The Giant People of San Francisco River

The São Francisco River or San Fracisco River (Portuguese pronunciation: [sɐ̃w fɾɐ̃ˈsiʃku]) is a river in Brazil. With a length of 2,914 kilometers (1,811 miles) is the longest river that runs entirely in Brazilian territory, and the fourth longest in South America and overall in Brazil (after the Amazon, the Paraná and the Madeira). It used to be known as the Opara by the indigenous people before colonization, and is today also known as Velho Chico ("Old Frank").

Whomever this is not why you guys are here. You guys are here to hear stories about giants living in the basin. One of the legendary figures of Brazilian Folklore (although not very much know) is the Cabloco D’Água, or Nego da água (Black man of The Water). A creature that supposedly live in the waters of the river and is extremely hostile.

In Contemporary stories, the creature is described as being black in color, looking like a man with anphibian and scales, varying to man sized to gigantic (over 6m-20ft tall). The legends says that it likes to bath on the sunlight and hates humans, loving to scare them. The Cabloco likes to takes the fish out of the hooks, break lines, sticks nets and gives sustenance to whoever is used in the boats. As if there were many mischiefs, they would also love to terrorize people; taking people on their backs and taking them to the bottom of river, leaving them there to swim back to shore.
Some legends also say the Cabloco posses mythical powers; If someone managed to cut it’s claws out, they would posses powers to control water and storms, although no one was brave enough to this day to try that.

Whomever the Folklore is not new, and comes originally from Indigineous Peple who live in the basin. According to the Indigenous People of Tupi and Tapuias the River Basin was home to giant one-eyed people that lived in the waters and hated humans. These people were described as being muscular and varying in size, some being black and brown, with scaly features. These people were said to have a skin so hard that arrows would bounce off their skin, and that they lived in caverns protecting fortunes in gold. According to the Natives, in order to use the river, they would have to throw tobacco in the river as an offering to the River Giants.

Depiction of the Cabloco D'água by Native People. Woodcut style art.

Those who actually live in the region (which doesn’t have electricity and live in houses made of clay for most of the times) tell that the creature is indeed real or at least was, as some elderly people believe the Cabloco is extinct. Some reports are from decades ago, from extremely humble people, who may be speaking the truth or not.

So here are the most interesting reports I could find

A Giant on the River

In Juazeiro, in Bahia, where I live, there are legends and ancient stories surrounding the Saint Francisco River. The folklore around it’s ancient and from a small age I heard stories that there live beings that are neither human nor animal. They are there to protect the river and, therefore, they tend to keep people away. Everyone that I knew would ridicularize these stores if spoken as truth.
But one day, over 30 years ago, I went swimming with my husband in the river, as we liked to do, alone on a stretch away from the city. The day was beautiful and the bath was a delight - the nature of the area is really special. That day we dived and, when we submerged, we felt a current forming. The water, which until then had been placid, was suddenly agitated.

We looked at each other and immediately began to swim swiftly to the shore. At that moment, my husband and I felt a strong turbulence going through our legs. It was an upward pressure, as if something were coming up from the bottom of the river to the surface.

Suddenly, a gigantic man emerged from within the water. He was very tall and was naked. He had a muscular body, black skin and bald head, he looked young and had scales on his body. I could hardly believe it, but that man was exactly as they described in the regional stories. As soon as he got out of the water, he started yelling at us in a language we did not understand.

The man moved his arms and legs and the river started shaking, pulling us down. It was difficult to swim and not swallow water. I was terrified and soon understood that he wanted to kill us drowned. We continued struggling, trying to get to the riverbank, until finally we hit the sandbar. I do not know where we drawed strength.

As soon as we got out of the water, we looked back, but the giant was gone. It was all very fast. We got our things and started running away from there. We were desperate, and when we saw the first group people, we told them what had just happened. Nobody believed us. I never had the courage to step on that stretch of bank, not even close. I continue to swim in San Francisco, but to this day I pray and ask for protection every time before I enter. "

Report was made by Angela Pereira, who is 67 years old, retired and never had the courage to return to the scene. Testimony made to Laíssa Barros.

An eyewitness depiction of the Claboco D'Agua.

Attacked by a Fish Man

My maternal grandfather),was born in Nova Serrana, reported a curious encounter with the Cabbloco d'água on the banks of the Lambari River. He would always go fishing with my great-uncle, in some rivers that were up there. My uncle always spoke to be careful of the Cabloco d'água, a mixture of man and monkey that turns the canoe to eat people. But he never gave a # to that story.

One day whomever while he was fishing, he said to have spotted an "omi" (A region term for “man”) lying on a riverside beach, he approached to have a better look, and at a certain distance, he realized that he was not a man but the infamous Cabloco d'água. The creature was "sunbathing", and when the creature noticed his presence, it jumped in the water onto direction of his canoe. Desesperated he grabbed a machete and when the creature reached the canoe, he swinged his machete and managed to cut the creature's hand, the creature than fled. Watching the aftermath, his grandfather saw what looked like to be black scales that came out of his body when he striked.

Report by Seu Luís, Bahia. No age given. Now deceased.

There’s also another report that I readed years ago, but couldn’t find the source anymore. According to the eyewitness, he was fishing by the end of the day when the waters started to agitate and a gigantic man rose from the waters. The creature began to scream to the fishermen and agitate the waters even more, making powerful waves The fishmermen stared to panic in terror and fear of his canoe sinking, in a moment of desperation he remember about the stories of using tobacco to calm down the Cabloco, he took the cigarette he was smoking and threw in the direction of the creature, the creature, then abruptly, lost interest in the fisherman and started to grab the ciggarate, the fisherman took this as an opportunity to get the hell away from there.

