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The beliefs of the Mapuche
Mapuche

The Mapuche are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas inhabitants of Central and Southern Chile and Southern Argentina. They were known as Araucanians by the Spaniards....
 and their mythology, stories about to the world and creatures born of the extensive and old religious beliefs, next to a series of common legend and myths that belong to the different groups that compose the Mapuche ethnic group (Mapuche, Huilliche
Huilliche

The Huilliche is an ethnic group of Chile, belonging to the Mapuche culture. They live in mountain valleys in an area south of Tolt?n River and on Chilo? Archipelago....
, etc.).

Description
In the mythology
Mythology

The word mythology refers to a body of folklore/myths/legends that a particular culture believes to be true and that often use the supernatural to interpret natural events and to explain the nature of the universe and humanity....
 and belief
Belief

Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true....
s of the Mapuche people, the machi
Machi (Shaman)

A machi is a shaman or a good witch in the Mapuche culture of South America; and is also an important character and the Mapuche mythology....
 "shaman", a role usually played by older women, is an extremely important part of the Mapuche culture, even today and in parallel with Christianity.






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The beliefs of the Mapuche
Mapuche

The Mapuche are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas inhabitants of Central and Southern Chile and Southern Argentina. They were known as Araucanians by the Spaniards....
 and their mythology, stories about to the world and creatures born of the extensive and old religious beliefs, next to a series of common legend and myths that belong to the different groups that compose the Mapuche ethnic group (Mapuche, Huilliche
Huilliche

The Huilliche is an ethnic group of Chile, belonging to the Mapuche culture. They live in mountain valleys in an area south of Tolt?n River and on Chilo? Archipelago....
, etc.).

Description


In the mythology
Mythology

The word mythology refers to a body of folklore/myths/legends that a particular culture believes to be true and that often use the supernatural to interpret natural events and to explain the nature of the universe and humanity....
 and belief
Belief

Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true....
s of the Mapuche people, the machi
Machi (Shaman)

A machi is a shaman or a good witch in the Mapuche culture of South America; and is also an important character and the Mapuche mythology....
 "shaman", a role usually played by older women, is an extremely important part of the Mapuche culture, even today and in parallel with Christianity. The machi performs ceremonies for the warding off of evil, for rain, for the cure of diseases, and has an extensive knowledge of Chile
Chile

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow coastal strip wedged between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean....
an medicinal herbs, gained during an arduous apprenticeship. Chileans of all origins and classes make use of the many traditional herbs known to the Mapuche. The main healing ceremony performed by the machi is called machitun.

Legends and mythical creatures

The most important myths are:

  • the legend of Trentren Vilu y Caicai Vilu (Ten Ten-Vilu
    Ten Ten-Vilu

    Ten Ten-Vilu or Trentren-Vilu is the god of Earth and Fertility ; s/he has a generous spirit and is the protector of all life on Earth, and the flora and fauna and according to some Mapuche myths ....
     and Coi Coi-Vilu
    Coi Coi-Vilu

    Coi Coi-Vilu or Caicai-Vilu is the god of water and the origin of all that inhabits it, as well as the enemy of terrestrial life according to Mapuche myths ....
    )
  • the Cherufe
    Cherufe

    The Cherufe is a large reptilian humanoid creature from the Mapuche mythology that is said to be found in Chile. It appeared in the episode "Twelve Thousand Degrees Fahrenheit" of The Secret Saturdays, a Cartoon Network series about cryptids....
  • the Chonchon
    Chonchon

    For other uses, see Chonchon The Chonchon, is a creature of the Mapuche Mapuche mythology, and later also present in the Chilean folk myth and in southern Argentina....
  • the Colo Colo
    Colo Colo (mythology)

    The Colo Colo or Colocolo, is a malignant creature of mapuche mythology....
  • the Gualichu
    Gualichu

    Gualichu or gualicho, in the Mapuche mythology and mainly in the Tehuelche culture, was an evil spirit or demon, comparable but not similar to the Devil....
  • the kalku
    Kalku

    Kalku or Calcu, in Chilean folklore and the Mapuche mythology, is a Magician or shaman, usually but not necessarily an evil one. The essentially benevolent shamans are more often referred to as Machi , to avoid confusion with the malevolent sorcerer....
  • the Ngen
    Ngen

    In Mapuche mythology, Ngen are spirits of nature. In Mapudungun, the word ngen means "owner"....
     spirits
  • the Nguruvilu
    Nguruvilu

    The Nguruvilu "fox snake" is a creature found in the Mapuche mythology of Chile....
  • the Peuchen
    Peuchen

    The Peuchen is a creature from the Mapuche and Chilota mythology pertaining to southern Chile, a much feared shapeshifting creature which could instantly change into animal form....
  • the Pillan
    Pillan

    The Pillan is a powerful and respected male spirit in Mapuche mythology.According to the legend the Pillan are good spirits, but they can also cause disasters, since they also punish with drought or flood, earthquakes, or diseases....
     spirits
  • the Wekufe
    Wekufe

    The wekufe is an important type of harmful spirit or demon in Mapuche mythology....
     spirits


See also

  • Mapuche
    Mapuche

    The Mapuche are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas inhabitants of Central and Southern Chile and Southern Argentina. They were known as Araucanians by the Spaniards....
  • Mapudungun
    Mapudungun

    Mapudungun is a language isolate spoken in central Chile and west central Argentina by the Mapuche people. It is also known as Mapudungu, Mapuche, and Araucanian ....
  • Machi
    Machi

    Machi may refer to:...
  • Chilota mythology
    Chilota mythology

    The Chilota mythology is formed by the myths, legends and beliefs of the people who live in the Chilo? Archipelago, in the south of Chile. This mythology, reflects the importance of the sea in the life of chilotes....
  • Chilean mythology
    Chilean mythology

    The Chilean mythology, is the mythology and beliefs of the Folklore of Chile....
  • Mapuche International Link
    Mapuche International Link

    Mapuche International Link is an organization which campaigns on behalf of the Mapuche people of southern Chile and Argentina. The group was formed in 1996 and is based in Bristol, United Kingdom....
  • Chemamull
    Chemamull

    Chemam?ll are Mapuche statues made of wood used to signal the grave of a deceased person....