Rehue
Encyclopedia
Rehue or rewe is the sacred altar used by the Mapuche
of Chile
in many of their ceremonies.
families (lof
or lov) who occupied the same locality and shared the same rehue altar. Nine of these rehue would form an Aillarehue
(nine altars), a small confederation that would gather for war or other common purposes and formed a region or province.
Mapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
in many of their ceremonies.
Alter
It is a tree trunk set in the ground and surrounded by canes of colihue located in row and adorned with white, blue or yellow flags and branches of coihues, maitén, lengas and other trees of the area. At its summit it has a representation of a human face with seven steps rising up from the earth to this summit. It symbolizes the connection with the cosmos. This rehue is a symbol of great importance that is used in important celebrations like the Machitún, Guillatún, We Tripantu (Mapuche New Year ) and others.Social and Political Unit
Called "rehue" or "regua" in colonial chronicles, the word referred to the grouping of various MapucheMapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
families (lof
Lof
Lof or caví ; formed the basic social organization of the Mapuche, Huilliche and the extinct Picunche peoples, consisting of a familial clan or lineage that recognizes the authority of a lonco...
or lov) who occupied the same locality and shared the same rehue altar. Nine of these rehue would form an Aillarehue
Aillarehue
Aillarehue or Ayllarehue Aillarehue or Ayllarehue Aillarehue or Ayllarehue (from the (mapudungun: ayllarewe/ayjarewe: " nine rehues"); a confederation of rehues or familiar clans (lof) that dominated a region or province. It was the old administrative and territorial division of the Mapuche,...
(nine altars), a small confederation that would gather for war or other common purposes and formed a region or province.