TheChilote mythology orChilota mythology is formed by the myths, legends and beliefs of the people who live in theChiloé Archipelago, in the south ofChile. This mythology reflects the importance of the sea in the life of Chilotes.
Chilote mythology is based on a mixture of indigenous religions and beliefs from the natives (theChonos andHuilliches) that live in the Archipelago of Chiloé, and the legends and superstitions brought by the Spanishconquistadores, who in 1567 began the process of conquest in Chiloé and with it the fusion of elements that would form a separate mythology.
Chilota mythology flourished, isolated from other beliefs and myths in Chile, due to the separation of the archipelago from the rest of the Spanish occupation in Chile, when theMapuches occupied or destroyed all the Spanish settlements between theBío-Bío River and theChacao channel following thedisaster of Curalaba in 1598.
The highest rank belongs to the sea serpents Tenten Vilu and Caicai Vilu, who in a legendary, titanic battle, created the Archipelago. Below Caicai Vilu is the Millalobo as the king of the seas, and his wife, the Huenchula. Their three children, the Pincoy, the prince of the sea, and the Pincoya and Sirena chilota, princesses, aid them in the work of ruling the seas. Below these are the different mythical creatures, given ranks by the Millalobo.
Earthly creatures have no hierarchy.
Certain people are said to have magical powers. Witches have the ability to fly and have various creatures such as the Invunche under their command. In addition there are machis, people who play an important role in Mapuche culture and religion, though their functions and characteristics for the Chilote are somewhat different.
| Creature | Description |
|---|---|
| ElBasilisco | This creature sucks the saliva out of its victim, killing the prey.[1] |
| ElCaballo Marino Chilote | He carries wizards and dead sailors to El Caleuche.[1] |
| ElCaleuche | "A phantom ship" that sometimes sails near the shore of Chiloé. It carries wizards and dead shipwrecked sailors. It is controlled by Millalobo's orders.[1] |
| Cuchivilu (from the Castilian dialectal cuchi: pig and from the mapudungun filu: snake) | A half fish and haft pig from Chiloe mythology who attributed the damage that occurs in the fishing pens. |
| TheCamahueto | A special calf with a silver horn. It is said that wizards can use it to cure "sexual dysfunctions".[1] |
| Cherruves | With the body of a snake and the head of a human, he controls the "appearance of comets" and is responsible for bringing misfortune to whoever he visits.[1] |
| LaFiura | She arouses sexual desires in men. When she is "satisfied", she drains the victim of his energy, which kills him. She is married to El Trauco.[1] |
| Huallipenyi | With the body of a goat and the head of a cow, it is symbolized with fog, and causes babies to have physical mutations when born.[1] |
| LaHuenchula | She is the wife of Millalobo.[1] |
| Meuler | A lizard who causes storms and hides underground when the storm is active.[1] |
| Millalobo | He has the body of a seal, and a head of a combination of a human and a fish. He is covered in gold, thus the name, meaning "golden wolf". He controls the population and actions of most sea creatures. His three children are La Pincoya, La Sirena, and El Pincoy.[1] |
| ElPincoy | With the body of a seal and head of a man, he helps carry out his father's commands.[1] |
| LaPincoya | She influences the outcome of the day's fishing; fish won't appear if she faces the shore, and fish will come if she faces the sea.[1] |
| LaSirena chilota | With the tail of a fish and the upper torso of a beautiful blonde teenage girl, she is responsible for the herding of fish and the guiding of drowned souls to Caleuche. The daughter of Millalobo, and thus the sister of Pincoy and Pincoya. |
| ElTrauco | He "is aggressive to men" and arouses sexual desires in women. He is married to La Furia.[1] |
| LaVaca Marina | La Vaca Marina: She lives in the sea, and is sexually attracted to bulls. When she sees one near the coast, she leaves the sea and seduces it, and returns to the sea with it.[1] |
| LaViuda | She also arouses sexual desires in men. Unlike La Furia, she only kills the victim if he refuses to sleep with her.[1] |
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Myths and mythical creatures ofChiloé, in southernChile include:
The myths from Chiloe appear inThe Luke Coles Book Series byJosh Walker, aYoung AdultUrban Fantasy series where the myths form the base for much of the lore in the novels.
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1: These islands are not part ofChiloé Province | |||||||||