What if KPop Demon Hunters were set in Brazil?
KPop Demon Hunters tastefully used Korean folklore to make an absolute blast of a movie, so I thought: what if the hunters from Brazil had to fight their own demons?
Just like the defenders of humanity against the demons are inspired by shamans, the Brazilian hunters would be the benzedeiras. Benzedeiras (blessers) or Rezadeiras (prayers) are an old folk medicine tradition in Brazil of usually elderly women who recommend medicinal plants and pray for health and well-being. They bless sick people and animals, and even terrains. Song is also an important skill for benzedeiras, since it is part of many prayers.
Demons in KPDH are broadly based around different supernatural creatures from Korean folklore: the Dokkaebi, the Mul Gwinsin (Water Demons), the Dalgyal Gwinsin (the faceless demons), and the Jeoseung Saja (the Saja Boys). In the same way, there are many restless ghosts, cursed humans, and mischievous sprites to be used in Brazilian folklore.
The Corpo-Seco (dry body) is a restless undead with dry skin and bare bones. It is the reanimated corpse of men so sinful that their souls were too cruel to pass on and the earth itself spat their body in disgust. Thus, they are cursed to wander cemeteries and empty roads as hauntings to the living.
In São Paulo, they are also known as Unhudo (long-nailed), an undead landlord with a straw hat and long nails who refused to leave his farm and trees even in death.
The Labatut is a monster from the Rio Grande do Norte state. He is a one-eyed ogre with long tusks or fangs, round feet, and hard fur who wanders at night to eat children. He is especially attracted by whistles.
The Labatut was directly inspired by Pierre or Pedro Labatut, a French general who helped in the Brazilian independence wars. He was quite harsh and violent, and so, became a literal monster in the popular consciousness. His look, with large tusks out of his mouth, reminds me of the many dokkaebi demons in the movie.
The Lobisomem (man-wolf) is the Brazilian version of the werewolf. Much like in other cultures, he is a man cursed to become a dangerous beast at certain nights, although in Iberic cultures, lobisomens usually turn monstrous during every Thursday to Friday night rather than every full moon.
They are the seventh son born after six daughters, and in Brazil, they often don't turn into wolves, but rather, dogs and/or pigs, a few rare versions even have donkey werewolves! They have red eyes, long ears that may clap when they run, and must pass though seven cemiteries or parishes every night in order to turn back into humans.
The Quibungo is a common monster in the folklore of the state of Bahia. He is a beastly man-eater with a large, gaping mouth on its back, which it uses to eat naughty children.
The Pé-de-Garrafa (bottle-foot) is a beastly one-eyed humanoid with a single leg that ends in a bottle-shaped hoof, causing the footprints that bestow it its name (you can't follow them this way!). Its hide is invulnerable everywhere but its bellybutton, and it can replicate voices to attract its victims.
The Caboclo d'Água (something like "water fellow") is a common monster of the São Francisco River folklore. He is a strong, stocky amphibious or furry humanoid with webbed feet and hands who lives deep in bodies of water and may attempt to drown swimmers (much like the Water Demons from the movie) or sabotage fishers by scaring fish away or unstabilizing their boats. However, he can be pacified with gifts of food, tobacco, and alcohol, after which he might even help fishers.
The Perna Cabeluda (hairy leg) is a ghostly, bodiless leg with dark fur that haunts the city of Recife, Pernambuco, tripping and kicking nightly wanderers. Some give it a single eye on its knee. This curious, charming urban legend emerged during the 1970´s and quickly became a pop culture icon of the city. It would be a very humorous demon to be fought, that's for sure.
The Iara is the Amazonian siren. A beautiful woman, half fish, who seduces fishers and sailors to their drowned doom by singing false promises of eternal life and treasure in the bottom of her river. It would only be fair that a movie with so much singing had a singing creature to fit the Saja Boys!
Most of these images come from Poranduba - Cartas de Cultura! It's a card game focused on Brazilian folklore, extremely respectful and accurate to Brazilian lore and traditions. I can't recommend enough! cartasdecultura.com.br
The cute magical tiger that serves as Jinu's messenger, Derpy, is directly inspired by Korean art trends, especially the illustrations of a tiger with unfocused eyes and a magpie.
In Brazil, an omnipresent animal in folk culture is the ox. You can see it in folk songs, parties, folktales, and all you can find. Cattle are reliable old companions of small farmers alongside donkeys, and this reflects in our culture. The Bumba-Meu-Boi folk party uses a large and colorful ox costume that celebrates the cyclical ressurection of an ox, beginning before Easter Sunday and culminating in the June Parties. The costume is extremely colorful and full of drawings and patterns. But if we want the kitty, a jaguar is always welcome.
As for Sussie the magpie, if we're sticking to crow relatives, there is the Azure Jay, the symbolic bird of the Paraná state, famous in folklore as an agent of God who plantes the araucaria forests by burying their seeds.
