Duende sightings and cultural narratives in Ecuador

Record summary

Ecuadorian duende traditions describe small humanlike beings associated with forests, rivers, children, and household or rural danger. Since 2010, local videos, television segments, social-media accounts, and folklore discussions have circulated alleged duende encounters, but the named tradition substantially predates those media forms. The lead supports comparison of “little people” reports across Latin America and of how Catholic, Indigenous, and popular motifs combine. Individual clips and testimonies require independent identification because many are reposted without dates, locations, or original witnesses.