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 myt ...
of
Chiloé, Chile, the Trauco is a humanoid creature of small stature—similar to a
dwarf
Dwarf or dwarves may refer to:
Common uses
*Dwarf (folklore), a being from Germanic mythology and folklore
* Dwarf, a person or animal with dwarfism
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a humanoid ...
or
goblin
A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous 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 appearances depending on t ...
—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
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
. It is a child of the snake god
Coi Coi-Vilu
Coi Coi-Vilu or ''Caicai-Vilu/Cai Cai Vilu'' (from Mapudungun ''Kaykayfilu'': ''Kaykay'' a name, and ''filu'' "snake") is the Mapuche god of water (or goddess, in some versions found in Chiloé) and, according to Mapuche myths (later also foun ...
.
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 the 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.
Edith Rebolledo Muller, MSc in Sociology, states the following: "In fact, teen pregnancy has its explanation in this myth, as a way to justify this shame. Then it will be cleansed by marriage, as an institution that allows regulating and holding bodies into submission".
]
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 Pombéro, known also as Pomberito, Pÿragué ("hairy feet"), Karaí Pyhare ("lord of the night"), Kuarahy Jára ("master of the sun") is from Paraguay. Also known in the mythology of the Mbyá tribe of southern Brazil and the Argentinian pro ...
* Incubus
An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...
* Lists of humanoids
Lists of humanoids cover humanoids, imaginary species similar to humans. They are organized by type (avian, piscine and amphibian, Reptilian humanoid, reptilian, and Extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial), and by medium (literature, comics, anim ...
* 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, Diag ...
* 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 Island, Indonesia, and Native Americans.
Native American folklore
The Nati ...
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
Chilote mythology
Mapuche mythology
Chilote legendary creatures
Mythic humanoids
Mythological characters
Goblins
{{SouthAm-myth-stub