Luison
Encyclopedia
Luison, Luisõ or Lobison is the name of a monstrous creature from Guaraní mythology
. Being one of the seven cursed children of Tau
and Kerana
, the Luison is one of the primary figures of legend in Guaraní
-speaking cultures today, such as Paraguay
. Of the original myths of the Guaraní people, the Luison is one of the few whose story has changed significantly in modern times.
The name of Luison is a corruption of Lobizón, a name used in Argentina
to describe the werewolf or a similar creature, which is itself a corruption of the Brazilian name for the werewolf, Lobisomem, more literally wolf-man. What name Luison may have had prior to the influence of European-based mythology is likely lost to the world. Guaraní was not a written language and all myths passed on in storytelling only, thus no written record of his original name would have been made.
In the original version of the myth, Luison was the seventh and last child of Tau and Kerana, and thus was the most accursed of the bunch. He was of vaguely human appearance, but said to be extremely ugly, even horrendous looking. Luison had long, dirty hair that fell down to cover most of his form, pale and sickly looking skin and eyes, and accompanied by the constant, fetid odor of death and decay. So frightening and repulsive was his appearance that his mere presence would instill terror in any unfortunate enough to encounter the beast.
Luison was said to be the lord of the night and was associated with death
. His habitat was limited exclusively to cemeteries, burial grounds or other locations similarly tied in with the concept of death, and his sole source of food was dead and rotting flesh. If Luison passes through a person's legs, it is said, the person turns into Luison. In some versions, Luison only appears on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night. Luison also filled the same function as the Grim Reaper in many European societies, and it was said that the touch of his cold, clammy hand was a sure sign that one's days on the earth were numbered.
With the arrival of European settlers in the area came myths and legends not indigenous to the Guaraní people. Over time the myth of Luison slowly began to mix with the imported legend of the werewolf
, to the point where Luison began to lose many of his associations with death. In many areas of the Guaraní-speaking world the Luison's description has changed to that of a half man, half dog creature, and now bears many similarities to the classical werewolf story. Modern tales tell of a Luison that hunts by the light of the moon, is no longer confined to cemeteries and may hunt living victims down for food. It is sometimes also believed that the curse of the Luison may be transferred to other victims via biting, much as the curse of the werewolf. In part the transition from the original myth to a more werewolf-like creature is because Luison was the seventh son. The seventh son, especially in Paraguay
, was thought to be cursed to become a werewolf.
Guaraní mythology
The Guaraní people live in south-central part of South America, especially in Paraguay and parts of the surrounding areas of Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia.-Overview:There exist no written records of the ancient myths and legends associated with the Guaraní people...
. Being one of the seven cursed children of Tau
Tau (mythology)
Tau is the name of an evil spirit in Guaraní mythology. Although Tau is not quite synonymous with the Devil in Christian beliefs, for example, he was sometimes referred to as The Evil Spirit and as such may have been a personification of evil itself...
and Kerana
Kerana
Kerana is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.-References:*...
, the Luison is one of the primary figures of legend in Guaraní
Guaraní language
Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...
-speaking cultures today, such as Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
. Of the original myths of the Guaraní people, the Luison is one of the few whose story has changed significantly in modern times.
The name of Luison is a corruption of Lobizón, a name used in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
to describe the werewolf or a similar creature, which is itself a corruption of the Brazilian name for the werewolf, Lobisomem, more literally wolf-man. What name Luison may have had prior to the influence of European-based mythology is likely lost to the world. Guaraní was not a written language and all myths passed on in storytelling only, thus no written record of his original name would have been made.
Legend
Luison was said to be the lord of the night and was associated with death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
. His habitat was limited exclusively to cemeteries, burial grounds or other locations similarly tied in with the concept of death, and his sole source of food was dead and rotting flesh. If Luison passes through a person's legs, it is said, the person turns into Luison. In some versions, Luison only appears on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night. Luison also filled the same function as the Grim Reaper in many European societies, and it was said that the touch of his cold, clammy hand was a sure sign that one's days on the earth were numbered.
With the arrival of European settlers in the area came myths and legends not indigenous to the Guaraní people. Over time the myth of Luison slowly began to mix with the imported legend of the werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
, to the point where Luison began to lose many of his associations with death. In many areas of the Guaraní-speaking world the Luison's description has changed to that of a half man, half dog creature, and now bears many similarities to the classical werewolf story. Modern tales tell of a Luison that hunts by the light of the moon, is no longer confined to cemeteries and may hunt living victims down for food. It is sometimes also believed that the curse of the Luison may be transferred to other victims via biting, much as the curse of the werewolf. In part the transition from the original myth to a more werewolf-like creature is because Luison was the seventh son. The seventh son, especially in Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, was thought to be cursed to become a werewolf.