Mapinguari: Fearsome Beast and Protector of the Amazon | Monstrum

[@gabrielcalderaro1439]

As someone from the Brazilian Amazon (Santarém, Pará), it honestly made my day to see you covering one of the creatures I grew up hearing about. We have such a rich culture back home, and seeing it be explored and by such an awesome channel is an honor. Thank you! Hoping you talk about other Amazonian stories.

[@mariomcm]

Já tinha pedido outras vezes para abordar a mitologia/folclore brasileira. Riquíssima demais ela. Muito obrigado.

[@fe.bonetti1537]

Eu nunca tinha ouvido falar desse trem!

[@amarketing8749]

@@mariomcm Google translation makes it sound like you think the presenter is too rich to do Brazilian folklore.... I believe your true intent was to say that there is a lot of Brazilian folklore. Or that Brazilian folklore is " rich " because of it's depth and breadth. Is that what you meant?

[@DanielVCOliveira]

Viu, qual é o nome daquela ave lendária que quando está longe soa como se estivesse perto e quando está perto soa como se estivesse longe?

[@mariomcm]

@@amarketing8749 rich = beautiful + diversified + ... lot of Brazilian folklore. We, Brazilian people, have three ethnicities and consequently a mixture of stories, adaptations and myths

[@עומרשרייבר-ל4ר]

Real or not, I feel like the world will need some of those things walking around and not just in the amazons.

[@joanhoffman3702]

Can we send one to D.C?

[@owenvazquez1991]

YES! We need 'em throughout the planet!

[@emeraldweb7169]

Truth

[@kwz9930]

can we send one to the philippines? i think we need it in some places

[@JellyFilledEmpanada]

Yeah sorry these things real or not aren't stopping industries, all you do by sending them in is condemning them to death/capture

[@nikkicastle3423]

You guys should cover more Brazilian mythology, we have tons of interesting creatures.

[@iqbaalannaafi761]

I hope Dr. Zarka talks about Yacumama sometime soon!

[@EarthWater86]

Bet, I raise you Japanese Yokai

[@WhichDoctor1]

This was the first monster that ever really caught my attention. I remember watching an episode of The Fortean Times TV show some time in the 90s, it was talking about the idea that this creature was a giant sloth and that really captured my imagination. The idea that there were still ground sloths living to this day was so exciting to me as a nerdy, palaeontology obsessed kid. Really interesting to hear the perspective that reducing this aspect of indigenous mythology to a mere exaggeration of a mundane animal is to wipe away the centuries of complex culture and tradition that created it. As an adult, I find the idea of all the human imagination and evolution of story telling that bought this monstrous forest protector about far more compelling

[@sydc3667]

@@taylorfusher2997 But they may have seen a snake with two or three heads. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycephaly?wprov=sfla1

[@mistymarshall5438]

It's also speciesist to dismiss the giant ground sloth as "mundane" or an "insult" to indigenous mythology/beliefs. Nature and animals have always excited and inspired the human imagination. Just imagine how dull our stories and beliefs would be if animals never existed. After all nobody screams "colonialism!" when scientists hypothesize that Bigfoot/Sasquatch is a lost descendant of Gigantopithecus or that Griffins were based on the fossils of Protoceratops. It doesn't take away from the awe and mystery of these legendary monsters. There can be a balance.

[@valestrafox89]

I first heard about this creature from Mystery Hunters, one of my favourite tv shows & also thought it would be really cool if it was a giant ground sloth, but with poachers, it might be best if such a creature was not ‘discovered ‘ for its own protection.

[@kharza6145]

If it’s possible I’d like recommend you cover the prevalence of fox mythology in Eastern Asia with foxes such as the kitsune, Huli jing, and the kumiho

[@semaj_5022]

Seconded. East Asian fox spirits are super fascinating and say a lot about people's relationship with nature and the fox specifically over time.

