Selk'nam mythology is the body of

myth Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...

s of the Selk'nam and Haush peoples of Tierra del Fuego.

Sources

Selk'nam mythology is known today primarily from the works of the Austrian ethnologist Martin Gusinde and the Franco-American ethnologist Anne Chapman.

Cosmology

In the Selk'nam and Haush mythology, the cosmos is divided in four shó'on or infinite skies, which represent the four cardinal directions: * Kamuk: Northern sky. * Kéikruk: Southern sky. * Wintek: Eastern sky. It is considered the most important of the four shó'on, being the residence of Temáukel and source of all that exists. * Kenénik: Western sky. Each shó'on is associated with one of the seasons. Kamuk symbolizes the

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...

and

summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...

, Kéikruk symbolizes the winter, Kenénik symbolizes the

autumn Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September ( Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Sou ...

and, finally, Wintek symbolizes all the seasons and, possibly, even the time.

Gods and spirits

The religion of the Selk'nam people tends to be described as polytheistic, mainly because of the existence of various characters which are usually considered

deities A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...

. However, according to the beliefs of the Selk'nam people, only Temáukel is recognized as a god, while other characters are identified as mythological ancestors rather than gods. On the other hand, the characteristics attributed to these mythological ancestors are typical of those beings whom might be called gods. Because of this, it is possible to consider that the religion of the Selk'nam people was, rather,

henotheistic Henotheism is the worship of a single, supreme god that does not deny the existence or possible existence of other deities. Friedrich Schelling (1775–1854) coined the word, and Friedrich Welcker (1784–1868) used it to depict primi ...

. Thus, there is a superior being, similar to the God of the Abrahamic religions, which corresponds to Temáukel; mythological gods or ancestors called howenh, of which the first to inhabit the Earth was Kenos, a creator and terraforming god, sent by Temáukel; and, finally, Xalpen and her subordinates, soorts, who were inhabitants of the underworld, which were represented by men in the '' Hain'' ceremony.

Temáukel

Temáukel is the supreme god of the Selk'nam and Haush pantheon and, in theory, of all Selk'nam deities, is the only one that is considered a god, since the other deities are identified, rather as mythological ancestors. He is a primordial god and, therefore, has always existed. He dwells in the celestial dome, in the eastern sky or Wintek and is the creator of it and the primitive Earth.

Howenh

Howenh were not recognized as gods by the Selk'nam people, but rather as mythological ancestors, since the only divinity as such is Temáukel. They constitute the great forces of nature and terraforming elements, but before becoming such elements, they existed as humans. Among the most important are Kenos, the first howenh; Kwányip and Čénuke; Kojh, howenh of the sea; Kren, howenh of the sun; Kre, howenh of the moon; Josh, howenh of the snow; and Shenrr, howenh of the wind.

Kenos

Kenos was the first howenh to inhabit the Earth. He is the creator, organizer and civilizing god in Selk'nam mythology, and the most important deity after Temáukel. He was sent by him from the Celestial dome to the early Earth, with the mission to organize it and create the mythological ancestors who would shape the Earth.

Xalpen and her Soorts

Xalpen is the goddess of the underworld. She has seven companions called Soorts: Sate, Yoisik, Wakus, Keyaisl, Talen, Pawus and Sanu. Besides them, there are many subordinate Soorts who are not assigned a specific name.

References

{{Paganism South American mythology Pre-Columbian mythology and religion Selk'nam people