Abath VS Saci (Brazilian folklore)

An Abath is a legendary creature resembling a unicorn, first appearing in records in the 16th century. Accounts of the Abath were brought back by 16th-century European travellers to the Malay Peninsula. Described as female, with a single horn growing from its forehead, it is speculated that these were probably the result of a half-glimpsed Javan or Sumatran rhinoceros. Like the unicorn, a powder made from this horn supposedly served both as an aphrodisiac and as an antidote to poison. However, since the unicorn was invariably represented as male, and since there was only ever one in existence at any time, the Abath seems to have developed independently from the European myths of the one-horned creature.

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Saci (pronounced [saˈsi] or [sɐˈsi]) is a character in Brazilian folklore. He is a one-legged black or mulatto youngster, who smokes a pipe and wears a magical red cap that enables him to disappear and reappear wherever he wishes (usually in the middle of a dust devil). Considered an annoying prankster in most parts of Brazil, and a potentially dangerous and malicious creature in others, he nevertheless grants wishes to anyone who manages to trap him or steal his magic cap. However, his cap is often depicted as having a bad smell. Most people who claimed to have stolen this cap say they can never wash the smell away. The legend says that a person can trap a Saci inside a bottle when he is in the form of a dust devil. There are several variants of the myth, including: Saci-pererê (pronounced [sɐˈsi pe̞ɾeˈɾe]), black as coal; Saci-trique (pronounced [sɐˈsi ˈtɾikɪ]), mulatto and more benign; Saci-saçurá (pronounced [sɐˈsi sɐsuˈɾa]), with red eyes. Saci-pererê is also the name of a Brazilian cocktail consisting of 60 millilitres (2.1 imp fl oz; 2.0 US fl oz) of cachaça and 45 millilitres (1.6 imp fl oz; 1.5 US fl oz) of honey, which is a home remedy said to be useful in treating the common cold.

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