The Curupira is a male supernatural being who guards the forest in Tupi mythology in Brazil.
He usually takes the form of a boy with (literally) flaming hair and green teeth. His most startling characteristic, however, is that his feet are turned to face backwards.
Its raison d'être is to protect the forest from the destructive habits of man. It happily tolerates those who hunt for food but is infuriated by those who hunt for the pleasure of it and will lay traps and confuse them so that they become eternally lost in the forest. His backward feet, for example, have the effect of confusing hunters who may try to follow his tracks.
The Curupira blends many features of West-African and European fairies but was usually regarded as a demonic figure.
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