[@calladricosplays]

One of my ancestors was a victim of one

[@semaj_5022]

@@taylorfusher2997 What inspired the 8 headed snake monster Yamata no Orochi from Japan? The stories in all these places come from a mix of reality, storytelling and imagination mixed with local cultural ideas and values. Something doesn't have to exist in people's everyday reality for there to be stories told about it. It's just how mythology works.

[@perryunicorn1538]

I listen to the discription and just go..that sounds like a giant ground sloth which frankly now that I thinking about would be absolutely terrifying to run into a rainforest in modern day.

[@theelementalstation947]

Yeah, considering those things used to dig through rock and soil dense enough to rival concrete like it was nothing, they could probably cut you in half with a panicked swing.

[@eoincampbell1584]

But it also sounds like giant ant eaters which actually do exist in the modern day.

[@chrisyeo4132]

I was thinking that too, but the point in the video where they bring up the importance and nuance of not just rationalising away every bit of mythology and folklore really spoke with me- it's something I've never considered, even when looking into the mythology of my own cultures

[@eoincampbell1584]

@@taylorfusher2997 Surely both cultures witnessed mutant snakes due to radiation, meaning that nuclear weapons were actually invented thousands of years ago and we're living in a post apocalyptic Earth! It's the only explanation!

[@ohmmy6729]

@@taylorfusher2997 maybe their cultural trade with India during Harappa-Mohenjadaro era

[@caiobarbalho13]

As a brazilian (although from São Paulo) I'm glad to see our mythology being so earnestly represented

[@i3osco717]

Thank you for presenting us with another fascinating mythical creature. I hope that you one day will do a video about the Scandinavian "Myling". An undead creature that will have you looking over your shoulder at night and also provide you with insight or at least a glimpse into the hard decisions and hardships women have had to face in the olden days (and still In some places ).

[@mathieuleader8601]

I'm picturing that a version of The Greatest Gift by Phil Van Doren Stern e.g Its A Wonderful life with George's wish being granted by a Myling or a Christmas Carol involving a singular Myling instead of three ghosts.

[@MysticMindAnalysis]

I don't think that a mythological monster having natural inspiration is mutually exclusive from stories with a purpose. We should, of course, recognise that these stories have meaning and cultural importance to the indigenous people, but we can still do so while speculating about the natural inspirations for those stories which play a part.

[@EbonyPope]

Yes it's not racist to speculate. Everything has its roots somewhere.

[@Nick-dx2pt]

@@EbonyPope Racist???? I hope you know what Race means lol

[@mitchkelleher7972]

Well said, I see it as taking the word of the indigenous cultures as truth and trying to determine what the creature might be in reality rather than dismissing the stories as mere folklore or superstition out of hand, which I think would be more fitting of a colonialist attitude of believed inherent superiority. Although, I can't speak for the motivations of all adventurers who may seek them out in the name of glory to claim ownership, as it were, of their discovery, I don't think a self-serving motivation would be a fair label for every curious non-indigenous person. There are many indigenous stories from cultures all over that serve a purpose of teaching a lesson or explaining something using known extant animals, so I don't think it's a stretch to question the relationship here, particularly when the descriptions match a known, physically distinct, once highly successful, adaptable (one of the few South American animals to not only survive the North American interchange, but colonize northward and quite extensively), and rather recently extinct animal so well and an indigenous witness has even identified artist renderings or reconstructions (I forget which) of a giant ground sloth as a mapinguari. Even the reports with more fantastic details, like the single eye or chest mouth could be natural features misidentified by someone in the dark or speckled light of a rainforest, perhaps at a distance, who is justifiably frightened and who probably quickly removes themselves from the situation as most anyone would. The extinct giant ground sloths are more closely related to the extant Bradypus sloth than the Bradypus is to the also extant Choloepus sloth (the Bradypus branched off from the line that branched into the Megatherioidea and Mylodontoidea) and the Bradypus males have a distinctive patch on their backs that perhaps could have existed in some form on the front of the more bipedal ground sloths, maybe even resembling a mouth at a distant glance.