Whomever, these stories are regarded as Folklore and myths, and have as much as credibility as that of Medusa or the Minotaur by Brazilian People. Despite that, people of the region fear and respect the River Giants, even rasing a statue of 12 meters for it on the city of Juazeiro, Bahia.

Raised statue in tribute to the Cabloco.

Despite legends and histories, even to this day, ships and canoes on the river uses a Carranca as a form of cultural heregitage, that were supposedly used to scare away the Cabloco D 'Água.

Artist rendering of the Carrancas used by the people of the river.

Hope you guys enjoyed.So what you guys think, was the river, is still is, home to giant amphibian like creatures?

a reply to: Frocharocha

Great post, I really enjoyed learning about something I have never heard of, thank you. I tend to give credence to stories like this, perhaps more so than the more skeptical among us...there are a great many mysteries.

Thanks again

a reply to: Frocharocha

Any chance you might be able to supply a link or a source?
I'd like to read more.

originally posted by: DrumsRfun
a reply to: Frocharocha

Any chance you might be able to supply a link or a source?
I'd like to read more.

Wikipedia Source on the river

First report source

Second report

Some Folklore

Rest of the stuff

It’s interesting that cultures all around the world have sightings of lizard people. Not a lot to add, but there has to be a reason people all over report the same things.

I’ve always thought what if there has been species of humanoids that have evolved on earth before humans came along. Some were evolved from reptiles, some from insects, and us from mammals.

Some may have even made it to high technology, and maybe these are the reasons for reports of reptilian and insectoid type aliens.

a reply to: Frocharocha

Nicely done!

Thanks for the sources, too. I seem to recall hearing a story about this a long while back when I was a kid. Have to see if I can dig it out of this memory of mine...

Thanks!

I love it when good threads pop up in cryptozoology and urban legends. Thanks.

I'm taking a wild guess that you are from the region, or have roots leading there. True? If so, what's your take on it?

I can't say either way whether I believe the tales, but I don't think it's impossible that giants or otherwise undocumented humanoid creatures could be out there.

Maybe he began to hate humans because they kept taking invisibly thin lines attached to sticks with a sharp jagged hook on the other end, and lowering the hooks down into the water where he lives, plays, expresses his feelings, etc... and he misunderstood these hooks as a cruel booby trap by the humans who were many and could travel anywhere, while he was just one man, confined to the river...

...ever since his aquatic spaceship crash landed 2 million years ago, and his amphibious dna allowed him to change direction of his aging process at will.

I guess there have never been 2 witnessed at the same time in the same general location? So we have to accept the possibility that it could be the same specimen all along, which seems to be what the legends describe.

I THINK its actually jellyfish that can reverse aging, not any type of amphibian, but, im not sure.

edit to add- Thanks for sharing bud!

Sounds like the Creature from the Black Lagoon some what. Perhaps the origin of that movie creature.

Thanks for reminding me why I like this site. Great thread!

a reply to: underwerks

I cannot recall the author's name but not too long ago a cryptid researcher put together a collection of news articles from all over the world at varying times in history of reports of different cryptids. I find it implausible to believe people across the world from different cultures, races, and religions simultaneously decided to hoax stories that are nearly identical in their descriptions of appearance and actions of their respective cryptid sightings.

a reply to: Frocharocha

An excellent job covering this for everyone.
So many parallels to other legends else
where.

I once knew this old guy who would say.

"If the rivers makes noise, there must
be something in it".

Kick it in the balls and run!

Or shoot it in the head if you have a gun.

I actually thought this was about nancy pelosi.

Either way.....

Very refreshing to see a post like this,very interesting and nice to hear of stories from people native to area,nice to see something of social redemption

Having some creature sunbathing on the riverside - sounds like an alligator, crocodile or Komodo dragon. There are species of snakes which can also swim in water. Komodo dragons have a strong sense of smell, so perhaps they could smell the odor of tobacco.

a reply to: Frocharocha

One more story about this was made into a movie. The Shape of Water.

originally posted by: DictionaryOfExcuses
I love it when good threads pop up in cryptozoology and urban legends. Thanks.

I'm taking a wild guess that you are from the region, or have roots leading there. True? If so, what's your take on it?

I can't say either way whether I believe the tales, but I don't think it's impossible that giants or otherwise undocumented humanoid creatures could be out there.

No i'm not from the region xD. But i'm Brazilian and they teach in schools about these legends as Folklore when we are children. Whomever if you actually go to these regions and talk to people who live in some of these areas, they will actually say that it's real and you can even find eyewitness accounts.

originally posted by: stormcell
Having some creature sunbathing on the riverside - sounds like an alligator, crocodile or Komodo dragon. There are species of snakes which can also swim in water. Komodo dragons have a strong sense of smell, so perhaps they could smell the odor of tobacco.

Sadly, there are no big reptiles know to be native to the region. The biggest crocodilian species to live in Brazil is the Açu-alligator, which can get as big as 18ft (5.5 meters in lenght) and since they are not hunted like the american alligator big ones are a common sight, but they only live in the amazon basin.

Whomever there are reports and pictures of alligators found on the river basin, and there were instances of alligators being released on the river, so it's a possible explanation, but i find unlikely.

a reply to: Frocharocha

I really enjoyed that thanks.

Unfortunately. Word of mouth passed down stores.

But. Probably based on a real event.

Maybe misidentification. Croc or large fish (catfish).

Really liked how they thought tobacco would help.

Maybe this is a relative.

www.youtube.com...

Cool thread.