In Portuguese "Côco" refers to a ghost with a pumpkin head. It is said that the Coco would sit atop houses in the shadows, seeking out misbehaving children.
Parents would sing rhymes, warning their children that if they did not obey them, the Coco would come and eat them.
Parents would sing rhymes, warning their children that if they did not obey them, the Coco would come and eat them.
It Watches from the Roof Tops...
The Coco comes... from a 1799 illustration. Origin: Portugal folklore
Description: Said to be a mythical ‘ghost monster’ quite similar to the bogeyman. The Coco has no specific physical representation but is known to shape shift into hideous sometimes-hairy monster like creature.
In Portuguese côco, refers to a ghost with a pumpkin head. The male form is known as Coco, and the female form as Coca. It is said it’s hard to tell the difference between the two. It seems that parents are to blame for the invocation of the Coco as a way of punishment for their wayward children. They would sing rhymes warning their children if they did not obey their parents the Coco would come and eat them.
Although the Coco was ghostly monster like in appearance, that wasn’t the most frightening thing about them. Children would be scared out of their wits at the idea of a monster that could eat them and not leave a trace. It is said that the Coco would sit atop houses in the shadows seeking out misbehaving children. So imagine being a child forced to sleep with a lullaby of a monster that was coming to devour them.
Duermete niño, duermete ya…que viene el cuco y te comerá (sleep child, sleep now…or else comes the coco to eat you).
Sweet dreams!
Description: Said to be a mythical ‘ghost monster’ quite similar to the bogeyman. The Coco has no specific physical representation but is known to shape shift into hideous sometimes-hairy monster like creature.
In Portuguese côco, refers to a ghost with a pumpkin head. The male form is known as Coco, and the female form as Coca. It is said it’s hard to tell the difference between the two. It seems that parents are to blame for the invocation of the Coco as a way of punishment for their wayward children. They would sing rhymes warning their children if they did not obey their parents the Coco would come and eat them.
Although the Coco was ghostly monster like in appearance, that wasn’t the most frightening thing about them. Children would be scared out of their wits at the idea of a monster that could eat them and not leave a trace. It is said that the Coco would sit atop houses in the shadows seeking out misbehaving children. So imagine being a child forced to sleep with a lullaby of a monster that was coming to devour them.
Duermete niño, duermete ya…que viene el cuco y te comerá (sleep child, sleep now…or else comes the coco to eat you).
Sweet dreams!
Nic Hume 2014
Put together by Ashley Hall 2014
Put together by Ashley Hall 2014
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