[@morristhecat69]

I think the problem arises when study and appreciation of the myth begins and ends with dismissing mythology as simply early humans seeing some animal. "Giant Ground Sloth. Next!" It could very well have its origins in the giant ground sloth, but that isn't what myths like these are used for. The Trickster Fox isn't just a warning to shepherds that if they don't protect against foxes then they'll lose animals to predation. Myths are like slivers of a culture. What matters and why? A lot of culture has been lost because of colonialist attitudes like that nothing the colonizers didn't come up with themselves has any value and deserves to be erased. There are more than a few things about the creature that remind us of the giant ground sloth: its backwards feet when sloths walked on the sides of their feet to keep their long, long claws sharp, its diet of mostly plants, its small inconspicuous eyes and large nostrils, its ecological range, AND the horrible stench may have a paleological explanation as well! In Africa, when watering holes grow smaller and smaller, hippos will congregrate at the ones that remain en masse. The waste from the hippos builds up in such a small area that they can die from poisoning. I can only imagine the smell in my nightmares. The last of the giant ground sloths may have suffered such a fate as the environment they lived in changed so rapidly. PBS Eons has more on this theory: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6aXnJ-Bfp6lfZY

[@KristenRowenPliske]

I agree. It makes sense that ancient people witnessed something strange, a creature or event, that they had no explanation for but they saw the footprints or the bones or the carcasses etc & determined what it must have been, using the knowledge they had at the time. Of course they inserted whatever cultural ideals circulated their people, created monsters to scare their kids into behaving or to threaten their enemies with based on those things. And, of course, colonizers decided those myths/legends existed just because those people were uneducated & didn’t understand the “real” world. 🙄.

[@paulanogueira497]

When I started watching I actually thought "would be really cool if they called Andriolli as the consultant for this" and he appeared. His work on brazilian folklore is amazing, the podcast Poranduba is one of my favorites. What a great video. Hoping for more of brazilian ones in the future!

[@pbsstoried]

For more information about Dr. Costa's work, check out his website here: www.consultoriafolclorica.com.br and YT channel kzbin.info Learn more about the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, including their folklore, at pib.socioambiental.org/en/Main_Page

[@matthewchambers3073]

so will there be a video about the Mngwa?

[@carloshenriquezimmer7543]

As a Brazilian I now want to see a video about the "Pink Dolphin". It is a myth inspired by the real animal's behaviour and some very "dificult" explanations about pregnacies... and missing/dead babies. I will leave it at that...

[@shadowkingdarksin3980]

where did the swampy protectors of the green camd from well it this thing a less friendly looking creature what inspired man thing and swamp thing which is awesome when history is connected 😉

[@penny_the_wiser413]

I'll have to check it out.

[@donvaldez6773]

Eminem

[@gamediverbr]

Channel on KZbin: *mentions Brazil* Brazilians: WHO DARE TO SUMMON ME? Asked for this months ago, thank you to much ❤❤

[@hectortheforgetful103]

That's meeeee!!!!

[@Voc_spooksauce]

Man i'm brazilian myself and somehow never heard anything about such a cool monster, what a shame :c Thank you for somehow being my first introduction to such a cool myth, keep it up !!

[@GrimorioDoLobo]

OI ^^ Te convido a conhecer meu canal, faço vídeos sobre monstros e criaturas do mundo todo! Sempre que posso trago algo sobre nosso folclore! Se quiser conferir será bem vindo(a)...

[@cupcakejack7375]

Same. Honestly i think that's just a testament to the sheer size of Brazil.

[@Voc_spooksauce]

@@cupcakejack7375 Yeah good point, glad i found this by chancr then :)

[@rafaelalodio5116]

It really is a thing more well known in the North.

