god of the underworld, is known as the one who rules over the dead. He is often considered the embodimente of evil itself and is the only one to rival Tupã for power.
He is known to punish bad people, especially those who inflict crimes against nature. His appearance is a sign of ill omen.
Nature Protector[]
Anhangá is also considered the protective spirit of nature and, as such, he persecutes and punishes those who hunt and kill pups and pregnant females. A sign of his arrival is a whistle followed by the disappearance of the prey right before the hunter's eyes.
Anhangá uses various forms of punishment for hunters who earn his wrath. Some punishments used by him are: invisible blows, magical illusions capable of causing the hunter to get lost in the woods or worse, usually worse. He is able to deflect projectiles from hunters and, if he decides, redirect them to a loved one (he usually uses this method, in case of hunting pregnant females).
It is said that it is possible to ask Anhangá for help if he is attacked by a wild animal shouting "Valha-me Anhangá" ("Help me, Anhangá" in Portuguese), just as it is possible to make a pact with him, offering him tobacco or brandy in exchange for a successful hunt (or in exchange for protection).
If the hunter wants to avoid an encounter with him, he should burn cashew nuts and make crosses with wood from the forest itself to keep him away.