Country file · South America
Cryptids of Paraguay
What cryptids are in Paraguay? The best-known are Pombero, Lobizón and Curupira.
Paraguay’s folklore is Guaraní at heart, preserved in the national language and recorded in books such as Narciso Colmán’s Ñande Ypy Kuéra (1929). The country has a famous set of seven legendary beasts, the children of the deities Tau and Kerana, which includes the Luisón, a dog-like creature said to be the seventh son of a family of boys. The belief even shaped Argentine law, through the presidential godfather tradition.
- 3 cryptids
- 2 recorded sightings
Cryptids reported in Paraguay
Pombero
The hairy, whistling ‘lord of the night’ of Paraguayan Guaraní folklore, protector of birds and mischief-maker who is appeased with tobacco and honey. Folklore
Lobizón
A dog-like beast said to be the seventh son in a family of boys, from Guaraní and settler lore; it inspired Argentina’s presidential godfather custom. Folklore
Curupira
The backwards-footed forest guardian of Tupi-Guaraní tradition, who leads hunters and loggers astray and is appeased with tobacco and cachaça. FolkloreThe legends of Paraguay
The Pombero, “lord of the night”, is the best-loved night spirit: a short, hairy, whistling figure who guards birds and plays tricks on farms, and who is appeased with tobacco, cane liquor and honey. Families still leave offerings in rural areas, and the Pombero is part of Paraguay’s intangible cultural heritage. The Curupira, the backwards-footed forest guardian, is shared with Brazil and the Guaraní lands.
Hotspots
- Rural Paraguay and the Chaco
Farms and forests where Pombero offerings of tobacco and cane liquor are still left out.
Sightings timeline
- 1929Ñande Ypy Kuéra Pombero
Narciso R. Colmán (Rosicrán) published an influential collection of Guaraní traditions that records the Pombero among the beliefs of Paraguay’s ancestors.
- July 18, 2007Destination Truth visits the Pombero Pombero
The television show investigated the legend in an episode broadcast on this date.