[@mariaclaramajin9906]

I knew about it from cultural little books about our legends, but only really understood it through the web series of our beloved mystical chanel, "os senhores aluado, rabicho, almofadinhas e pontas apresentam o caldeirão furado, ooii"

[@GLSnifit]

Something about the way Dr. Z says 'leisurely' (2:02) makes it seem like she's having so much fun discussing the grisly details

[@pbsstoried]

Caught me!-*Dr.Z*

[@mythicalcreaturesdoctorsor3589]

​​​@@pbsstoried mapinguari : 🇧🇷 Brazil rainforest stench forehead one eye body hairy mouth fangs carnivorous attack people

[@ewokpants4891]

As soon as i saw the artistic representations and heard about its "incredibly bad odor" - all I could think of was a sloth corpse rotting with its chest cavity open, ribs exposed as if to resemble a mouth. There's no way to tell if such a thing inspired mapinguari's features but i'll bet it was anyway

[@danielg.w5733]

Reminds me of how elephant skulls were likely the origin of cyclops myths

[@maxxor-overworldhero6730]

Add about a dozen or so individual cases of drunk rubber tappers, and boom, you've got a monster.

[@siviblakhawk]

I didn't even think of the ribs as teeth thing. add to that the most eddible part of a sloth, who have notoriously low muscle mass, would be the intestines in the abdominal cavity, and you get a hollow chest lined with vertical teeth.

[@efaristi9737]

the Mapinguari is supposed to be bigger than a sloth. I'm also quite confident the indigenous know what a sloth look like.

[@maxxor-overworldhero6730]

@@efaristi9737 And I'm quite confident that the Greeks knew of elephants, and yet cyclops were speak spoken of as real.

[@maldito_sudaka]

Colecionador de Sacis!!! this guys is the best when it comes to Brazilian folklore, o cara é demais!

[@cannibalisticrequiem]

The backwards feet of the Mapinguari and its status as "Protector of the Rainforest" reminds me of the creature known as The Tata Duende or El Dueño del Monte of Mayan and Mestizo cultures, which is short, bearded man with backwards feet that is considered a powerful spirit that is guardian of animals and the jungle. He, like many creatures of legend, was used by parents as a way to keep their children in line-- claiming that the Tata Duende has no thumbs, and that you should not show your hands to him or he would cut _your_ thumbs off! As well as a warning to children not to skip school, otherwise the Tata Duende might kidnap you by calling you into the jungle, and you'll never be seen again! My maternal grandmother, a woman of color who was born and raised in Belize (she emigrated to the US when she was 21), grew up with stories of the Tata Duende and ended up passing them down to her children, and my mother would tell the stories to my brothers and I. My mother still claims to this day that when she was four, and their family went on their one and only trip to Belize, that she spotted the Tata Duende out in the jungle as the family drove in their car to my grandmother's childhood home, and that it actually followed the car after locking eyes with her before disappearing! I wish I had asked my grandmother more about growing up in Belize and customs and traditions her family practiced while she was still alive, before her Dementia got really bad. I would love to connect more that part of my identity and family history. 🇧🇿

[@thecalis]

That's more related to the Curupira, might even share an origin.

[@helenapopotinha2755]

Wait this is very similar to the Curupira

[@jso6790]

Thanks for this. I immediately though of the Giant Sloth, but also, I always look for those cultural memory origins of so many monsters. That said, I love how Dr. Costa challenged that notion and reminded us that it is always more than a cultural memory, but also a cultural value.

[@farkasmactavish]

Yes, but his claim that we shouldn't even bother looking for a scientific explanation is extremely backwards.

[@maxxor-overworldhero6730]

@@farkasmactavish That and his going on about "it's Colonialism to do so" makes me firmly believe that he's a hack.

[@drzalchicha]

@@farkasmactavish He didn't say that. He said that looking at it from a purely scientific angle ignores the cultural value of the myth for the population it originated from, as if it were only delusions from the people living there.

