Caleuche
Encyclopedia
"The Caleuche" is a mythical
ghost ship of the Chilote mythology and local folklore
of the Chiloé Island
, in Chile
. It is one of the most important myths of the culture of Chile
.
, the Caleuche is a large ghost ship
sailing the seas around Chiloé at night; and it is a being who is conscious. It appears as a beautiful and bright sailing ship, always full of lights and with the sounds of a party onboard, but quickly disappears again, or hiding navigating underwater.
The myths claim it is crewed by the drowned, who are brought to the ship by three Chilote mythological figures, two sisters: the sirena chilota
(a type of mermaid
) and the Pincoya
and their brother the Pincoy
. Once aboard, the dead can resume an existence as if they were alive again.
In the folklore of chiloé, also say that the evil Brujo Chilote (a type of sorcerer and warlock
s) likes to visit the party, which they can reach by summoning up magical caballo marino chilote
(mythical creature similar to a water horse
).
Her crew would also be composed of fishermen and sailors who were kidnapped to serve and work as human slaves, which are transformed into a creature very similar to a Invunche
(creature of the Chilote mythology).
's Chasm City
, Caleuche is the name given to a ship trailing behind a flotilla of colony ships that is not supposed to be there and never responds to communication attempts. When the protagonist takes a shuttle to visit the ghost ship he discovers that it is really a space-faring alien
creature that has assumed the appearance of one of the flotilla ships and is trying to hide amongst them from its own enemy.
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
ghost ship of the Chilote mythology and local folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
of the Chiloé Island
Chiloé Island
Chiloé Island , also known as Greater Island of Chiloé , is the largest island of the Chiloé Archipelago off the coast of Chile, in the Pacific Ocean...
, in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. It is one of the most important myths of the culture of Chile
Culture of Chile
The culture of Chile is one of a relatively homogeneous society where historically its geographical isolation and remoteness has played a key role...
.
Legend
According to legendLegend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
, the Caleuche is a large ghost ship
Ghost ship
A ghost ship is a supposedly haunted or ghostly vessel, such as the Flying Dutchman.The same term is also used to describe derelict ships found adrift with their entire crew either missing or dead, such as the Mary Celeste or the Baychimo....
sailing the seas around Chiloé at night; and it is a being who is conscious. It appears as a beautiful and bright sailing ship, always full of lights and with the sounds of a party onboard, but quickly disappears again, or hiding navigating underwater.
The myths claim it is crewed by the drowned, who are brought to the ship by three Chilote mythological figures, two sisters: the sirena chilota
Sirena chilota
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,...
(a type of mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
) and the Pincoya
Pincoya
The Pincoya is, according to local mythology, a female "water spirit" of the Chilotan Seas. The Pincoya is said to have long blond hair, be of incomparable beauty, be cheerful and sensual, and rise from the depths of the sea.-Legends:...
and their brother the Pincoy
Pincoy
The Pincoy is a male "water spirit" of the seas, belonging to the chilote mythology of Chiloé, Chile.It looks equivalent to a Merman creature, his body would be like a large sea lion, colour bright golden, with handsome and manly human face and long golden hair, being magically attractive to the...
. Once aboard, the dead can resume an existence as if they were alive again.
In the folklore of chiloé, also say that the evil Brujo Chilote (a type of sorcerer and warlock
Warlock
The term warlock in origin means "traitor, oathbreaker".In early modern Scots, the word came to be used as the male equivalent of witch ....
s) likes to visit the party, which they can reach by summoning up magical caballo marino chilote
Caballo marino chilote
The Caballo marino chilote is an aquatic creature of the Chilote mythology of Chile, that bears some resemblance to the hippocampus....
(mythical creature similar to a water horse
Water Horse
A Water Horse is a Celtic mythical creature, such as the Ceffyl Dŵr and Kelpie, as well as other water dwelling cryptids.-Name origin:The term "water horse" was originally a name given to the kelpie, a horse like creature similar to the hippocamp that has the head, neck and mane of a normal horse,...
).
Her crew would also be composed of fishermen and sailors who were kidnapped to serve and work as human slaves, which are transformed into a creature very similar to a Invunche
Invunche
In the Chilote folklore and Chilote mythology of the Chiloé Island in southern Chile, the imbunche or invunche is a legendary monster that protects the entrance to a warlock's cave.-Legend:...
(creature of the Chilote mythology).
In fiction
In Alastair ReynoldsAlastair Reynolds
Alastair Preston Reynolds is a British science fiction author. He specialises in dark hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle, where he read physics and astronomy. Afterwards, he earned a PhD from St Andrews, Scotland...
's Chasm City
Chasm City
Chasm City is a 2001 science fiction novel by author Alastair Reynolds, set in the Revelation Space universe. It deals with themes of identity, memory, and immortality, and many of its scenes are concerned primarily with describing the unusual societal and physical structure of the titular city, a...
, Caleuche is the name given to a ship trailing behind a flotilla of colony ships that is not supposed to be there and never responds to communication attempts. When the protagonist takes a shuttle to visit the ghost ship he discovers that it is really a space-faring alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
creature that has assumed the appearance of one of the flotilla ships and is trying to hide amongst them from its own enemy.