Mbói Tu'ĩ is one of the seven legendary

monster A monster is a type of imaginary or fictional creature found in literature, folklore, mythology, fiction and religion. They are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive, with a strange or grotesque appearance that causes Anxiety, terror ...

s of Guaraní mythology. He was the second son of

Tau Tau (; uppercase Τ, lowercase τ or \boldsymbol\tau; ) is the nineteenth letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiceless alveolar plosive, voiceless dental or alveolar plosive . In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 300 ...

and Kerana.

Name

''Mbói Tu'ĩ'' literally translates to "

snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

parrot Parrots (Psittaciformes), also known as psittacines (), are birds with a strong curved beak, upright stance, and clawed feet. They are classified in four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genus (biology), genera, found mostly in ...

" which describes this creature's appearance.

Myths

Mbói Tu'ĩ has the form of an enormous serpent with a huge parrot head and a huge beak. It also has a red, forked

tongue The tongue is a Muscle, muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for chewing and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper s ...

the colour of

blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood is com ...

. Its

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different ...

is scaly and streaked. Feathers cover its head. It has a harmful look that frightens anyone who has the misfortune of meeting it. It surveys swamps protecting amphibian life. Furthermore, it enjoys humid places and flowers. It lets out an incredibly powerful and terrible squawk which can be heard from very far off and which instils terror in all who hear it. It is considered the protector of aquatic animals and wetlands.

References

*COLMAN, Narciso R. (Rosicrán): Ñande Ypy Kuéra ("Nuestros antepasados"), 1929 Guaraní legendary creatures Guaraní deities Sea and river gods Legendary serpents Legendary birds Mythological hybrids {{SouthAm-myth-stub

Name

Myths

See also

References