allexperts help needed!Mexican blood sucker?

[kittynh]

here is the question.....


Is there any truth to the legend of "El Chupa Cabra" the blood sucking
alien from Mexico? if the answer is no might you know who made up the
legend?



...........................


I usually get abductions and nuts and bolts UFOs in the sky. I've heard of this chupa Cabra, but never as an alien! And where the legend started? Any help? Thanks!

[Lisa Simpson]

I have no idea where the legend comes from, but skepdic has a nice article about it.

http://skepdic.com/chupa.html

[kittynh]

Thanks! I'll send on that link.

I have no clue about the legend. On Puerto Rico they think their blood sucking dude is a demon. It also helps keep the kids in at night!

[Pragmatist]

In certain regions of Mexico, particularly the Northern mountain regions, young goat meat is something of a delicacy (cabrito). There are many people (particularly men) who believe that drinking the fresh blood of a slaughtered baby goat will confer health, strength and virility. And when the goats are slaughtered, they usually do it by cutting the throat and collecting the blood. Usually the collected blood is given or sold to various people to drink while fresh. Any remaining blood is typically used to make a kind of soup.

If you go to open markets in many areas of Northern Mexico, it's not unusual to see goats being publicly slaughtered and the blood offered for sale as a drink. Somewhat gruesome!

Most of the ranches where goats are raised are in open desert regions, and the goats are often left to roam free over huge areas. These areas are typically deserted and it's really easy for anyone who feels like a dose of goat blood to just grab a goat and bleed it. Therefore my personal suspicion is that people who believe that goat blood is the ultimate health food, probably just help themselves when they feel like it. The farmer comes along later and finds a exsanguinated goat and possibly jumps to conclusions - especially given that these kinds of farmers are often very simple, very superstitious people.

No evidence either way, but I believe that's the most likely explanation.

[DaChew]

Oh. I thought you were talking about my wife for a second. Never mind.