[@jso6790]

@@farkasmactavish Yes, agreed. I see where he is coming from, but it is fundamentally a flawed premise. There can co-exist a search for rational, evidence-based answers, as well as a respect for intrinsic cultural "knowledge"

[@helisims1808]

So happy to see Brazilian folklore here ♡

[@arthurlemos3720]

nós ouvimos isso nós vemos isso nós estamos felizes em saber que nossa mitologia foi insonada nesse vídeo gato por estar um pouco brasileiro no seu canal o Brasil🇧🇷 te ama #🇧🇷Brasil

[@carlinc.christensen3478]

Nossa que top!! I lived in Brazil for awhile and I'm always so excited to learn more about this amazing country and culture!! Muito Obrigado!!

[@genghisgalahad8465]

Mapinguari feels a proper protector of the Amazon, home of the largest wild green rainforest of mother earth. And it's awesome feeding is on point. I tend to go with the indigenous interpretation/s. A really cool summmation!!

[@watchingthebees]

Curupira has always been my favourite, I think he’s said to protect the Atlantic forests in Brazil (where I live), instead of the Amazon like the Mapinguari. I used to pretend to be him as a kid and try to walk with my feet backwards lol. He has fire instead of hair and kills people who hurt the woods and the animals. I’m pretty sure that he’s older than the Mapinguari, I think the Portuguese got records from this legend by the indigenous people when they first arrived here in 1500, but I’m not an expert (I just really love this legend). If anyone is interested in Brazilian folklore, there’s a show on Netflix called Cidade Invisível (Invisible City in English, I think. That’s the exact translation but it might have another name), I don’t think they have the Mapinguari but they do have Curupira and a bunch of other cool mythological creatures from Brazilian mythology

[@ranty_fugue]

Wow, that was amazing… One of your best! I really appreciated Dr. Costa’s analysis!

[@wraithwrecker_]

One of the most interesting episodes yet. The Amazon is such an important part of Earth's biosphere, and it's being flattened for logging and industrialized agriculture. Given that 80% of all of Earth's biodiversity is represented on indigenous controlled land, it's high time to start rethinking our relationship to the other living things we share this planet with. And we should start by listening to the people who might have the knowledge we need, not to big energy companies.

[@Kreniator]

Thank you so much for this episode! The Mapinguari is my favorite myth from Brazil! Looking forward to see other monsters from south america in Monstrum. We have some other folklore creatures with have some historical and political background that can be explored, such as the Boto-cor-de-rosa (the pink dolphin), according to it's myth, this dolphin shapeshift into a man that lures women and then vanishes when it returns to the water.

[@RememberTheDead]

Wonderful to see a Brazilian creature here. Should do the urbanite Papa-Figo (the liver-eater) Someday! That was the terror of many childhoods (including mine).

[@marievaleur7877]

As a Brazilian American I love that you are covering the rich folklore of Brasil! The curupira is one of my favorites! Netflix has a series called the Invisible City that involves some of the most popular characters of Brazilian folklore. I highly recommend it! Thanks Dr Z!!

[@brudiedeoliveira3846]

As someone from São Paulo, it made me so happy to hear about one of our country's mythological creatures. I would love to see more in the future including the Saci Pererê, Iara, and Cuca

[@amandamaia8287]

Thank you so much, Monstrum, for helping share some of the incredible myths of my country!

[@Steveofthejungle8]

Always a good day when there’s a new Monstrum video! I’d love to see a video about mummies!

[@yulebones]

I really enjoyed listening to what Dr Costa had to say. I'd love to see him again!

[@NWednesdayQuansah]

When the video started, I was so excited to hear that this critter could be a giant ground sloth (I love them so much. I love that they gave us avocados!). Even though I know it's scientifically basically impossible, my inner 7-year-old still believes that Nessie is a plesiosaurus. I love, love, love it when cryptids can be connected to animals that actually lived that potentially explain where the idea for the legend came from. Anyway, I really appreciate Dr. Costa for explaining that while that theory is exciting for Westerners like myself, it actually problematically negates the indigenous culture that created the myth and so is best avoided. ❤❤

[@garciarabisco535]

Damn it! I'm Brazilian and I'm happy to discover that one of the most interesting creatures in our folklore is being known by more people. In addition to the Mapinguari's own history, there are several other stories of creatures here, which are the result of a great mix of peoples and cultures here.

