My Informant is a student who has ties to her hispanic heritage. She shared a legend that she heard as a child, that was passed down to her from her Grandfather.

Informant:

“The Chupacabra is a forest creature that attacks Children. My grandfather described it as the size of a dog and that it has claws and growls. The Chupacabra also attacks and sucks the blood out of the live stock, thats why you find animals dead and drained of blood.”

My analysis:

The Chupacabra is an urban legend that is common among many families of mexican-american descent. In this instance, the legend is utilized possibly to frighten children into behaving. It also displays characteristics of a legend in that the way the narrative is presented as if the Chupacabra were a real creature. Unlike other stories of monsters or ghosts, the Chupacabra seems extremely realistic in its description. It is also possibly utilized as an explanation for wild animal attacks, when there seems no other alternative.