Chilean mythology includes the

mythology Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

belief A belief is a subjective Attitude (psychology), attitude that something is truth, true or a State of affairs (philosophy), state of affairs is the case. A subjective attitude is a mental state of having some Life stance, stance, take, or opinion ...

s and

folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

of the

Chilean people Chileans (, ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the country of Chile and its neighboring Insular Chile, insular territories. Most Chileans share a common Culture of Chile, culture, History of Chile, history, Cultural heritage, ancestry ...

Evolution

Chilean mythology covers of a large collection of myths and

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

s from the

s of Chile's indigenous groups (

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 Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging e ...

, Tehuelche, Changos, Diaguitas, Picunches, Pehuenches, Huilliches, Poyas and more). Their mythology shows a significant influence by European colonization, mainly during the Spanish colonial period. These influences have helped Chilean mythology to evolve and become distinct from other local mythologies such as Chilota mythology. The variety of sources of these beliefs has in some causes caused

syncretism Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various school of thought, schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or religious assimilation, assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the ...

or the fusion of different beings, coming from these diverse mythological origins, complimenting and differentiating Chilean mythology. Similarly, the differences in landscapes and climates in the Chilean territory have configured defined geographical areas that experienced different historical circumstances. This favored the appearance of different and new beliefs and myths that enriched the mythology of this territory.

Mythological division

In the study classification of ″Chilean mythology″, the myths are typically categorized geographically into Northern, Central, Easter Island and Southern Zones.

Northern Zone

These myths and legends involve characters closely related to the desert, religious devotion and

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

. Examples include the myth of Alicanto, El Carbunculo, la Lola, el Yastay, the Achaches, the Umpillay, and the Quilpaná. Other legends are Juan Soldado, the treasure of Guayacán, the Payachatas, La Tirana and the virgin of Andacollo. The northern myths draw upon the

Inca The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

and pre-Incan civilizations, but they became distinguished through a rooted base in Spanish colonialism. At the extreme north is Chungará Lake about which origin myths are told by the

Aymara people The Aymara or Aimara (, ) people are an Indigenous people in the Andes and Altiplano regions of South America. Approximately 2.3 million Aymara live in northwest Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. The ancestors of the Aymara lived in the reg ...

. The legendary Zapam Zucum is a large-breasted legendary maternal being associated with vegetation, known in Chile as well as neighboring countries.

Central Zone

These myths assimilated of many mythological characters from

tribal beliefs. The Spanish initially settled in the central zone, the most populated, leading to a unique mixture. This zone hosts many legends modified from the

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication in which knowledge, art, ideas and culture are received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (19 ...

. Some of the mythical figures include Pedro Urdemales, la Calchona, la Llorona, el Culebrón, el Chonchón and the Piuchén. Legends include the Inca Lagoon, the Burial of Cacique Vitacura and Rere's Bell. Additionally, stories discuss the appearance of the devil and encounters with witches. Another is the legend of the treasure of Juan Fernández, in the Juan Fernández archipelago.

Easter Island

The most important myth source is

Easter Island Easter Island (, ; , ) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is renowned for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, ...

. The inhabitants of Easter Island, the Polynesian

Rapa Nui people The Rapa Nui (Rapa Nui: , Spanish: ) are the Indigenous Polynesian peoples of Easter Island. The easternmost Polynesian culture, the descendants of the original people of Easter Island make up about 60% of the current Easter Island population a ...

, created singular explanations about the creation of man and their land. Examples of these myths include: Make-Make and Aku-Aku.

Southern Zone

This zone was also influenced by

indigenous beliefs. Legends include the

City of the Caesars The City of the Caesars (Spanish Ciudad de los Césares), also variously known as ''City of Patagonia'', ''the Wandering City'', ''Trapalanda'' or ''Trapananda'', ''Lin Lin'' or ''Elelín'', is a mythical city of South America. It was supposedly ...

, The Three Pascuales, and spirits of Mapuche beliefs like Pillán, the Wangulén, the Wekufes, the Anchimallén, Tented and Caicos, and the Cuero.

Chiloé

The

Chiloé Archipelago The Chiloé Archipelago (, , ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and the Gulf of Corcovado in the s ...

has its own stories, due to the geographical isolation and the union of indigenous and Spanish traditions. Natural phenomena such as mist, strong winds, thick forests, and rough seas feature in legends there. The most important are the Caleuche and the Trauco, followed by the Fiura, the Pincoya, the Invunche, the Camahueto, the Basilisco chilote, and the Millalobo.

Mythologies and Legends

The most important sources are: *Indigenous: **

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 ...

** Rapa Nui mythology *Others: **

Chilote mythology The Chilote mythology or Chilota mythology is formed by the myths, legends and beliefs of the people who live in the Chiloé Archipelago, in the south of Chile. This mythology reflects the importance of the sea in the life of Chilotes. Chilote my ...

** Alicanto

Iconography

Marcela Donoso, a Chilean painter, made a set of oil paintings describing 30 Chilean myths. A book includes these paintings.

References

Myth and Magic Infuse Chilean Island
2008 (English) * Antonio Acevedo Hernández. Leyendas de Chile. Colección Leyenda y tradición. Biblioteca Quimantú para todos. Quimantú, 1971. (Spanish) * * {{Chile topics