It is a question that has plagued mankind for centuries yet has been solved with no credible answers: how do mermaids…you know…mate? Artist Walmor Corrêa wondered about this and other questions of mythical creature anatomy, so he set out to create a series of anatomical drawings exploring the bodies of the mermaid and several other famous mythical beings.
(all images via: Flavorwire)
Corrêa has always been a fan of Leonardo da Vinci’s incredible anatomical drawings as well as Brazilian folklore. He found a stunning way to combine them in these beautiful charts detailing the inner workings of monsters and myths. These fascinating drawings are so visually striking that it is hard to look away – even from the slightly more grotesque images.
The suite of drawings is also serving to familiarize the rest of the world with Brazilian folklore. Many of these monsters are unknown to people in North America. The Capelobo, above, is a foul-smelling man/ape monster that roams the woods and feasts on newborn kittens and puppies.
The ipupiara is somewhat similar to a mermaid, having a human head and the body of a water creature. Legend has it that both male and female ipupiara fed on unsuspecting sailors and beach-goers by smothering them with an embrace and then eating their most tender body parts.
Curupira is a protector of the forest whose most startling physical characteristic is his backward-facing feet. He is said to lead destructive sport-hunter humans into traps that will have them wandering the forest forever with no hope of escaping.
Wealthy people who ridicule priests or other holy people fear being turned into the cachorra da palmeira, a dog-like beast that was doomed to run eternally or be confined to a cage for life as punishment for the unkindness.

