Millalobo

Last updated
Statue of Millalobo in Punta Arenas Millalobo.jpg
Statue of Millalobo in Punta Arenas

Millalobo (from the mapudungun milla: "gold" and the Spanish lobo: wolf in allusion to the sea lion) is an important being in Chilote mythology. He is the most powerful being of the sea after Caicai and was chosen by Caicai to be his representative and govern all that resided in the sea.

Contents

Description

The Millalobo is a being like a Triton, lower half sea lion and upper half human, his face a mixture of both. He was born from the mating between a woman and a sea lion who saved her from drowning, at the time of the mythical battle between Tenten Vilu and Caicai Vilu. The Millalobo's fur is golden, hence his name. It is said that this mythical being can´t talk and he can only communicate through a bleat similar to the sea lion's, even though, the meaning of his bleat is understandable to human beings.

Myth

The tale says that upon Caicai Vilu seeing the Millalobo, he found it to his liking, and after its battle against Tenten, Caicai wanted to bestow his power on someone, and he chose the Millalobo.

The Millalobo lives at the bottom of the sea, together with his wife Huenchula and their three children, The Pincoya, The Pincoy and La Sirena Chilota, who help him in his task of managing the seas. Due to his great work of managing the seas, the Millalobo has as underlings many mythological sea creatures to do different tasks: from seeding and taking care of the fish and shellfish, to managing the sea climate, as well as guiding and taking care of the dead brought by the sea. The Millalobo is the creator of the ghost ship known as Caleuche. It is said that evil sea creatures must pay respect to the Millalobo as well as benevolent ones.

Related Research Articles

The Caleuche, also called The Enchanted Ship, Barcoiche, The Ghost Ship, or The Warlocks' Ship, is a legendary ghost ship from Chilote mythology in southern Chile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mapuche religion</span> Mythology and religion of the indigenous Mapuche people of South America

The mythology and religion of the indigenous Mapuche people of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina is an extensive and ancient belief system. A series of unique legends and myths are common to the various groups that make up the Mapuche people. These myths tell of the creation of the world and the various deities and spirits that reside in it.

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.

The legend of Trentren Vilu and Caicai Vilu (Kaikai) is a Mapuche flood myth that tells the story of a fierce battle between two mythical snakes, Trentren Vilu and Caicai Vilu. It explains how the Chilóe archipelago and mountains of southern Chile came to have its unique geography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coi Coi-Vilu</span>

Coi Coi-Vilu or Caicai-Vilu/Cai Cai Vilu is the Mapuche god of water and, according to Mapuche myths, supreme ruler of the sea and of all sea-dwellers. This snake was a central figure in the Origin Of The Chiloean Archipelago. In Mapuche mythology, Coi Coi-Vilu is son of Peripillan.

The Peuchen is a creature from the Mapuche mythology and Chilote mythology pertaining to southern Chile, a much feared shapeshifting creature that can instantly change into animal form. According to legend, El Peuchen takes the hearts of its victims without leaving a mark on the body.

The Basilisco chilote is a creature from Chilota mythology originating from the Chiloé Archipelago, in southern Chile.

Chilean mythology includes the mythology, beliefs and folklore of the Chilean people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melinka</span> Place in Aisén, Aisén

Melinka is a Chilean town in Aysén Province, Aysén Region. It is located on Ascención Island and is the administrative center of the commune of Guaitecas since 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alicanto</span> Bird from Chilean mythology

The Alicanto is a mythological nocturnal bird of the desert of Atacama, pertaining to Chilean mythology. Legend says that the alicanto's wings shine at night with beautiful, metallic colors, and their eyes emit strange lights. The color of the wings may indicate the type of ore it eats, golden if from a gold mine and silvery if from a silver mine. Some descriptions also portray the color of the wings as copper-green.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiloé Archipelago</span> Group of islands in Los Lagos Region, Chile

