Brazilian mythology

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Brazilian mythology" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject. Please help improve the article by providing more context for the reader. (February 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Part of a series on the
Culture of Brazil
Society
Demographics Folklore History Holidays Immigration Languages People Religions Women
Topics
Art Architecture Cinema Comics Cuisine Dance Literature Media Print Radio Television Music Monuments Painting Sports Video gaming
Symbols
Flag Coat of arms Anthem Miss Brazil Bird World Heritage Sites
Brazil portal
v t e

Brazilian mythology is a rich and diverse part of Brazilian folklore with cultural elements, comprising folk tales, traditions, characters, and beliefs. The category is representative of Brazil’s greater culture, being a melting pot of Iberic traditions brought by the Portuguese settlers, African traditions brought by Africans during the colonial slave trade, and the traditions and stories of indigenous groups that have occupied Brazil for centuries.

Because Brazil is a melting pot of cultures, many elements of Brazilian mythology are shared by the traditions of other countries, especially its South American neighbors and Portugal. There is no singular mythological doctrine in Brazil; instead, there is a patchwork collection of stories and teachings from different cultural groups that each contribute unique stories, teachings, and figures to the overall mythology of Brazil.

The mythology of Brazil, especially that of the local indigenous groups, has largely been kept alive through oral tradition and theater-like storytelling.^[1] Because of the historic reliance upon oral tradition, a lack of written records, and great differences in the geographies of different native groups, myths and stories with the same roots developed wide variation in different regions.^[2] While this leads to some ambiguity and confusion among scholars about “original” versions, there are similarities and common themes like reverence for nature, ethical teachings, and origin stories. The similarities act like a common thread connecting each region as a singular culture.