One of the most curious beings from the Brazilian folklore is the Curupira, that is a fantastic entity inhabiting the forests. He's generally described as a boy or a dwarf, elf or a red haired kid whose feet are turned backwards so that the heels are located in the front. This way his footsteps cheat the men and let them get lost in the tropical jungle and forests. He is the protector of the trees and extensively, he is also the protector of the animals, numen (deity) of the chase. He has some similarities with the Anhangá, but it seems he is a different entity.

The Curupira personifies the rumor of the forest and the incertitude of the ones who venture deeply in the jungle. Being a spirit of the forests, he's responsible for mysterious rumors, noises, the disappearance of hunters, the lack of memory letting people forget the paths in the forest and inexplicable sudden fears. He likes tobacco and pinga (a Brazilian alcoholic beverage, same as cachaça - made of sugar cane). He fears the cross and if he finds one, he changes his itinerary. He is invincible and has a prodigious force, he drives the prey and protects the trees, beating their wood when a strong tempest is nearby in order to wake them up to resist the fury of the winds. He's known for his cleverness: to cheat his chasers, he leaves fake footsteps on the ground and with false signs, he cheats hunters and walkers, letting them get lost in the jungle. He makes secret pacts with the hunters giving them infallible weapons changed for food without any pepper or garlic that he hates the most; punishing the hunters with the death or leaving them lost in the middle of the forest if they betray or revel the pact to the others. He is also known as Curupira-Caipora, but both are generally considered as two different beings. It is one of the few cases of ritual offerings that can be observed among the Brazilian Indians.

It is one of the oldest Brazilian myths, and its first registry is attested by so many remarks from the Jesuit Joseph of Anchieta, on a letter written in the city of Saint Vincent (São Vicente) on May, the 30th, 1560: "It is widely known that there are certain demons the brasis (Indians) call Curupira, that many times assault them in the woods, whipping, injuring and killing them. Our brothers are eyewitnesses of these events since sometimes they saw the dead in the bush. Because of this, when the Indians have to travel deeply in the countryside, they are used to leaving in the bush, on a path or at the heights of the mountains, offerings such as birds' feathers, fanners, arrows; begging feverously to the Curupiras not to make any harm to them. And yet: “They do not adore any creature as a God, they only believe the thunders are God, but they don't make any offerings, no honors and have no idols, and no communications with the devil since they are afraid of it because sometimes he beats them and kills them in the bush or in the rivers, leaving some offerings as feathers or arrows or any other gift, when they have to pass through hunting and dive places”.

According to a Câmara Cascudo, the myth is common among the Tupis-Guaranis (an Indian Group), assuming different external aspects. In the Amazon, the Curupira is as height as four palms, sometimes is bald and with a hairy body. Some other times, he is presenting as having a huge penis. In thesis, he's got nothing to do with the Caipora, that seems to be a different entity.

The history of these beings or spirits is widely known. The Indians never went out in the dark without a torch to keep this being or spirit away. Sometimes he appeared with an humanoid form, other times he appeared as a four legged animal, with a hairy body and a human face. The Indians were taken by chills and fevers many times; in extreme distress they claim for mercy to the colonizers that seemed immune. As the spirit were whipping the Indians, they asked for help and promised to cut as much Brazil wood as the foreigners needed. André Thevet, a French traveler that were in Rio during the Antarctic France period, in the 16th century, reported he saw an exorcism of this spirit, simply pronouncing the words Jesus Christ: “They call him anhã (...) This demon persecutes them day and night, not only tormenting the souls, but also - and particularly - the bodies. Anhã punishes and injures the Indians excessively, making them scream out loud horribly, begging for a Christian who can be near by chance: "Can't you see Anhã beats me? Defend me if you want me to serve you and cut many trees for you" (sometimes they worked for us cutting the Brazilwood, for which we gave them any insignificance). For this reason they are horrified to go out of their ocas (tends), and if they do so, they always carry a torch, a sovereign remedy and safe defense against the enemy. (...)"

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