5 Terrifying Vampires in South America

Vampire legends have been incredibly enduring over the centuries. Perhaps this stems from the fact that there is some form of vampire lore recorded in every continent and across every civilisation that has put their folklore down and still exists today.

In this series, we’ll look at some of the vampiric folklore and legends from around the world to see where the horrifying creatures truly came from. First up, we’ll look at five different vampires in South America that share some interesting similarities to the vampire characters we know and love today.

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Where Did Vampire Folklore Start?

It would be hard to say exactly where vampire legends first started, but with records of these creatures in some form dating back to early Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, or the Aztec and Incan societies, they certainly predate what we would say is the classic portrayal of a more modern vampire that we are accustomed to, which likely stems from medieval European folklore onwards.

While we have romanticised the modern-day vampire in books and films, many of the early incarnations of what could be described as a vampire more likely come from fear of disease and death that was simply not understood as well as it is today.

When a plague or illness could wipe out a village or even a town it was easy to see why, without the understanding of the disease and how it spread, many would turn to the supernatural for an explanation of their suffering.

5 Vampires in South America

In this post, we’ll delve into some of the South American vampire folklore, and we begin our journey in Chile.

The Peuchen

The Mapuche are a group of indigenous peoples that inhabit south-central Chile and parts of Argentina, including Patagonia. In their culture, they tell of a creature called the Peuchen, a shapeshifting creature that can turn into an animal and has a penchant for eating the hearts of its victims. It is often said to take the form of a flying snake that has the ability to paralyse those it looks at in order to feed on their blood.

Between its shape-changing abilities and its desire to feed on the blood and hearts of its victims, there should be no surprise that parallels have been drawn between it and the South American vampire.

The Mandenha

These are not the only vampires in South America. In a Sanskrit epic poem, thought to be one of the oldest in the world, Sugreeva, the king of the Varanas describes a journey across the Pacific Ocean to a land (thought to be South America), where he encounters great demons that hang upside down from the mountains there.

The Mandenha, as they are called, are described as slate coloured and descend from their mountains to feed on the blood of humans and animals alike.

Interestingly, the poem talks of how these hanging demons attempt to block the sun's path in order to ensnare victims, however, as the sun rises, they are burnt and sent crashing into the sea to be reborn.

What is particularly interesting about this is the idea that the Mandenha dislike sunlight, much like in popular culture many thousands of years later.

The Azeman

In Suriname, a small country north of Brazil, they tell the vampire lore tale of the Azeman. A magical creature that walks amongst the mortal by day but at night can transform into a bat to feed on the blood of the living.

The legend suggests that the Azeman is almost always female in appearance but appears to have no issue with sunlight. What makes this particularly interesting is that even though these myths originate in South America, they appear to be heavily European influenced, possibly due to colonisation.

The story of the Azeman also shares similarities with European folklore surrounding fairies, as it is said that the Azeman is compelled to count when presented with something such as seeds. As such, one way to stop an Azeman or kill it is to scatter enough seeds on the floor to keep it counting until sunrise, at which point the Azeman is said to return to its human form, whereby it can be killed.

Another form of protection comes in the form of a barrier to the threshold that is also common in European myth. If a broom is spread across an entrance to a home, the Azeman vampire will have to count every bristle.

The Patasola

In the jungles of Venezuela, there is a vampire folklore legend of a being that shares many similarities with a siren. The Patasola appears to men in the jungles and tries to lure them away from their friends. Once alone, the Patasola reveals its true nature as a hideous, one-legged creature that has a vampire-like hunger for human flesh and blood.

According to popular belief, the Patasola inhabits mountain ranges, forests, jungles, and heavily concealed places to disguise her true form. It is said to hunt primarily at night and lure unsuspecting prey away from their companions.

While the Patasola is seen as a vampiric creature luring men away to their doom, she is also seen as a protective element of nature, attempting to stop the desecration of the mountains and rainforests of South America.

While the legend varies from place to place, it is usually accepted that the Patasola is born of a scorned or evil woman who has done wrong and has been banished to the jungle as punishment. Now she haunts the jungle paths, ensnaring unfaithful men to devour their lifeblood or flesh.

As such, Patasola shares some similarities with the vampire lore. However, there are elements of sirens and avenging spirits mixed in, making it a little less believable as a vampire from South America.

The Tunda

The Patasola shares some similarities with another South American vampire folklore creature, the Tunda. The Tunda haunts the rainforests of Columbia and Ecuador. It is capable of transforming into a familiar person, such as a family member or friend, in order to lure men to their doom.

Yet, the impersonation is flawed; as the Tunda only has one leg, the other appears as a molinillo (wooden kitchen utensil). This is similar to the one-legged Patasola of the neighbouring countries.

The Tunda lure men away into the forest to feed on their blood or devour them as a bear would.

Final Thoughts On Vampires in South America

What is great about the vampires in South America is that while many of the legends we have form a Euro-centric view of vampires, much of the South American vampire folklore focuses on women as the protagonists.

These are then often seen luring men to their deaths rather than aggressively seeking out and murdering them in their homes. South America provides us with a rich and varied culture of vampiric myths, whether influenced by European steelers or not. This should come as no surprise given the violent nature of their ancient civilisations or the inhospitable landscape where they live.

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