El Cuco

El Cuco (or Cucuy, Coca, Cook, Coco) is a mystical ghost monster that is mentioned in scary stories for children in many Latin American and Portuguese–speaking countries. In its cultural significance, it is similar to the American Boogeyman and Babai from Slavic folklore.

El Cuco has a gender, although it is impossible to distinguish him by the appearance of the monster. At the same time, the folklore names of creatures of different sexes are different: Kuko is a male monster, and Kuka is a female, .

The myth of El Cuco originated in the countries of Portugal and Spain. The Spanish word "coco" ("coco") comes from the Portuguese "coco" ("cotco") – the so-called ghost with a pumpkin instead of a head. The word "coco" is used colloquially to refer to a human head in Portuguese and Spanish. Also "coco" means "skull". The word "cocuruto" in Portuguese means "crown" (and also "top" if we are talking about a hill or mountain). From the Basque language, "gogo" translates as "spirit". In Spanish mythology, "Crouga" is the name of a little–known deity to whom gifts were presented.

In many Latin American countries, the monster is often called El Cucuy. In northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, where the Hispanic population predominates, the creature is called "Coco Man".

El Cuco kidnaps and devours children. He can swallow a child right away without leaving a trace, or maybe, being a ghost, he can inhabit him and take him away to no one knows where. The monster comes to the naughty children, climbs on the roof and watches them.

This creature is often compared to the devil, contrasting with the guardian angel. There is a version that initially El Cuco was the spirit of a deceased person.

There is no generally accepted description of El Cuco, because he is portrayed differently in different countries. All descriptions of the creature agree that it is very scary to look at. He is described as a shapeless figure or a hairy monster that hides in closets or under beds. In the Middle Ages, at festivals, the creature was depicted as a female dragon. In Brazilian folklore, the monster is depicted as a humanoid female alligator and is called a Cook.

In Portugal, El Cuco's head is traditionally depicted as a carved vegetable lantern made of pumpkin, with two eyes and a mouth and a candle inside. He is also represented as a warrior carrying his own severed head.

Interestingly, in 1498, the sailor Vasco da Gama named the fruit of the Polynesian palm "coco", recalling the mythical creature. The word "coconut" comes from here.

The image of this monster has been used many times in the culture of different countries, ranging from Francisco Goya's 1799 work entitled "The Arrival of El Cucuy", to Stephen King's modern novel "The Outsider" ("The Outsider", 2018).