One of the few things I knew about Chiloe before arriving is that they like mythology.

And the mythology seems to place a big emphasis on sex.

Meet the Trauco

As written on the sign next to this statue:

“The Trauco, seducer of maidens, is a deformed and repugnant dwarf.  His clothing is made of vines from the trees and he carries a wooden staff and a stone ax. If someone bothers him, he is capable of killing them by merely looking at them.

He appears to young women in erotic dreams, bewitching them and attracting them into the forest, to stimulate them to the point of sexually possessing them.

Women who have been seduced by him assure us that he is undeniably attractive.”

I did not see Señor Trauco while I was in Chiloe, but I am not sure I would find a repugnant dwarf to be attractive.

When a single woman is pregnant and no one steps forward as the father, people assume that the Trauco is the father.  Because the Trauco is irresistible, the woman is considered blameless.”

Gotta love a good myth to explain away unplanned pregnancies.

Don’t worry fellas.  There’s one for you too!

Meet The Widow

“The Widow is a tall, thin woman who appears in the night looking for men.  She entraps them with her breath and takes advantage of them to satisfy her sexual desires.”

Finally… older women are getting the younger men!

Have you discovered any strange and amusing myths in your travels?