|
| “ | Nana neném, que a Cuca vem pegar, papai foi pra roça, mamãe foi trabalhar. | „ |
| ~ Cuca's original lullaby |
| “ | Sleep little baby, that Cuca comes to get you, daddy went to the farm, mommy went to work | „ |
| ~ Cuca's english lullaby |
Cuca is the main antagonist of the Brazilian novel books of Sítio do Picapau Amarelo (Yellow Woodpecker Ranch) written by the late Monteiro Lobato.
Based on a Brazilian folklore legend's character, she is a powerful and ancient witch who kidnaps and eats naughty children and can take the form of an old woman or an humanoid alligator. Her legend was inspired by the bogeyman Coco.
In the Cidade Invisível (Invisibly City) series, Cuca is a major character, acting as the leader of the brazilian supernatural entities, known in her human form as Inês. In the DC Universe, Cuca is an enemy of the Wonder Girl Yara Flor. She was originally an amazonian warrior princess named Andira, who was cursed after she killed her newborn nephew.
Cuca was portrayed by M. Meneguelli in the 1951 film O Saci. In the Sítio do Picapau Amarelo 1977-1986 series, she was portrayed by several different actresses; Rosana Israel; Dorinha Duval, Stella Freitas, and Catarina Abdala. In 2007, she was portrayed by Solange Couto. In the 2021-2023 Netflix series Invisible City, she was portrayed by Alessandra Negrini.
Overview[]
Although in the books she is shown as a serious and cruel witch, in the TV adaptations Cuca has an angrier and incompetent personality. In the 1951 film, her old hag version replaces her reptilian aspect, featured in the novel and several other media. Cuca can be considered a bogeyman for always abducting children to devour them, but can never eat anyone. She also shares a rivalry with Emília the Ragdoll, one of the main characters who often foils her plans.
While in the original TV series she had a fat and ugly appearance, later depictions gave her a more slender body with a more feminine appearance, even wearing a red dress which gave her a dominatrix feel. In the latest TV series, she is given a hunchback henchman named Pesadelo (Nightmare), who is never present in the books or folklore.
History[]
Yellow Woodpecker Ranch[]
Cuca as she appears in the 2003 live action show
In the books she marked her first appearance to kidnap one of the protagonists in one of the chapters of the book "O Saci" in 1921 (in that book, she is one of various villains of Brazilian folklore, but when this book became a movie, named "O Saci" in 1951, Cuca appeared in it as the main antagonist).
Her iconic appearance is best remembered in popular culture from a TV series adaptation produced in 1970. In this version she became incarnated as an anthropomorphic alligator with blond hair, acting as the main villain in the story.
With the success of this adaptation in the TV series, Cuca returned in all other adaptations of Sítio do Picapau Amarelo, including the 2001 and 2008 version and the cartoon series in 2012 (and in a comic book launched between 2006 and 2008, based in the 2001 version, the most famous version in the XXI Century, and because this, inspired the cartoon series).
Invisible City[]
Cuca/Inês in Invisible City
On the Netflix Brazilian series Invisible City, Cuca was a woman known as Inês, who, when she became pregnant, was abandoned by her lover and her family, being expelled from home and forced to flee to the forest. She then decided to have the child alone, but unfortunately the baby died during childbirth, and the suffering of her loss was so great that nature sent a moth to transform her into a supernatural entity, making her use her maternal instinct to be responsible for children's dreams. Eventually, she became a mother figure to the other entities, who see her as a leader.
DC Universe[]
Cuca in her human form; Andira
In the past, Cuca was a beautiful warrior princesses named Andira who lived deep in the lush jungles of the amazon with her twin sister Juraci, throughout the amazon basin with their talents in hunting and archery. Though birthed together, they were not alike in mind. Juraci kind and conscientious, but Andira was selfish and greedy. Each equally born into a world of privilege and wealth provided by the land and the ancestors that came before them. Until one day they found themselves rivals for the love of the same man; Avere. The Queen decided that the only way to resolve this conflict was with archery. Whoever attacks and impales her butterfly would win Avere's heart.
The warrior sisters readied their arrows and let them loose, when the timing felt most right. But in the end it was Juraci's arrow which captured the queen's butterfly and won Avere's heart. Soon after the couple was joined, they welcomed a beloved son into the world.
Andira becomes Cuca
Andira retreated to the forest, consumed with her hatred and jealousy. She cried out in despair to any god that would listen. But it was Anhanga, the protective spirit of the forest and god of the underworld, that answered. The God telled her that only innocent blood can realize her desire. And only with his word, Andira, without instruction or advisement assumed the death god's meaning and stole into the home of Juraci and Avere to murder their newborn son. However, Avere rejected her and then the village set upon her. Each blow eagerly seeking justice through violence.
After the village raged and left her for dead, she drag her broken body seeking refuge in the forest once more. The path was full of branches and thorns which ripped away her once-beautiful physique to reveal the true monster which lay beneath. Andira then sought out the death god, thinking he had tricked her, but he explained that her crime only removed her mortal flesh and revealed her true monstrous nature. He then gave her a book of spells that belonged to his wife, the goddess and sorceress Tice. Using it would give her great powers, but it would also curse her for eternity; to be seen by the eyes of men as beautiful and desirable, by women as dismissible and plain, but the eyes of children and the truest of heart will always would see her for what her really are, a scaly, selfish, and hideous monster. In the 21st century, she became an enemy of the demigoddess Yara Flor, also known as Wonder Girl.
Powers and abilities[]
Powers[]
Cuca using her powers
- Dark Magic: Cuca is a very powerful witch with many magical powers, being one of the most powerful sorcerers in the brazillian folklore.
- Moth/butterfly control: Cuca can control a swarm of moths and butterflies and make them disintegrate a body
- Oneiromancy: In Invisible City, Cuca is capable of summoning dreams, stories, and ideas and send them into the minds of others. She can also enter someone's subconscious while they sleep and read their mind, even entering their dreams.
- Sleep induction: In Invisible City, Cuca can make the others sleep by singing her self-named song.
- Immortality: As a supernatural entity, Cuca is immortal.
- Illusion Casting: In the DC Universe, Cuca can change her monstrous appearance into a beautiful and seductive woman.
- Metamorphosis: In Invisible City, Cuca can transform into a moth.
- Transmutation: In the Yellow Woodpecker Ranch, Cuca can transform others into animals like rats, and into objects like stone statues.
- Pyrokinesis: In the DC Universe, Cuca can control fire with her mind usually in the form of a fireball
Abilities[]
- Leadership
- Occult knowledge
- Archery
- Hunting
- Seduction
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