In the traditional
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 ...
of
Chiloé, Chile, the Trauco is a humanoid creature of small stature—similar to a
dwarf
Dwarf, dwarfs or dwarves may refer to:
Common uses
*Dwarf (folklore), a supernatural being from Germanic folklore
* Dwarf, a human or animal with dwarfism
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a sh ...
or
goblin
A goblin is a small, grotesque, monster, monstrous humanoid creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearan ...
—who lives deep in the forest. It has an ugly face and legs without feet.
Legend
The Trauco is a mythical entity that inhabits the woods of
Chiloé, an island in the south of Chile. It is a child of the snake god
Coi Coi-Vilu.
It has a powerful magnetism that attracts young and middle-aged women. According to myth, the Trauco's wife is the wicked and ugly Fiura.
[
When a single woman is pregnant and no one steps forward as the father, people assume that Trauco is the father. Because the creature is irresistible, the woman is considered blameless. The Trauco is sometimes invoked to explain sudden or unwanted pregnancies, especially in unmarried women.
]
Media
The Trauco appears in '' The Luke Coles Book Series'' by Josh Walker, where he functions as an antagonist in some of the subplots.
See also
* Pombero
The Pombero (Guarani language, Guarani: ''Pombéro'') known also as Pomberito, Pyrague ("hairy feet"), Karai Pyhare ("lord of the night"), Kuarahy Jára ("master of the sun") is a mythological being typical of Culture of Paraguay, Paraguay's cul ...
* Incubus
An Incubus () is a demon, male demon in human form in folklore that seeks to have Sexuality in Christian demonology, sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. Parallels exist in many c ...
* Lists of humanoids
* Chilean mythology
Chilean mythology includes the mythology, beliefs and folklore of the Chilean people.
Evolution
Chilean mythology covers of a large collection of myths and legends from the beliefs of Chile's indigenous groups (Mapuche, Tehuelche, Changos, Dia ...
* Little people (mythology)
Little people have been part of the folklore of many cultures in human history, including Ireland, Greece, the Philippines, the Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand, Flores, Flores Island, Indonesia, and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native Americ ...
References
Further reading
* John E. Roth. ''American Elves: an encyclopedia of little people from the lore of 380 ethnic groups of the Western Hemisphere''. McFarland, 1997. , .
* Edith Rebolledo Muller, ''Género y ruralidad. Testimonios de vida de mujeres rurales de Chiloé'', Multidisciplinary Journal on Gender Studies, 2012
External links
Mapuche mythology
Chilote legendary creatures
Mythic humanoids
Mythological characters
Goblins
Forest spirits
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