Tunda
Encyclopedia
The Tunda is a myth
of the Colombia
n Pacific region, and particularly in the afro-American community, about a vampire
-like monster woman that lures people into the forests and keeps them there. Sometimes it appears in the form of a loved one, as the likeness of a child's mother, who would lure him into the forest and feed its victim with shrimps she has farted upon (camarones peídos) to keep her victims docile in some kind of trance. This is call entundamiento and a person in this state is entundado(a) .
They say her shapeshifting
abilities are not perfect, as this doppelgänger
of sorts would always have a wooden leg in the shape of a molinillo
, or wooden kitchen utensil used to stir hot drinks such as chocolate or aguapanela
. The monster, however, is very cunning when trying to hide this defect from its would-be victims . In other versions, it appears to male loggers or hunters working deep into the jungle as a beautiful woman that tries to lure a man away, so it can reveal its hideous nature and suck his blood or devour him as a wild animal.
who shares a deformity of the foot that gives her away as creature and a real woman. She too lures men to their deaths, also having sex with them.
This feature of deformed feet also shows up stories about the Deer Woman
, another shape-shifter of North American native
s mythology
. Deer woman is also a seducer of men, luring them to their deaths unless they are fortunate to notice in time that she has hooves instead of human feet.
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
of the Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n Pacific region, and particularly in the afro-American community, about a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
-like monster woman that lures people into the forests and keeps them there. Sometimes it appears in the form of a loved one, as the likeness of a child's mother, who would lure him into the forest and feed its victim with shrimps she has farted upon (camarones peídos) to keep her victims docile in some kind of trance. This is call entundamiento and a person in this state is entundado(a) .
They say her shapeshifting
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
abilities are not perfect, as this doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
of sorts would always have a wooden leg in the shape of a molinillo
Molinillo (whisk)
A Molinillo is a traditional Mexican turned wood whisk. Its use is principally for the preparation of hot beverages such as hot chocolate, atole and champurrado. The molinillo is held between the palms and rotated by rubbing the palms together; this rotation creates the froth in the drink...
, or wooden kitchen utensil used to stir hot drinks such as chocolate or aguapanela
Aguapanela
Aguapanela or agua de panela is a drink native to southern Central America and northern South America. It literally means "panela water" as it is an infusion made from panela which is a hardened, concentrated syrup from the cane...
. The monster, however, is very cunning when trying to hide this defect from its would-be victims . In other versions, it appears to male loggers or hunters working deep into the jungle as a beautiful woman that tries to lure a man away, so it can reveal its hideous nature and suck his blood or devour him as a wild animal.
Similarities to other legends or monsters
The Tunda bears a marked resemblance to another Colombian male shape-shifting monster known as the PatasolaPatasola
The Patasola or "one foot" is one of many myths in South American folklore about female monsters from the jungle, appearing to male hunters or loggers in the middle of the wilderness when they think about women...
who shares a deformity of the foot that gives her away as creature and a real woman. She too lures men to their deaths, also having sex with them.
This feature of deformed feet also shows up stories about the Deer Woman
Deer Woman
Deer Woman, sometimes also known as Deer Lady, is a shape-shifting woman in Native American mythology, in and around Oklahoma, The Western United States and The Pacific Northwest....
, another shape-shifter of North American native
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
s mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
. Deer woman is also a seducer of men, luring them to their deaths unless they are fortunate to notice in time that she has hooves instead of human feet.