The Anchimayen (in the
Mapudungun
Mapuche ( , ; from 'land' and 'people', meaning 'the people of the land') or Mapudungun (from 'land' and 'speak, speech', meaning 'the speech of the land'; also spelled Mapuzugun and Mapudungu) is either a language isolate or member of the s ...
language, also spelled "Anchimallén" or "Anchimalguén" in Spanish) is a mythical creature in
Mapuche mythology
Mapuche religion is the traditional Native American religion of the Mapuche people. It is practiced primarily in south-central Chile and southwest Argentina. The tradition has no formal leadership or organizational structure and displays much in ...
. Anchimayens are described as little creatures that take the form of small children, and can transform into
flying fireballs that emit bright light. They are the servants of a
kalku
Kalku or Calcu, in Mapuche mythology, is a sorcerer or witch who works with black magic and negative powers or forces. The essentially benevolent shamans are more often referred to as '' machi'', to avoid confusion with the malevolent kalku. I ...
(a type of Mapuche sorcerer).
According to some sources, the goddess she was originally conceived of as the moon goddess, married to the sun, but later developed into a (
will-o'-the-wisp
In folklore, a will-o'-the-wisp, will-o'-wisp, or ; ), is an atmospheric ghost light seen by travellers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes.
The phenomenon is known in the United Kingdom by a variety of names, including jack-o'- ...
) type being that frightens and unhorses travelers.
Anchimayens are sometimes confused with
Kueyen
Kueyen or kuyen is the name given to the moon in Mapuche
The Mapuche ( , ) also known as Araucanians are a group of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of ...
(the Mapuche lunar goddess), because she also produces a bright light.
See also
*
Ball lightning
Ball lightning is a rare and unexplained phenomenon described as Luminosity, luminescent, spherical objects that vary from pea-sized to several meters in diameter. Though usually associated with thunderstorms, the observed phenomenon is repor ...
*
Energy being
An energy being is an alleged life form that is composed of energy rather than matter. They appear in paranormal/ UFO accounts, and in various works of speculative fiction.
See also
* Anchimayen
* Angel
* Demon
* Divine spark
* Inward light
...
*
Tupilaq
A ( or in Inuktitut syllabics, plural ) is a monster or carving of a monster.
In Inuit religion, especially in Greenland, a tupilaq was an avenging monster fabricated by an angakkuq (a practitioner of witchcraft or shamanism) by using various ...
*
Tikoloshe
In Nguni mythology, the tokoloshe, tikoloshe, tikolosh, tonkolosh, tonkolosi, tokolotshe, thokolosi, or hili is a dwarf-like water spirit. It is a mischievous and evil spirit that can become invisible by drinking water or swallowing a stone ...
Explanatory notes
References
Bibliography
* Louis C. Faron. The Mapuche Indians of Chile. Case studies in cultural anthropology. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1968.
Mapuche legendary creatures
Corporeal undead
Latin American folklore
{{Chile-myth-stub