Beyond the Beyond: The Legend of the Minhocão

Beyond the Beyond: The Legend of the Minhocão

I’ve covered quite a few cryptids in this column so far: the Jersey Devil, Sasquatch, Champ, Nessie, the De Loys Ape, the Skunk Ape. Am I forgetting anyone? But a funny thing about these creatures hidden from public view and mainstream science… there’s always more where they came from. Sometimes from the sky, sometimes from the forest, and sometimes from deep underground.

The name Minhocão roughly translates to “giant earthworm,” but the creature that’s been seen doesn’t quite match the description. This is not some docile, soil-dwelling terrestrial invertebrate waiting to be skewered on the world’s largest fish hook. This thing is a huge, land-reshaping behemoth capable of uprooting trees and destroying farmland. Over twelve meters in length, with skin like armor and rows of jagged teeth, the Minhocão has garnered a reputation in parts of Brazil as something to be avoided at all costs.

The earliest reports date back to the 1840s, with one of the key sources being Augustin Saint-Hilaire, a French naturalist traveling through Brazil. He never had a sighting himself, but documented several accounts of a giant, burrowing creature that would occasionally disrupt the locals and cause major havoc to the land and waterways. In 1877, a German naturalist named Fritz Müller documented similar accounts given by the locals. They spoke of a massive creature living deep in the ground below them, of large trenches that would form overnight, and the destruction of the forest, as if the roots and bottoms of trees had been destroyed suddenly.

Other accounts came in from rural farmers who claimed they had witnessed the beast, or beasts. Low, dragging, rumbling sounds were heard out of sight and just under the ground. Water sources would disappear overnight. Livestock suddenly disappeared. Whole sections of the earth would shift or collapse into the ground.

Descriptions of the Minhocão often varied, however. Some would describe it as a terrifying beast, covered in scales with rows of razor-sharp teeth. Others simply said it looked like a giant, featureless worm. Still others suggested that it traveled not through the earth, but in hidden, subterranean waterways. Skeptics balked, chalking up the shifting landscapes to terrain-altering underground water. The sightings were merely large snakes, misidentified by locals playing the telephone game with local lore.

As with many so-called cryptid tales, the sightings eventually dried up. As the world shifts more toward a scientific view of things—less myth and more method—encounters like this seem to be few and far between. Maybe there was nothing there to begin with. What started as misidentification could have turned into something more. Or maybe, whatever was being seen was the last of a long lineage of creatures held over from some other time. Regardless, the Minhocão’s legend persists on shows and podcasts about the paranormal. If you’re ever traveling in rural Brazil, you’re sure to find plenty of livestock roaming the hills and jungle there. Watch where you step, dear traveler, for more reasons than one.

Have you seen a giant worm? Message @beyondthebeyond1 on Instagram.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Eastern Sierra Now. Readers are encouraged to conduct further research and consult with relevant experts or professionals before making any decisions or taking any actions based on the information provided in this article.

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