Caleuche

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The Caleuche is a mythical ghost ship in the local folklore and mythology of the Chiloé of the island of Chiloé in Chile . It is one of the main myths of Chiloe culture.

myth

The Caleuche appears as a beautiful, luminous sailing ship with the sounds of a celebration on board, which attracts passing ships. Like the Flying Dutchman , it is able to evade access if necessary by sailing against the wind or diving below the surface of the water.

It is controlled by singing and dancing brujos , the central figures of the mythology of the Chiloé, who as witchers have black magic powers and are out to plunge righteous chilots into ruin. The ship's crew consists on the one hand of resurrected drowned people and on the other hand of enslaved fishermen and seamen who were captured by the Brujos.

literature

  • Juan Mancilla Pérez: Magia y brujería en Chiloé. Secretos de Mitología. Edición renovada. Medicina Popular, Castro 2006, (Spanish).
  • Michel Meurger, Claude Gagnon: Lake monster traditions. A cross-cultural analysis. Fortean Tomes, London 1988, ISBN 1-87002-100-2 .