Xutumutul

General overview

The Xutmutul is a boogeyman of the Arakat peoples folklore. It is part of stories told to children to make them behave well, especially to make them stay close to home. The term means 'The one who brings his own pot', a cryptic name, that is best understood by looking at one version of the story.
While nowadays the threat that birthed the story is long gone, still Men, women and children vanish every now and then, either taken by someone or falling victim to a predator. Thus the Xutumutul lives on...

One version of the story

Out in the fields, midst the high grass, out in the groves, midst the bushes, there he waits. You know who I mean: The Xutumutul! Black as he is, he lies in the blackest shadows, ensnaring the children too daring! Why are they black? They are creatures of the night, creatures of the shadows. That's where they lurk, waiting to inhale the unwary. They are not beasts though, as they carry their pots on their heads. They drag you right in there, make you their stew.
Remember Sarissa, my childhood friend from next door? One day his mommy called out for him: 'Sarissa, Sarissa, don't venture too far! Stay safe and stay where mothers vigilant eyes are!'
I remember Sarissa, his hair brown as tree bark and wild with the ball. But that one day, he ventures out too far, ventured where mommys eyes no longer are. Never to return he ventures out.
A small of fire was in the air that night. Was it the Xutumutul boiling his stew?

Historical sources

The origin of the Xumutul lies in distant and brutal past experiences the Arakat people have made. The weird name of this boogeyman is explained, when looking at the historical roots. They were originally derived from Asargam soldiers, who were clad in black armour and had a helmet on their heads. This explains the colour and the 'pot' the Xumutul carries. During their presence at the southern tip of Erana, the Asargam soldiers regularly raided nearby Arakat communities, not only plundering the storages, but also abducting women and children for various purposes, one of which was slavery. Over time these abductions and the abductors were reinterpreted and used, to make children behave better.