[@gunargundarson1626]

Leave to humanity to look at a giant sloth and say “This must be the Lorax, and he must die if I want to rule the Amazon.”

[@1handedtyper]

I know, right.

[@pdzombie1906]

So many great monster and myths in our Latinamerican region and we know so few... Can't get enough of them!! Thanx, Dr. Z!!!

[@alyssafigliano3994]

Amazing video! I love stories about seemingly monstrous creatures that are actually protectors of the greater good. I'd also like to suggest a video on the Ozark Howler, although I'm not super localized cryptids are appropriate for Monstrum. The way the story of the howler intersects with Prohibition and moonshiners is fascinating to me, as well as their possible connection to the critically endangered red wolves native to that area.

[@sytrosianoverlord3150]

I like it when monsters protect the environment. I wish this monster was real and was an army

[@richie_0740]

it is, you just gotta look at fossils, mapinguari is very likely based on the giant ground sloth, which roamed the earth young enough that it would encounter early humans in its lifetime

[@regesm.9925]

Very happy to see Brazilian Folklore

[@SeraphimCramer]

While I do love the theory that there could still be giant ground sloths still roaming the amazon today, I do think he brought up a very good point that the indigenous peoples may not have needed a real life analogue to create this mythical monster. No one's ever claimed the ancient Greeks were basing the chimera or the gorgons on some long extinct local animals.

[@farkasmactavish]

Except we definitely have made such claims about Greek myth. Not sure about the ones you mentioned, but there's a pretty good chance an ancient Greek found an elephant skull and mistook the nostril cavity for an eye socket, thus cyclops.

[@rickybryan1759]

Love the guest speaker he’s so passionate!

[@Ecotasia]

When i was in the Amazon we were told stories of the chullachaki, which is like a forest spirit that will lead you astray if you hunt to much, but also has something strange with the feet.

[@rukbat3]

Dr. Costa was great in this episode! I hope he can come back to talk about other Brazilian myths.

[@TaterKakez]

It is ALWAYS a great day when Storied / Monstrum uploads!!! And, as always, I love and appreciate the relevant details in your choice of attire, Dr Z 😉 Excellent all around

[@Querolts]

Aos brasileiros nesses comentários: ouçam a série Popularium do Andreoli no podcast Mundo Freak! É muito bem produzido

[@ColecionadordeSacis]

Obrigado pela lembrança :)

[@WataroNagata]

E ouçam o podcast do andriolli o Poranduba, que eu adoro e um dia vou mandar a lenda que minha vó conta da ilha que ela nasceu e viveu.

[@Querolts]

@@WataroNagata não conheço, mas vou procurar!

[@moisesfreire6408]

E vejam o episódio de "Catalendas" sobre o mapinguari. Literalmente me deu pesadelos quando criança. haha

[@tanyanikolaevagizdova6571]

This creature was a big part of my childhood! Me and dad watched a "documentary" about it! Me and dad still reference that!

[@moisesfreire6408]

Little trivia, here in Brazil we had a "kids show" called Catalendas, a show with ventriloquist dummies telling popular talles of our folklore. The fact they use dolls made the show quite terrifying sometimes and one of the scariest episodes to me was about the Mapinguari,. Scared the hell out of the little kid me.

[@tintinsupz1864]

Man! He's a hero for protecting the Flora and Fauna of his territory ✌🏻

[@neallamachado1184]

congratulations Dr. Costa. amazing explanation ❤️

[@50footbrewery]

This one of my favorite youtube series. Thank you

[@LukeLenn0n]

I love this series, thanks for doing that amazing brazilian monster! (That btw, a lot of brazilians don't know about! I only know about it from brazilian TTRPGs.) Hope you do Rakshasas one day.

[@isaiasmontalvomaldonado1508]

Hello, I love your videos about mythological creatures, I would like you to talk about a creature called akhlut. A creature from Inuit mythology that is half wolf and half orca.

