Caipora (Portuguese pronunciation: [kajˈpɔɾɐ]) or Caapora (Kaapora) is a forest spirit or human-like being that protects animals and plants in Brazilian folklore.
The word "Caipora" comes from the Tupi language and means "inhabitant of the forest." It might be related to "Kaagere," another term meaning "forest dweller" from Tupi-Guaraní mythology, but this connection is not certain.
Caipora is described in many ways. It may appear as a small child with dark skin, a dwarf, or a large, hairy human-like creature or animal. It is often shown riding an animal, such as a peccary, and carries a stick or whip made from plants. It accepts gifts of tobacco and alcohol and sometimes holds a pipe.
Descriptions of Caipora change depending on the region or story. It is sometimes confused with Curupira, another forest protector, but it also shares some traits with other mythical creatures like Saci and Pé de garrafa.
Nomenclature
Luís da Câmara Cascudo said that "Caapora" is the male form and "Caipora" is the female form (so it is introduced with the word "a," as in "A Caipora"). The difference in gender comes from changing the vowel "a" to "i." Some people also say that "Caipora" is the more common spelling, while "Caapora" is the name used in certain areas like Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, and Ceará, according to João Barbosa Rodrigues.
Other possible spellings include "Cahapora" or "Cahipora."
In Bahia, the being is female, and her name is sometimes written as "Caiçara" or "Kaiçara" because it is similar to "Caa-iara," which means "lady of the forest," and "caa-içá," meaning "fence" or similar terms. However, "caiçara" is also used to describe people who live near the coast, as it refers to branches used by fishermen to trap fish.
The words "caapora" and "caaguera" (also called "anhanga") both mean "forest dweller," as they include the word "caa," which means "forest" in the Tupi language.
Other explanations suggest that "Caipora" might come from "cai-pora," meaning "someone who carries fire" or "someone who burns," or from "caí-pora," meaning "someone who is shy" or "someone who runs away," according to Teodoro Fernandes Sampaio (1928).
The word "Caipora" is sometimes used to describe people whose presence or actions are thought to bring bad luck. It is also used for people who are going through difficult times with sadness or misfortune. According to some native groups, the Caapora is so powerful that anyone who meets it may face failure in everything they do. For example, a hunter or fisherman who meets it might suffer from bad luck, called "caipórismo," for the rest of their life.
The word "Caipora" has also been used to describe enslaved people who fled into the forests.
Description
The stories about the Caapora/Caipora are not clearly recorded by the Jesuits, so they cannot be considered part of the Tupi-Guarani myths from the missionary era, unless the connection to the Kaagere/Anhanga is confirmed. However, Casudo believes the origins of the Caapora are unclear.
Despite this, the Caapora is widely known across Brazil. It is said to live not only in the Amazon rainforest but also in the hills of Rio Grande do Sul and the fields of Santa Catarina and Minas Gerais in the south.
The Caapora is described as a small, human-like creature with dark skin. Sometimes it is called a large-headed child or an enchanted caboclinha (a small female caboclo, or indigenous girl) or caboclinho (a small boy). It is often described as dark, strong, hairy, and agile. The female form may be naked or wear a tanga (a type of loincloth). Casudo notes that many people agree the Caapora is a small figure.
However, some sources describe the Caapora as a giant. For example, José Vieira Couto de Magalhães wrote about a "large man covered in black hair," and João Simões Lopes Neto (1913) described it as a hairy giant. Couto de Magalhães also recorded a Tupi story about the Jabuti (tortoise) and the giant Caapora. Juan Bautista Ambrosetti (1917) described the "Caá-Porá" as a hairy giant with shaggy hair in Paraná. This creature was said to eat raw animals killed by hunters but leave them undiscovered. Cornélio Pires (1921) described the caipora as a cabocro (a variation of caboclo) and a "big, fat man, hairy like an animal, bearded, with a flat nose, thick lips, and a full face."
In Ceará, the Caapora has a bristly head but no body hair, sharp teeth like a howler monkey, and glowing red eyes like embers. In other parts of the Northeast, it is said to ride a deer or even a rabbit, suggesting it is small.
In Bahia, the Kaiçara is described as a dark-skinned, small cabocla (a small indigenous girl) who is "almost black." In Ilhéus, Bahia, she is called Kaapora and described as a "young, fair-skinned, and beautiful" cabocla. In one story, the Caipora is an "old black man" who helps a lost hunter by using a stick to magically transport him home after receiving tobacco. In another story, the Caipora is a hairy boy who is only visible on one side and is as dark as a devil.
According to a Timbira informant, the Caapora lives in the hollows of rotting trees. Some say it lives with the "forest hog" (porco-do-mato, or peccary) and rides these animals. The "forest hog" may refer to the queixada (white-lipped peccary) or caititu (collared peccary). The Caapora may also ride a tapir, porcupine, or other animals.
The Caapora rides its pig or peccary while holding a stick and uses it to scare animals away, making it hard for hunters to find prey. In the Northeast, it is said to carry a whip made from a spiny vine called japecanga (a type of Smilax plant) and can transform into any animal to lure dogs into the forest. It then whips the dogs while riding a deer or rabbit.
