While most little kids grow up to enchanted fairy-tales about beautiful princesses being rescued by brave and chivalrous princes - who, quite frankly, were always so irritatingly perfect - I grew up hearing tales of Brazilian folklore, so rich in their imagery and complexity but quite far from the whole “happily-ever-after” experience. From the story of the Mula-sem-cabeça (a fire-spitting headless mule) to the Cuca (an evil female alligator with human characteristics), Brazilian folklore tales fascinated but also terrified me as a kid.

A mixture of Portuguese, indigenous and African legends, Brazilian folklore comes to life through stories, songs and dances of the colorful, magical and dangerous creatures that inhabit the forests and fields. The only thing to keep in mind is that usually these creatures are not too happy about humans entering into their realm.

Hearing these stories and learning songs about folkloric characters as a kid opened my imagination to all sorts of adventures, but for sure I was far from aspiring to be a helpless damsel in distress. Instead, I was always climbing up some tree trying to spot Cuca’s hiding place or making friends with some forest animals that would have helped me to get through the jungle (i.e. my dangerous garden) safely.

• Boitatá
  
  It has great fiery eyes, by day almost blind, but by night it sees everything. According to the legend, Boitatá was a big serpent which survived a great deluge. To save itself, it entered a cave and rested in the darkness for centuries, so that its eyes grew. After it left the cave, it went through the fields looking for the bodies of animals to eat, but sometimes also attacked people and animals.
  
  
• Curupira
  
  In Tupi mythology, the Curupira is a male supernatural being that guards the forest. He usually takes the form of a boy with (literally) flaming hair and green teeth. His most startling characteristic, however, is that his feet are turned backwards, in order to protect the forest from the destructive habits of man, since he confuses hunters who may try to follow his tracks. He happily tolerates those who hunt for food, but is infuriated by those who hunt for the pleasure of it and will lay traps and confuse them so that they become eternally lost in the forest.
  
  
• Iara (Tupi for “queen of the waters”)
  
  A mermaid that lives in the rivers, and sings to careless travelers, who become enchanted. She then drowns them. This myth is present in several cultures, but Iara is how Brazilian Indians called her.
  
  
• Mula-sem-cabeça
  
  Is a character of the Brazilian folklore. In most tales, it is the ghost of a woman that has been cursed by God for her sins. Condemned to turn into a fire-spewing headless mule and galloping through the countryside from Thursday’s sundown to Friday’s sunrise.
  
  
• Saci-Pererê
  
  Perhaps the most well-known Brazilian myth. Saci is a black boy, with holes in the palms of his hand, a single leg and magical powers, who smokes a pipe and wears a magical red cap that enables him to disappear and reappear wherever he wishes. Considered an annoying prankster in most parts of Brazil, he will nevertheless grant wishes to anyone who manages to trap him or steal his magic cap.

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the mermaid reminds me of the last potc movie and the women/mule totally confuses me

These folk tales sound like they need to be made into movies. Curupira is practically begging for a Ghibli style film.