[@sonorasgirl]

Ooooh this sounds awesome!!

[@Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache]

Lorax learned from last time. It’s not enough to speak for the trees. You have to consume for them, too.

[@diegorodriguesdesouza7389]

Yes! Finally!!! Thank you so much to cover our culture.

[@Domdrok]

Dr. Costa seems like a chill dude. Thanks and great job!

[@taylorthompson9752]

Finally a creature who will protect the rainforest 😊🌳🌎

[@kilbyvaters3764]

Great episode!! You should cover the Dearg-Due, a female vampire from Irish mythology. It’s a very sad, but compelling story.

[@gxtmfa]

Loved the guest! I always took issue with people who thought ground sloths still persist. I can’t think of an animal that would be less cryptic than a gigantic sloth.

[@TheMacedoniojunior]

More of Brazil´s Folklore and Mythology!!!!!

[@andeeharry]

I love this guy...I might borrow him for my stories.

[@mikegould6590]

I may be at home sick, but a new Monstrum makes it tolerable. Thanks guys!

[@Durpanny]

We need more about stuff like this. I have never heard of the Mapinguari. Places like the Amazon has so much I don't know

[@juliusalimari]

Always love to see my homeland in Monstrum

[@sonorasgirl]

Ooooh, this is so cool! And the guest was great

[@babyblue3717]

There are lots of folklore myths of monsters and spirits that protect the forests here in Brazil. they're like antiheroes, good to those who love and respect nature and evil to those who don't. My two favorites are the Curupira, a forest spirit like a nymph or a faerie that has backwards feet and hair made of fire. he protects the animals and kills hunters, and Caipora, another similar spirit who rides a wild boar and bears a spear. this one's gender varies from a region to another, here a female, there male, and in some places neither of those, or both!

[@matheusfellipe1936]

Loved to see you talking about a brazilian myth!! Much love from Brazil 🇧🇷❤

[@moosemuffins2191]

Brings back memories of Mystery Hunters

[@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980]

& I thought we had some weird monsters here in Australia.

[@Rafaelgodoyebert]

Caramba, bom demais, achei o video por acaso para um trabalho da faculdade, muito bem feito, parabéns pelo vídeo. Moro no Brasil e nem conhecia essa lenda, eu vivo do outro lado do país onde essa lenda não é tão conhecida.

[@vincentx2850]

The twisted feet, stinky smell, large hooked claws, armoured hide and cave dwelling propensity really sounds like a ground sloth - the fit is so perfect it almost sounds too convenient. Such is the problem with myth, its constantly evolving and is very difficult to date. These descriptions may be truly inspired by encounters with a ground sloth, but it is also possible to be the product of hindsight which adjusts the description according to our scientific understanding of ground sloth.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

Sloths are arboreal, are they not? And not cave dwellers?

[@coralvaz]

Just joining the bandwagon of Brazilians who are thrilled to see one of our many folkloric creatures being featured in the series!😍🤩

[@ruaoneill9050]

I feel like we got loads of extra monsters in this one! Thanks!!!

[@joelover270]

yesss i love the guest and avoiding taking the easy route by not acknowledging the harder conversations about colonialism!

[@blauemielchstrae8498]

it reminds me of City of Beasts from Isabel Allende 😍 I loved this Book when i was a child.

[@wesleyvalk9129]

I use monsters from myth the way I desire in my private projects, thank you.

[@hawkeyestegosaurus5680]

My thinking immediately was that it resembled a creature who's ribcage had been exposed by the elements , plus it's well know dead things tend to smell bad

[@juliocintrafilho7473]

Hey, i would love to see something about the Curupira. Nice work!

[@davidpumpkinsjr.5108]

Always love a new Monstrum video. Please consider doing an analysis of the Lamia.

[@elle7938]

You should totally talk about Scottish kelpies next!!! 🐎🌊

[@audreyditlefsen3126]

I Love your Vidoes.I'm really interested in Mythology.

