Sisimito
Description
Belizean counterpart of the Sasquatch — massive hairy hominid dwelling in deep jungle. Has backward feet to confuse trackers. Kidnaps women and crushes men
The Legend
In the legends of Belize and Honduras, Sisimito (or Sisimite, Sisimita, Súkara, Itacayo) is described as a gorilla-like creature with a head similar to that of a human, standing on two legs. This creature is said to have a body covered in black or dark brown fur and is believed to be larger than the average person. Sisimito has four fingers on its hands, lacks a thumb, and possesses monkey-like facial features and backward-facing feet without knees. The name varies among different ethnic groups; for example, the Garifuna people refer to it as Sismidu. This name has no exact translation in English and is believed to be derived from the Nahuatl word Tzitzimitl.
Variants
According to Honduran legend, Sisimito is said to target human women for abduction. If a woman falls in love with Sisimito, it claims her as its own, and she is never seen again. Meanwhile, in Belizean legend, Sisimito is said to eat humans. In Belizean society, it is believed that if a man looks into the eyes of Sisimito, he will die within a month, while if a woman looks, her life will be extended. Sisimito is known to inhabit caves and rocky areas in mountainous regions and is said to take on a human form to lure people.
In Popular Culture
Sisimito appears in the 1951 B-movie 'Bride of the Gorilla,' where it is referred to as súkara, one of several regional names. Belizean author Henry Anderson wrote a series of adventure novels set in his hometown, known as 'Sisimito.' The character is also mentioned in the 2018 video game 'Shadow of the Tomb Raider,' where it appears in a collectible document discovered by the protagonist Lara Croft in the Peruvian jungle.
This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Sisimito" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia