Myths and Legends from the Peruvian Amazon
Just about everywhere I’ve visited so far here in the Amazon, someone has told me a story or two about some pretty spooky myths of jungle spirits – frequently either protector spirits who defend the forest, or nasty, malicious evil spirits who are simply up to no good. The chullachaqui has been the most common story I’ve heard. Chullachaqui, which roughly translates (from Quechua, I believe) to “different or unpaired feet”, is a spirit with one human leg and another animal leg, who lures people deep into the jungle, never to be seen again. This spirit, described by some as a protector and by others as evil, will appear in the form of a loved one, calling an unfortunate victim to follow him. At which point, this person is pretty much jungle toast.
One of the most specific stories I heard was from the owner of the forestry concession I was just visiting. A cook that previously worked for him one day heard her husband calling to her from the forest. She began to follow after him, until she realized, wait, my husband isn’t here with me!
But the damage was at least partly done. While she managed to escape the clutches of chullachaqui, her face became painfully twisted and distorted to one side. They took her back to civilization, but the doctors didn’t know what to do with her. So they had to take her to a curandero, a healer, who was able to bring her back to normal.
Or so the story goes. The owner of the concession seems like a really down-to-earth guy, who honestly doesn’t strike me as the type to believe in superstitious mumbo jumbo, but he told this story with a completely straight face.
Other myths I heard include the tunchi, an evil bird spirit who calls people into the forest never to be seen again, using a particular whistle. Anyone who repeats the sound of the whistle will be essentially hypnotized into following the spirit into the forest – again, becoming part of the furniture.
Another story involved a big white cloud of a being that followed two girls from a spring, where they were washing some clothing, and made them temporarily crazy, pulling out their hair and screaming wildly.
And my video production assistant, Bladimir, told me a story of someone who worked for him in his forest concession, who was walking through the jungle by himself one day, when he suddenly heard voices by the waterfall very clearly. He went over to the waterfall to check out who was there, but no one was there. He couldn’t find any footprints or any evidence of people anywhere. Soon after which he got sick and started vomiting violently, and was sick for several days.
Bladimir explained all of these stories as being purely psychological. Primarily guilt, superstition, and stupidity – in many cases an excuse for simply getting lost in the woods. In other cases, simply walking alone in the jungle can drive people a bit bonkers, and their minds start playing tricks on them, making them hear voices, see things.
Sounds like a slightly more rational explanation. But no matter what the truth may be, I certainly don’t have much intention to wander alone in the Amazon anytime soon. A gringo like myself wouldn’t need chullachaqui to get hopelessly lost in the jungle!