The Iberian Peninsula brought the Coco (or El Coco ) to Latin America. In Spain, parents sing, "Duérmete niño, duérmete ya... Que viene el Coco y te comerá" (Sleep child, sleep now... Because the Coco is coming and will eat you). When the Portuguese colonized Brazil, Coco transformed into Cuca (a female crocodile-like version) and Papão evolved into the male, shadowy .
In pre-modern Europe, the creature was often depicted as a shape-shifter. He could
The key difference is that the Anglo-Saxon Bogeyman is often used for general "naughtiness," while the is specifically nocturnal. He is the god of the bedroom, not the playground.