▁of ▁the ▁central ▁myth ological ▁cre atures ▁among ▁Gu ar ani - spe aking ▁cult ures . ▁ ▁The ▁A o ▁A o ▁is ▁often ▁described ▁as ▁being ▁a ▁v ora cious ▁sheep - like ▁creature ▁with ▁a ▁massive ▁set ▁of ▁f angs . ▁Alternatively , ▁it ▁is ▁also ▁described ▁as ▁being ▁a ▁large , ▁car n iv orous ▁pe cc ary . ▁Its ▁name ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁sound ▁that ▁it ▁makes , ▁how ling ▁" A o ▁ao ▁ao !" ▁when ▁it ▁is ▁purs uing ▁its ▁vict ims . ▁The ▁original ▁A o ▁A o ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁prof ound ▁re product ive ▁powers ▁and ▁thus ▁sometimes ▁is ▁identified ▁as ▁being ▁the ▁Gu aran í ▁spirit ▁of ▁fert ility . ▁A o ▁A o ▁produced ▁many ▁off spring ▁who ▁are ▁curs ed ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁manner , ▁and ▁collect ively ▁they ▁served ▁as ▁l ords ▁and ▁protect ors ▁of ▁the ▁hills ▁and ▁the ▁mountains . ▁ ▁A o ▁A o ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁people ▁as ▁its ▁sole ▁source ▁of ▁food . ▁Although ▁the ▁creature ▁is ▁clearly ▁not ▁human ▁in ▁description , ▁it ▁is ▁at ▁least ▁half - human ▁by ▁birth , ▁which ▁accounts ▁for ▁its ▁can n ib al ism . ▁According ▁to ▁most ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁myth , ▁the ▁A o ▁A o , ▁upon ▁loc ating ▁a ▁victim ▁for ▁its ▁next ▁me al , ▁will ▁purs ue ▁the ▁un fortun ate ▁person ▁over ▁any ▁distance ▁and ▁over ▁any ▁terrain , ▁not ▁stopping ▁until ▁it ▁has ▁had ▁its