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Welcome to the Believable and the Bull$#!%. Together, Justin and Ben research local urban legends and see if they can stand up to the scrutiny of two less than qualified podcasters.
In our pilot episode we tell the tale of a monster that preys on children in Latin culture.
The urban legend originated in Portugal and Galicia with its name deriving from the Portuguese word côco, which means “coconut.” The term is used as a colloquialism to refer to a human head or skull. In the legend, parents call upon the Cucuy/Coco/Cuco to discourage their children from misbehaving. The legend is usually told as a bedtime story or a lullaby to scare children into obeying their parents. The legend doesn’t focus on how the Cucuy looks, but instead on what it does to the children. In most versions of the story it is a child eater and kidnapper. It devours the child, leaving no trace, or it spirits the child away to an unknown realm from which they cannot return. The monster is constantly on the lookout for disobedient children, often perching itself on top of roofs. It is often portrayed as the opposite of a guardian angel in most versions.
In this episode, we take a look at the many mysteries surrounding this tale, while also mentioning the many legends that share similarities with this story. The episode also features interviews from those who grew up hearing the story, and we see how this effected their behavior as children.
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