Headless Mule
Also called HeadlessMule.
From Brazilian folklore, the Headless Mule is a fire-spewing equine without a head. It gallops at night, its eerie, flame-lit path signifying impending doom.
At a glance
- Tradition
- Brazilian folklore
- Region
- Brazil (place of origin)
Near this figure
and 1 more
Traits
Read from the figure's description, which a model wrote. Open "why" for the sentence a trait came from.
Form
- Cursed into monstrous form
why
this terrifying entity is the cursed form of a woman who committed adultery with a priest or was tempted by the devil
- Headless body
why
This supernatural equine is described as a large, powerful mule without a head, its neck ending in a stump from which bright flames erupt, illuminating its path through the darkness.
- Impervious hide resists conventional weapons
why
The Headless Mule's body is often depicted as black or dark brown, with some accounts describing its hide as impervious to weapons.
Behaviour
- Curse transforms adulterer into beast on fixed weekday
why
As punishment, she is transformed into a headless mule every Thursday night from midnight to sunrise.
- Attracted to religious objects or relics
why
The creature is said to have an insatiable appetite for religious objects, particularly blessed candles, rosaries, and crucifixes.
- Curse broken by removing bridle or harness
why
Some versions of the legend claim that the curse can be broken if a brave individual removes the bridle from the mule's mouth, though this act is perilous and rarely attempted.
Sight and sound
- Body wreathed in flames
why
This supernatural equine is described as a large, powerful mule without a head, its neck ending in a stump from which bright flames erupt, illuminating its path through the darkness.
- Steel or silver hooves ring on stone
why
The creature's hooves are said to be made of steel or silver, creating an eerie, rhythmic clanging as it gallops through towns and countryside.
Omens
- Harbinger precedes disaster
why
It gallops at night, its eerie, flame-lit path signifying impending doom.
Offensive powers
- Fire-breathing
why
This supernatural equine is described as a large, powerful mule without a head, its neck ending in a stump from which bright flames erupt, illuminating its path through the darkness.
Roles
Judged from the works' own entries, not from the description. Carries: the figure holds the role. Meets: the role is in its stories, held by something it meets.
- Shadow carries both readings
1 citation
- Theresa Bane, Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore, s.v. "Headless Mule."