The Chiloé Archipelago is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and the Gulf of Corcovado in the southeast. All islands except the Desertores Islands form Chiloé Province. The main island is Chiloé Island. Of roughly rectangular shape, the southwestern half of this island is a wilderness of contiguous forests, wetlands and, in some places, mountains. The landscape of the northeastern sectors of Chiloé Island and the islands to the east is dominated by rolling hills, with a mosaic of pastures, forests and cultivated fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guaitecas Archipelago</span> Islands on the southwestern coast of Chile

Guaitecas Archipelago is a sparsely populated archipelago in the Aisén region of Chile. The archipelago is made up of eight main islands and numerous smaller ones. The eight largest islands are from northwest to southeast: Gran Guaiteca, Ascención, Betecoy, Clotilde, Leucayec, Elvira, Sánchez and Mulchey. The islands have subdued topography compared to the Andes, with Gran Guaiteca containing the archipelago's high point at 369 m (1,211 ft).

The Pincoy is a male water spirit of the seas, belonging to the Chilote mythology of Chiloé, Chile.

La Sirena chilota is an aquatic creature belonging to the Chilote mythology. Perhaps its origin is due to binding of the myths of the Sumpall of the Mapuche mythology and the Mermaid of European mythology. Like to the mermaids, the siren chilota is characterized by a body half fish and half woman, with blond hair and golden scales; and her human side would look like a very beautiful teen. She would be the youngest daughter of Millalobo and the human Huenchula. Commissioned by her father, she has the task of caring for all fish. Also helps her siblings to carry the bodies of drowned sailors, toward the Caleuche, for the purpose of reviving the sailors and to be happy. Sirena Chilota have very large flukes and strong tails so they can swim long distances while carrying victims of tragedies. It is also said that a Sirena chilota's tears are very delicate and, if used in a spell, is very powerful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambrosio de Benavides</span> Spanish colonial governor

Ambrosio de Benavides Medina Liñán y Torres was a Spanish colonial administrator who served as Royal Governor of Puerto Rico, Royal Governor of Charcas and Royal Governor of Chile.

The Caballo Marino Chilote is an aquatic creature of the Chilote mythology of Chile, that bears some resemblance to the hippocampus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chilote School of Religious Imagery</span>

Chilote School of Religious Imagery —Spanish: Escuela chilota de Imaginería Religiosa—, is an artistic and cultural manifestation that was developed during the 17th century on the basis of the circular movement of evangelizing established by the Jesuit missionaries, and reaches its climax in the late 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenaún</span>

Tenaún is a Chilean village within the commune of Dalcahue, on Chiloé Island of Chiloé Archipelago. It is located about 36 kilometers from Dalcahue, 28 kilometers from Quemchi and 54 kilometers from Castro. The town of Tenaún is accessed from the north, by a road that begins on the route between Dalcahue and Quemchi. This land route, built in 1950, allowed the integration of the town to the rest of the island.

In Chilean folklore the entierros are legendary treasures buried in different locations by different motives. The identity of the alleged burrowers vary from case to case, sometimes being indigenous peoples, pirates and privateers like Francis Drake or the Jesuits. A significant number to the entierro legends relate to the Spanish Conquest of Chile in the 16th century. Associated to this there is a significant folklore on how to unearth the entierros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red tide crisis in Chiloé</span>

The red tide crisis in Chiloé, also known as "Chilote May", was a social, economic and environmental catastrophe that occurred in the Chiloé Archipelago, southern Chile, in the southern autumn of 2016, as a result of a severe algal bloom of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella — a microalgae responsible for the phenomenon known as red tide. The bloom, which spread between the months of March and April throughout the outer sea of ​​the Los Lagos Region, the inland coast of Chiloé and the Chacao Channel, affected thousands of artisanal fishermen on the Chiloé Island —in addition to from other communes such as Calbuco, Maullín and Puerto Montt —the regional capital—due to the prohibition of extracting resources from the sea, since they were contaminated with paralytic shellfish poison (PSP).

References