The Cryptid Zoo: Gourd Head

Gourd Head is a humanoid reported from various rivers in Brazil. He is also called negro d'agua (or "black man of the waters"). Perhaps these are two different humanoids, but the legends are nearly identical and come from the same basic region, so they are probably two names for the same being.

Gourd Head is described as being about three feet tall. This creature has dark skin and an oversized bald head with the same shape as a calabash gourd. It has webbed hands and feet, and prefers to lurk near the water, perhaps linking it to mermaid legends. Folklore attributes Gourd Head with the power to breathe underwater and to repel bullets. Although the creature looks similar in different folktales, it does not always behave the same. Depending on the town you are in when you ask about its habits, Gourd Head may be a shy fellow who always flees into the water at the first sign of humans, he may be a prankster who messes with boats and scares children, or he may be a killer and cannibal.

You can find out more about Gourd Head from the following sources:

Newton, Michael. Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology: A Global Guide to Hidden Animals and Their Pursuers. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2005. Page 326

Smith, Nigel. The Enchanted Amazon Rain Forest. Miami: University Press of Florida, 1996. Page 83