{{about, Mapuche mythology, other uses, NGEN (disambiguation) In

Mapuche mythology The mythology and religion of the indigenous Mapuche people of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina is an extensive and ancient belief system. A series of unique legends and myths are common to the various groups that make up the Mapuc ...

, Ngen or " Ngen-ko " are spirits of

nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...

of the

Mapuche The Mapuche ( (Mapuche & Spanish: )) are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who s ...

beliefs. In Mapudungun, the word ''ngen'' means "owner".

Legend

The Ngen are those that manage, govern and arrange the different features of nature; but also those that nature takes care of and protects. The Ngen were created by the '' Pu-am'' (the representation of the universal

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

), who wanted the Ngen to assure the order and the laws of '' admapu'' (rules of the Mapuche tradition); and they prevent commotion such as the one caused by the battle of the ''

pillan The Pillan (of Mapudungun origin; singular ''pillán'' and plural ''pillanes'' in Spanish) is a powerful and respected male spirit in Mapuche mythology. According to legend, the Pillan are good spirits, but they can also cause disasters, since th ...

'' before the beginning of time. The Ngen receive orders of the ''Pu-am'' and of Antü (the most powerful ''pillan'' spirit). If a Mapuche needs to obtain something from nature, they must respect and give an offering to the specific Ngen spirit. The Ngen take on forms that are based on humans, animals, and plants. Each type of Ngen spirit receives a specific name. *''

Ngenechen Ngenechen (also known as Ngunechen, Nguenechen, Guenechen, Guinechen) is one of the most important Ngen spirits within traditional Mapuche religion; and is the most important deity in the present beliefs of the Mapuche people. Ngenechen original ...

'' (''Ngen-che''): spirit or deity who governs human beings *''Ngen-mapu'': owners of the Earth *''Ngen-wingkul'': owners of the hills or volcanos *''Ngen-kütral'': owner of the fire *''Ngen-ko'': owners of the water *''Ngen-kürüf'': owners of the winds *''Ngen-mawida'': owners of the forest *''Ngen-kulliñ'': owners of the animals *''Ngen-lawen'': owner of the medicinal herbs *''Ngen-kura'': owners of the stones *''Ngen-rüpü'': owners of the paths created by nature or the footsteps of wild animals

References

*Alberto Trivero (1999), Trentrenfilú, Proyecto de Documentación Ñuke Mapu. (in Spanish) * María Ester Grebe (4 February 2005), Los espíritus de la naturaleza en la religiosidad Mapuche, Mapuexpress Informativo Mapuche.(in Spanish) Mapuche deities Mapuche mythology Nature spirits