Headless Mule

CreatureBrazil · South AmericaLegendFear 7/10

Description

A creature from the folklore of Brazil. The Headless Mule (Portuguese: mula sem cabeça, pronounced [ˈmulɐ ˈsẽj kɐˈbesɐ]) is a mythical…

Origin & Background

The term Headless Mule (헤드리스 뮬) was first recorded in the 1940s. This myth is believed to have medieval origins (around the 12th century) and is thought to have been transmitted to Brazil during the early colonial period (after the 16th century). This story is most popular in the states of Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Paraná, and Mato Grosso, and is well known throughout Brazil. Similar myths exist in neighboring Hispanic countries (Muladona and Almamula).

The Legend

The Headless Mule is a headless mythical being, depicted very differently depending on the region. It is generally described as brown, but sometimes appears black. This mule has a terrible hoof sound and silver (or iron) horseshoes. Although it has no head, it still howls very loudly and sometimes makes moaning sounds like a crying woman. Additionally, a bridle is tied to its nonexistent mouth, and it breathes fire from nonexistent nostrils (or in some versions, from a severed neck).

In Popular Culture

The Headless Mule appears in AdventureQuest Worlds under the name 'Mula Sem Cabeça.' In this version, the mule is depicted as having fire instead of a head. It is one of the creatures that attack Terra da Festa before the Carnival party. In the MMORPG Ragnarok Online, it appears as a monster in Brasilis Field, manifested as a red, flaming headless horse. In the Netflix series 'Invisible City' (Cidade Invisível), the Headless Mule is portrayed as a woman named Clarisse, who transforms into this creature as a result of an affair with the town's priest.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Headless Mule" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia