Tag Archives: creature

Duendes

Duendes or Los Menos

Duendes and Los Menos, are mythical beings very similar to elves, gnomes, sprites or goblins. They are very mischievous creatures that like to play jokes on people.

Interpretation of Duenes by Artist-Illustrator Ray Wu. Watch out, here they come!
Interpretation of Duenes by Artist-Illustrator Ray Wu. Watch out, here they come!

Duendes are very similar to other mischievous creatures such as elves, gnomes, sprites or goblins. They enjoy playing jokes on people. They can be both good and bad creatures all depending on their moods. Small but noisy, they can be very bothersome. They are many times blamed for strange noises in a home.

Duendes are known to drop stones on porches just to annoy. They can be heard running in the night and like to giggle and laugh loudly. Duendes like to make things disappear, move things around or change them completely. If a fire in the hearth goes out, gets too high or sparks it is always the fault of a duende. They are just a big nuisance.

Duendes are not tall. They are said to be the size of a small boy. It may have the height of the boy but its face is wrinkled like an old man. They usually wear some type of red clothing and usually can be found in groups of no more than five. Even though they travel in groups they are almost impossible to be seen. These fun-loving little imps are invisible to humans only unless they want to be seen. They make themselves visible usually only when there is no sun or at dawn. It is said that only children and simple-minded people can see them and when they do it usually makes them cry.

Los Menos

seem to prefer nature and freedom more than being inside but they can live in many places. They like caves, old tree trunks and hidden places under stones. They like hidden corners of a home, in the attic, or in warehouses. They are known to play with crickets and torture butterflies. They enjoy dancing by the light of the moon.

Los Menos are known to take children that are not baptized. If they do take a child, usually it is a boy. They will take the child deep into the mountains or countryside and turn this child into one of them. If the child has been baptized and they took it by accident, they will set it free in the mountains where there are no people. Here the child will roam and get lost.

So, if you feel that there is someone watching you from the darkness. Maybe you see a quick flicker of eyes in the dark or hear a little giggle and feet scampering. You could be being stalked by the mischievous unseen Duende, waiting to see what turmoil he can cause….

Los Biembiens

Los Biembiens

According to the legend, Los Biembien are found in the mountains of Bahoruco, Dominican Republic. They are escaped African Slaves and Indians who ran to the mountains to hide. As time passed they transformed into wild beings and became legendary.

Interpretation of Los Biembiens by Artist-Illustrator Ray Wu
Interpretation of Los Biembiens by Artist-Illustrator Ray Wu

The legend of the Biembien started in the 1700’s. It is said these beings are located in the mountains of Bahoruco, Dominican Republic. The story goes that an African slave and some Indians ran from their Spanish enslavers. After a long time, hiding in the mountains away from any type of civilization, they transformed into wild beings and became legendary.

The Biembiens only language is grunt-like sounds. They are mean, nasty and very unfriendly beings. They do not wear clothes to cover their naked short, deformed and ugly bodies.

These creepy creatures are very agile climbers of both trees and mountains. They travel and attack alone or in groups. Biembiens remain in hiding during the daylight hours, crawling out when the light dwindles. They emerge from their hiding places to search for food. Like the Ciguapa they also leave backward tracks to protect themselves from being discovered. These nasty creatures are known to eat humans, mainly the entrails, and also use humans as sacrifices.

So, if you are walking in the mountains and you hear unusual growls and gurgling and you know it is not your stomach. Run. Do not walk. Remember, here in the Dominican Republic we have no wild animals. If you hear a growl it can only be a roaming Biembien, looking for its next victim.

El Bacà

The Bacà

The Bacà is a diabolical creature that people conjure up to get wealth and property. It is also called upon to protect land and property from being stolen. It is thought that when a person all of a sudden gets prosperous they have conjured up a bacà.

Interpretation of El Bacá by Artist-Illustrator Ray Wu
Interpretation of El Bacá by Artist-Illustrator Ray Wu

The baca can take the form of a black cat, a dog, bull or other animals. Once conjured this shape-shifting creature becomes very demanding. It wants great sacrifices on the part of the person who uses him.

To get what you ask for from this creature it is like making a pact with the devil himself. In return for your gains he might be nice and just take some of your lands, homes, businesses or livestock. If you are one of the unlucky ones you might have to pay the ultimate price by having you, your friends or your family suffer from diseases, illnesses, bad things happening or the ultimate price, dying mysterious or by committing suicide.

So before you decide you would give anything to become prosperous think long and hard before you call upon a baca. Do you really want to sell your soul to the devil for eternity just to have a short time of prosperity?