The Yacuruna are a mythical water people of the

Amazon basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivi ...

who live in beautiful underwater cities, often at the mouths of rivers. Belief in the ''Yacuruna'' is most prominently found among

indigenous people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

of the Amazon. The term is derived from the

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...

language, ''yaku'' ("water") and ''runa'' ("man").

Characteristics

The ''Yacuruna'' is described as being hairy with a backward-facing head and deformed feet. Illustrations depict the ''Yacuruna'' as a man-like creature accompanied by a serpent and riding a crocodile. It is considered by many to be a god who has the power to change into an attractive man. The ''Yacuruna'' roam the

Amazon rainforest The Amazon rainforest, Amazon jungle or ; es, Selva amazónica, , or usually ; french: Forêt amazonienne; nl, Amazoneregenwoud. In English, the names are sometimes capitalized further, as Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Forest, or Amazon Jungle. ...

at night using black crocodiles as canoes. During the day they sleep at the bottoms of rivers and lakes with one eye open. They have the ability to communicate with aquatic animals of the Amazon and have ultimate control over them. Locals believe that ''Yacuruna'' can transform into an

Amazon river dolphin The Amazon river dolphin (''Inia geoffrensis''), also known as the boto, bufeo or pink river dolphin, is a species of toothed whale classified in the family Iniidae. Three subspecies are currently recognized: ''I. g. geoffrensis'' (Amazon river ...

s which are attracted to the odor of blood in menstruating women. Once the woman is found, a ''Yacuruna'' will transform into a handsome and alluring man who then uses

aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. Substances range from a variety of plants, spices, foods, and synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs like cannabis or cocain ...

s to kidnap her and bring her into his kingdom in the depths of the river.

Underwater cities

''Yacuruna'' are said to inhabit underwater cities that mirror upside-down human cities. The cities can be interpreted as reflections on the surface of the water. Within the city, the ''Yucuruna'' live in palaces of crystal with multicolored walls of fish scales and pearl, reclining on hammocks of feathers under a

mosquito net A mosquito net is a type of meshed curtain that is circumferentially draped over a bed or a sleeping area, to offer the sleeper barrier protection against bites and stings from mosquitos, flies, and other pest insects, and thus against the di ...

of butterfly wings. The hammocks are snakes, with turtles for seats.

Abduction

''Yacuruna'' can be characterized as dangerous spirits who lure humans into the water by taking on human forms. When people of the Amazonian community disappear and do not return such as fishermen, husbands, and young girls (who become mysteriously pregnant), it is often assumed that they have been seduced and captured by the ''Yacuruna''. The abducted victims gradually transform into ''yacuruna'': first, their eyes turn to resemble the ''Yacuruna'', then their head and feet turn backward so that they cannot not find their way home and must continue onwards to the underwater city. Transformation is irreversible and a victim may never return to his or her home. Don Juan Flores Salazar describes a story of how his little sister was taken by a ''Yacuruna''. One day she was swimming when she was pulled underwater and vanished. It was not until years later when he saw her again, still alive but had transformed into a

mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes asso ...

. She had married a ''Yacuruna'', and gained knowledge in becoming a healer of the waters. They complemented one another for he was a healer of the lands: he believed it was her destiny to become a ''Yacuruna''.

Shamanism

A ''Yacuruna'' can be summoned by a

shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...

to act as a

familiar In European folklore of the medieval and early modern periods, familiars (sometimes referred to as familiar spirits) were believed to be supernatural entities that would assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic. According to re ...

. It may pass on healing knowledge to a sick person or shaman, and in this way they establish trust. Once trust has been established, the ''Yacuruna'' will turn the person's head towards the front again, allowing the individual to return to the human world. A ''yacuruna'' can be the source of shamanic powers, becoming a powerful ally to the shaman.

References

{{reflist Mythological peoples Indigenous culture of the Amazon Piscine and amphibian humanoids

Characteristics

Underwater cities

Abduction

Shamanism

See also

References