- The 10 main legends and myths of Chile
- 1- La Lola
- 2- The Pachayatas
- 3- The Alicanto
- 4- The Inca lagoon
- 5- La Calchona
- 6- El Gualicho
- 7- Ayayema
- 8- Patagonian giants
- 9- La Pincoya
- 10- Make-Make
- References
The main legends and myths of Chile are related to beautiful and ruthless women, magical birds, giants and mythological sea creatures. In each area of the country you can find different legends, and all are part of the Chilean culture.
Chile, like the rest of the South American nations, has an ancient tradition that has generated a particular mythology through generations. These popularly narrated manifestations have repercussions in current Chilean society, generating great roots.
The set of myths and legends that constitute Chilean mythology has its origin in events and practices that at some point had a ritual character.
These became a tradition over time, adapting to each new historical and social moment without losing the essence of their content.
A nation like Chile has been and continues to be home to multiple ethnicities and cultures that have survived the centuries.
From this it comes that the myths and legends of Chile have regional qualities, depending on their place of origin, even being classified under those criteria.
These manifestations have been divided into the northern, central and southern areas of Chilean territory, including the legends and myths of isolated sovereign territories, such as Easter Island and the Chiloé archipelago.
The 10 main legends and myths of Chile
1- La Lola
This legend is one of the most popular among the mining communities of northern Chile. It revolves around the appearance of a woman dragging a black coffin in which the remains of her murdered husband lie. She manifests herself to men as a beautiful woman; if they approach and follow her, they die.
The story tells that this woman falls in love and runs away from her home with a miner. Then she begins to be a victim of deception, so she decides to kill her husband with a dagger.
The woman flees to the mountains screaming, only to reappear some time later, deranged and ready to kill the person who killed her husband.
2- The Pachayatas
The legend of the Pachayatas tells a love story between two young men, a prince and a princess, belonging to rival tribes. Both tribes try to end the relationship of the lovers; however, they continually fail.
Faced with the force of this love, nature and the gods send signals to the tribes to change their attitude and let the young people be together; They ignored.
Faced with impotence, both tribes sacrifice the young princes. The gods punished the tribe by sending natural scourges to the region, until there was nothing and no one left.
Over time two lakes were born in the same place where the tribes lived, in homage to the love of the two lovers.
3- The Alicanto
It is a mythological creature from the north and central region of Chile. It is a wonderful bird to behold, unable to fly, that roams the forests and mountains.
It is said that whoever follows it will be guided to infinite treasures, but if the bird realizes that it is being followed, it will mislead the person, causing their loss and death.
4- The Inca lagoon
The legend arises in the place of the same name: a lagoon that is said to have served the Inca Illi Yupanqui to leave his sorrows of love.
The Inca prince mourns since the death of Princess Kora-lle. Yupanqui, unable to save her, deposits her body in the lagoon, the waters of which turned a pinkish color.
In Inca he cried for his beloved until the end of his days. There are rumors that indicate that today you can still hear the laments of Illi Yupanqui on the shores of the lagoon that bears her name.
5- La Calchona
This legend revolves around witchcraft and tells the story of a woman who used potions to turn into an animal. She used them every night in secret from her family, after bewitching them so that they would not wake up from their dreams.
One night her children discover her and also drink the potions, turning into foxes. The father discovers them and, after managing to return them to normal, destroys all the witch's potions and leaves the house.
The woman returns and can only return half her body to normal, wandering like a half-sheep, half-woman creature.
6- El Gualicho
For several of the Patagonian tribes, especially the Tehuelches, the Gualicho is a mythological entity that represents all the evils that man can suffer; universal evil.
El Gualicho does not take human form, but rather is related to everything related to the environment that has a sinister or dark charge on it.
It has been said that the Spanish misinterpreted the negative qualities of this aboriginal entity, comparing it and spreading it as the Catholic devil.
7- Ayayema
It is another spirit without a particular form; In this case, it has a natural evocation, being the cause of strong winds that hit certain regions.
The local tribes made him chaotic, though not entirely evil. It was the Spanish who took it upon themselves to demonize him by comparing his actions with those of the devil.
The Ayayema is said to visit the camps on excursions. If their visit is perceived through a strong smell of rot that is said to announce their proximity, the camp must be moved to prevent the Ayayema from destroying it.
8- Patagonian giants
This legend originates from the times of the Spanish expeditions in the southern region.
The explorers' diaries even mentioned human figures over two meters high, with great physical build and curious and superstitious gestures.
9- La Pincoya
It is a mythological marine creature that has human form, with qualities similar to mermaids but without an evil character.
It usually emerges from the depths of the sea and dance on the shore of the beach, indicating to the men of the sea if future fishing will be scarce or abundant.
10- Make-Make
He is one of the most important deities in Polynesian literature, from which his own myth related to the creation of the world is born.
The Make-Make displaced the other gods by fulfilling the prayers for food that the Polynesians rendered in their honor.
References
- Image of Chile Foundation. (June 24, 2016). Myths and legends: The magical Chile. Obtained from This is Chile: thisischile.cl
- Keller, C. (1972). Myths and legends of Chile. In C. Keller, Modern Encyclopedia of Chile (p. 101). Santiago de Chile: Jerónimo de Vivar.
- Lopez, JO (2006). Latin American myths and legends. Bogotá: Plaza & Janés Editores.
- Torres, SM (2009). Cultural mutations of Chiloé: myths and legends in the island's neoliberal modernity. Convergence