The Caapora’s weapon is sometimes described as a "thorny vine" or "spiny liana" (cipó espinhento), made from plants like japecanga, nettle, nettlespurge, or favela (Cnidoscolus quercifolius). In some areas, the Caipora is said to use the vine to punish someone who has left a former lover to marry another person.
Some stories say the Caapora controls a large herd of caititu peccaries and rides the largest one or the last pig in the herd. In one Bahia tale, the boy-Caipora rides a thin, bony pig. Others say the Caapora is surrounded by many animals, including serpents and insects, and uses fireflies as scouts.
The Caapora is the protector of small game (small animals that are hunted) but does not control birds. It was once believed that offering tobacco or cachaça (a type of alcohol) would make the Caapora help hunters find prey. The female Caipora is sometimes compared to Diana, the Roman goddess of hunting, as she can help or hinder hunters depending on their actions. If a hunter angers her, she may strike the hunting dogs with an invisible weapon. Casudo notes that the Caipora loves unflavored porridge (mingau) without salt or sugar and hates peppercorn, refusing to eat peppered gruel and punishing those who offer it.
The Caapora is very angry with hunters who break the rules of fair play, especially those who hunt pregnant animals or those with young. It is said to scare away prey, set traps, or make hunters lose their way in the jungle by making noises or leaving fake tracks.
According to popular belief, the Caapora is most active on days when hunting is not allowed, such as Fridays (or moonlit Fridays), Sundays, and religious holidays. On these days, it is considered taboo to hunt, and hunters may find their prey missing or even be injured. In one story, a man hunting on a Friday found only a dove, which survived after being shot.
Although religious rules prohibit hunting on certain days, hunters may try to bribe the Caapora by offering rope tobacco (tobacco wrapped in rope) to avoid punishment. They would leave the offering at a tree trunk and say, "Here you go, Caipora, let me go away." However, this bribe is not always effective.
It is said that the Caapora can bring creatures back to life through touch, a special tool, or a command. In one tale, a hunter shoots several pigs, but the Caapora revives them with a "stinger" (a pointed tool) until it breaks. The Caapora then visits a blacksmith to fix the tool.
In another story, the Caapora allows hunters to shoot pigs from its herd in exchange for tobacco, alcohol, or woolen fabric
Comparative analysis
Cascudo, who believed Caipora was female, wrote that Curupiras and Caaporas combined to form the Caipora described by people in Acre and the Northeast. This version of Caipora is said to be small, dark-skinned, strong, hairy, and quick. She covers her body with her hair, hunts people who give her tobacco, and is known for having jealous relationships. Later stories describe Caipora as having dark skin and red hair, similar to Curupira.
Caipora and Curupira are sometimes used interchangeably in stories. In some areas, traditions about one may apply to the other. For example, Caipora is said to ride a peccary and carry a stick, while Curupira is also described as riding a peccary and holding a thick piece of wood.
Cascudo noted that Caipora might be described with two right feet, like some Curupira, or have only one leg, like the Saci (or a one-legged woman). She could also be said to have two eyes or one eye, similar to the Arimaspi, a group from ancient Scythian myths. Unlike Curupira, Caipora is not a guardian of plants. Instead, she is the ruler of small animals. She is also described as having a round foot, like the Pé de garrafa ("bottle-foot").
In the state of Sergipe, Caipora is said to kill people by tickling, a trait also associated with the Saci. Caipora is sometimes described as a girl who loves tobacco and carries a pipe, or as a hairy man or animal with one leg, similar to how the Saci is often shown holding a pipe.
Cascudo suggested that Caipora might be linked to the Kaagere (also spelled Kaagerre, Kaagire, or Kaigerre), anhanga (French: Agnan), a creature recorded by André Thevet in the 16th century. Stories say that indigenous people believed the Kaagere/anhanga, which appeared at night to cause harm, could be kept away by using fire. The poet Antônio Gonçalves Dias (1867) believed Caipora and Kaagere were the same, as both were described as "forest-dwellers" in their names.
Cascudo also noted that the Chilean version of Caipora might be the Anchimallén from Mapuche mythology. The Anchimallén protected animals, accepted offerings (even though they were blood offerings), and brought bad luck or warned of bad news. In Argentina, a similar figure might be the yastay or llastay (though this creature may also appear in Chilean stories). The yastay is described as a short, fat man with frostburn, who protects camelid herds like guanacos and vicuñas. He is also accompanied by a black dog.
Pop culture references
In the children's TV series Castelo Rá-Tim-Bum, Caipora is a regular character. In this version, she is shown as a female creature with red fur and a black mask. She can teleport when she hears whistles and sometimes shows wild behavior.
In the 2001 TV adaptation of Sítio do Picapau Amarelo, Caipora was added as a regular character between the last two seasons.
In Harry Potter, Caipora protects the magical school Castelobruxo in Brazil. They are described as small, furry, and very mischievous.
Artes do Caipora em Cordel, a children's book written by poet and folklorist Marco Haurélio and illustrated by Luciano Tasso, was published in 2013. The story tells about a hunter who disobeys his father by hunting on a holy day. He meets Caipora, who resuscitates all the animals he had killed.
In Legend Quest: Masters of Myth, Caipora appears in an episode with the same name.