Coco

El Coco (also El Cuco and Cucy, sometimes called El Bolo) is a monster common to many Spanish-speaking countries.

The rhyme originated in the 17th century and has evolved over the years, but still retains its original meaning. Coconuts (Spanish: coco) received that name because the hairy, brown "face" created by the coconut shell's three indentations reminded the Portuguese sailers of "Coco".

However, the term El Coco is also used in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, such as Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela, although there it is more usually called El Cuco, as in Puerto Rico, Chile, Uruguay and Argentina.

Myths & Legends[]

In Spain, parents will sing lullabies or tell rhymes to children, warning them that if they do not sleep, El Coco will come to get them. Latin America also has El Coco, although its folklore is usually quite different, commonly mixed with native beliefs, and, because of cultural contacts, sometimes more related to the boogeyman of the United States.

Among Mexican-Americans, El Cucuy is portrayed as an evil monster that hides under children's beds at night and kidnaps or eats the child that does not obey his/her parents or go to sleep when it is time to do so. However, the Spanish American bogeyman does not resemble the shapeless or hairy monster of Spain: social sciences professor Manuel Medrano says popular legend describes El cucuy as a small humanoid with glowing red eyes that hides in closets or under the bed. "Some lore has him as a kid who was the victim of violence... and now he's alive, but he's not," Medrano said, citing Xavier Garza's 2004 book Creepy Creatures and other Cucuys."

Brazilian Variant - A Cuca[]

In Brazil folklore, a similar character called Cuca is depicted as a female humanoid alligator, or a old lady with a sack. There's a famous lullaby sung by most parents to their children that says that The Cuca will come to get them and make a soup or soap made of them if they do not sleep, just as in Spain. The Cuca is also a character of Monteiro Lobato's Sítio do Picapau Amarelo ("Yellow Woodpecker's Site"), a acclaimed and creative series of short novels written for children which contain a large number of famous characters from Brazilian folklore.

Modern Depictions[]

Literature[]

In Monteiro Lobato's Sítio do Picapau Amarelo novel series, Cuca appears as one of villains. Her appearance is of a blonde, man-like she-alligator in a red dress
In the last chapter of Miguel de Cervantes' work, the epitaph of Don Quijote identifies him as the scarecrow and el coco.
Stephen King's 2018 novel The Outsider features a variation of El Cuco as its main villain.

Television[]

In the Brazilian Netflix series Invisible City, Cuca is presented as a witch who uses her powers to put people to sleep and enter their minds. Alessandra Negrini's character is also the leader of the entities shown on the show.
A wealthy family of Cucuys appear in the Wizards of Waverly Place episode "Alex Gives Up". Their abilities include shapeshifting, where they can change their face into a dark gray skull shape, with large red eyes. The family consists of Carlos Cucuy (played by David Barrera), Julie Cucuy (played by Roxana Brusso) and Lisa Cucuy (played by Samantha Boscarino). Staying true to folklore, they enjoy scaring children.
In the NBC television series Grimm, El Cucuy portrays an old woman who answers the prayers of crime victims, changes into her bestial form, and brutally kills criminals.
El Cucuy appears in The Casagrandes episode "Monster Cash", in which Carl Casagrande starts a ghost tour around El Cucuy after hearing about it from his grandmother Rosa.

Video Games[]

In the MMORPG AdventureQuest Worlds, both Cuco and Cuca appear:
- Cuco appears as a monster from the Carnaval location. Here he appears as a bluish gray humanoid monster wearing a purple-feather headdress ornamented with blue gems on a gold base, a cloth bag covering his head, showing only a green glow in the darkness from the hole in his eyes tied with a rope around his neck. He fights with a pink chainsaw.
- Cuca appears as a monster from the Myth Perception location. Here she appears as an anthropomorphic crocodile wearing a torn black dress with purple trimmings, a pointed witch hat and a barn necklace.

Coco

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