Sisimito
A gorilla-like creature from Central American folklore.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The Sisimito, also known as Sisimite, Sisimita, Súkara, and Itacayo, is a creature from Belizean and Honduran folklore, described as a bipedal upright gorilla-like being with a human-like head and long hair or fur covering its body. It is sometimes called 'the Mexican Bigfoot' and is also known in Guatemala and Nicaragua. The name is believed to derive from the Nahuatl word Tzitzimitl, and it has no true English translation.
- Also known as
- Sisimite, Sisimita, Súkara, Itacayo, Sismidu
- Region
- Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua
- Described as
- Bipedal upright gorilla-like creature with black or dark brown fur, four fingers per hand, no thumbs, backward-facing feet, no knees
- Diet (Honduran legend)
- Wild berries; not carnivorous
- Diet (Belizean legend)
- Raw meat, fruits, and humans
- Fear
- Water and dogs
Lore & Background
In Honduran legend, the Sisimite is said to kidnap human women; if a woman falls in love with one, she will never be seen again. Explorer Jesús Aguilar Paz stated that the Sisimite lives in the highest Honduran mountains, in inaccessible caverns, feeding on wild berries and descending to villages only to kidnap women. The union of a Sisimite and a human is believed to produce ape men.
Reader's Guide
The Sisimito holds significance as a figure of fear and caution in Central American folklore, particularly in Belize and Honduras. In Belize, it is said to feast on humans, tearing bodies into pieces, and is believed to assume human form to lure victims. It is especially active on Sundays and religious holidays like Good Friday, preying on hunters and those who stray into the bush. The creature is also thought to attack men who kill animals needlessly or destroy the forest. Despite its malevolence, it can be outsmarted due to its lack of intelligence: dancing in a circle makes it trip on its backward feet; dogs and large bodies of water deter it; and setting fire to its long hair is the ultimate way to get rid of it. The Sisimito has appeared in popular culture, including the 1951 B-movie Bride of the Gorilla (under the name súkara), adventure novels by Belize writer Henry Anderson, and a collectible document in the 2018 video game Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Did You Know?
- The Sisimito is also called Súkara and Itacayo, and the Garifuna people call it Sismidu.
- In Belizean legend, looking a Sisimito in the eyes causes men to die within a month, but prolongs a woman's life.
- The Sisimito is afraid of water and dogs, and can be outsmarted by dancing in a circle or setting fire to its long hair.
- The Ketchi people believe the thunder deity Tzultacah has pulled the Sisimito back into dense jungles due to deforestation.
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