[@Brokkoliverschwendung]

I will never get over it. It is not only terrible that there are books in a fireplace, but also how they lie there!

[@WittyUsername14]

i love listening to this guy talk

[@STWear1]

I haven't even watched it yet, but as a Brazilian, I already approve studying it hahaha Regional curiosity: Mapinguari is one of the lesser known folkloric creatures outside of the Amazon region

[@bigdkenergypodcast]

My first exposure to this creature was on this show, Mystery Hunters, back in 2003 on Discovery Kids.

[@renecorrea892]

I would like all these chapters to be in the future season of Monstrum. *Sea Serpents *Leviathan *The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow *Phantom Vehicles *The Boogeyman *Ghosts *Possessed Dolls *Shadow People *Undead *Goblins *Bigfoot *Man-Eating Plants *Killer Clowns *Evil Robots *Swamp Monsters *The Mummy *Scarecrows *The Invisible Man *Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde *Merfolk *Demons *Skeletons *Stingy Jack (Jack-o-Lantern) *Gnomes *Sea Monsters that attacked Submarines *Alien Abductions *Ogres *Ghouls *Lich *Cyborgs *Witches *Kaiju *Cthulhu

[@petersilveira1629]

I thought it would be Curupira or Saci... but I liked this surprise

[@robbabcock_]

When it comes to folklore and mythology it does miss the point to try to trace a "monster" to some animal or fossil, at least most of the times. Monsters are the embodiment of human hopes and fears more than they're explanations for unknown animals. Their "truth" isn't tied to whether or not they actually exist.

[@hojmatros5102]

While I do agree completely with your point, wouldn't it be amazing if the roots of this myth dates back 30,000 years when megatherium still walked the earth? Or it might be indication that they survived for longer than scientists currently believe. Some myths reflect the culture and beliefs of the people who told these tales, while others were based on real extinct animals whose memories were preserved through these tales. Albeit with a few modifications. I love both science and mythology, and I find it very exciting when these two wolds meet.

[@farkasmactavish]

No, it doesn't "miss the point", it engages a completely different point that is unrelated. Finding the root or inspiration for a myth does not invalidate that myth, nor the culture.

[@danny5551000]

Every added depiction they gave had my brain ringing. Ground Sloth. Ground Sloth. Ground Sloth

[@nirajan7777]

How about something from Hindu mythology ? Big fan !!! Really looking forward to see one !!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@mistakez_playz6222]

This is a good idea for my school project.keep on this good work :)

[@Volvagia0slayer]

At one time the monster from the TV show Lost was rumored to be a mapinguari. Very interesting to see the parallels.

[@rodrigoff7456]

Good job with the video! Really interesting script, edition, music and narration 👏👏

[@--Paws--]

The mouth on its abdomen gives it the appearance of what the developers for Minecraft have made for The Warden. It has an open chest that reveals the souls trapped within. It doesn't have eyes but a wide mouth on its head.

[@dragonheart1236]

It also brings to mind the legend of Xing Tian, a Chinese warrior who gets decapitated, but is so driven to fight, that he keeps going, his nipples becoming new eyes and his belly button a new mouth

[@betinababbles249]

Wow! Great episode! Just in time for my month long trip to Brazil! 🥰🥰🇧🇷❤️

[@zombiesalmon4997]

Protects the forest yet it tramples and destroys most of it just by walking... Good job

[@rainstriderstreamflower5645]

I’ve never heard of of such a creature!

[@diegos7337]

This so interesting! I didn't know, about this creature. This reminds me of the Caipora Myth from Brazil as well!

[@Kuwagumo]

YAAAAY! MY FAVORITE MONSTER, AND FROM MY COUNTRY EVEN!

[@anirbanhasan8988]

"I am the Mapinguari, I speak for the Amazon Cut another tree, And you'll never again see dawn" - The Mapinguari at some point

[@orozer6558]

Another awesome one from the great DR. Z 🤩