El Coco
El Coco (also known as El Cuco) is the bogeyman figure of the Spanish-speaking world, a ghost-like monster used for centuries to frighten children into good behavior. Originating in 17th-century Iberia and brought to the Americas through Spanish colonization, El Coco is described as a shapeless, shadowy figure with glowing red eyes that hides in closets, under beds, or in dark corners. The classic Spanish lullaby warns: 'Duérmete niño, duérmete ya... Que viene el Coco y te comerá' (Sleep child, sleep now... Or the Coco will come and eat you). In the Mexican-American communities of the US South