Chilean legends for children are an important part of the country's cultural heritage. Like all countries, Chile has a rich cultural and mythological heritage stemming from its diverse ancestry.
Chilean Legends
Chile boasts one of the richest cultures in South America, and Chilean legends for children are a prime example of this. Like all countries in this region, its culture originated with indigenous populations and was later shaped by the influence of Spanish colonial culture. If you'd like to learn more about Latin American myths, you can read about myths from Bolivia.
This great cultural hodgepodge has generated a very interesting range of myths and legends, since the indigenous population had the spiritual need to explain the invasion, and the visiting population had to try to explain the new things they found. In short, each side tried to interpret the situation and this generated this great variety of stories.
The provincial districts of Chile are full of mythologies. In this place there are many magical stories, and that take place in supernatural environments. In fact, it has become a tourist attraction. The deserts, the mines, and the Chilean cave nature, are a great stage for the popular imagination to develop.
Short Chilean Legends for Children
Since time immemorial, people have tried to protect their history, and their experiences. Before the written language existed, they did so through narratives that passed from generation to generation. This has allowed all these legends to reach our days.
Since much of this culture was passed on verbally, some of its essence has been lost, but the basic spirit of the story remains. This is why, sometimes, if the locality is changed, the legend changes a little, which in the long run enriches Chilean legends for children.
The Pincoya
As with any story, we must first define some of the characters. In our case, we'll begin with Huenchula . This woman was very important because she had the honor of being the wife of the sovereign of the sea. Since this story takes place in Chile , we must clarify the terminology. In this region, this king is known as Millalobo.
To avoid getting sidetracked, let's continue talking about Henchula . She had recently given birth to a baby girl, and for this reason, she was eagerly asking her husband to let her leave the sea so she could take her little daughter, Pincoya , to land to meet her grandparents, since they were not seafarers.
Huenchula managed to persuade her husband to grant her this concession, and she left the waters to reach dry land. She carried her baby girl cradled in a blanket made of sea plants. The woman's parents were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the infant. However, before the mother could show her the child, she remembered that her husband had told her that no human could see her.
The girl was kept covered by her mother while she was visiting. Already when she was about to return to the sea, she asked her parents to watch the girl for a while, while she resolved everything for her departure home; and she also searched in the boat in which she traveled, the gifts that she had brought them.
The grandparents, finding themselves alone with the baby since her mother had left, couldn't resist the temptation and finished removing the sheet covering her. They thought nothing would happen if they just glanced at their granddaughter for a second. What they saw was Pincoya 's immense beauty ; she was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen.
They tried to cover her again with the leaf, but an invisible force prevented them from seeing her. In this state, Huenchula found them , and upon seeing what was happening, began to scream in despair.
The grandparents couldn't notice, but Pincoya slowly transformed into seawater, clear and crystal clear. Henchula picked her up and ran with her, trying to reach the shore. Without a second thought, she dove in and began to swim toward her husband's domain.
By the time she met him, her daughter had grown into a young woman. From that moment on, La Pincoya became the guardian of the ocean waters. When sailors and their ships are in danger, she is responsible for calming the seas so they can reach port safely.
There are times when it becomes impossible for her to save the sailors, so she asks for the help of her mother's other daughter, the mermaid , and takes the deceased to rest in peace on the Caleuche . This is a mythical ship where the souls of humans rest for eternity.
The Camahueto
The Camahueto is one of the most entertaining Chilean legends for children. It's a mythological creature from popular imagination, described by locals as resembling a calf. Its appearance is striking, thanks to its unique, bright green fur.
Its only distinguishing feature isn't the color of its fur; it's also said to possess a kind of horn located above the center of its eyes, right on its forehead. Myths say it often appears in Chiloé , and that camahuetos are always born in the subterranean layers of the earth from the remains of one of these horns.
It is a popular circle that the healers used the horn of this creature to prepare healing concoctions. With this they could heal from simple illnesses, to patients who were in poor condition, such as people with rheumatism.
The use of this very strong condiment was not easy, since, if it is placed in a large quantity, the person on whom it will be used would suffer a lot of pain, for the rest of his life and could even go crazy.
Today, in the towns of Chiloé , you can find Camahueto shavings being sold to tourists, supposedly as a cure for any health problem. However, what they are actually offering is grated seashells.
Lola
Perhaps of all Chilean legends for children, this is one of the most famous, not only in Chile but also in many parts of Latin America. It's a widespread myth, prevalent in all regions where mining is practiced.
The legend tells of the ghost of a young woman, who can be seen at dusk, carrying her husband's coffin. Although her name was Dolores , everyone who knew her called her Lola . She was a very beautiful woman, courted by the neighborhood boys, as they all wanted her as their girlfriend.
It was the case that her father had the ambition to marry the girl, with a member of a prominent family, he took care of her all the time, and did not allow her to go out with someone who was not of a very good social position.
As this was a suffocating situation, without him realizing it, the girl left the house and met a mine worker, who was very poor. They immediately fell in love with her, and as the young woman knew that her father would not accept this relationship, she decided to run away with her beloved on a cold night.
As time passed, Dolores 's husband became a wealthy and powerful man. He found precious metals in the mines where he worked. Despite all this, the couple was unhappy, as the miner was unfaithful to his wife. According to those who know the story, one day Lola decided to wait for her husband at home.
When the man arrived home, Lola said nothing. Silently, she stood up and, with a dagger in her hand, fatally wounded him. Seeing him die, Lola left and ran toward the mountains, shouting nonsense. Later, she returned to the village and told the locals that her husband had been murdered by robbers.
For her this lie, was becoming a reality, in her brain it had happened like this. She came the day, that in the midst of her madness, she looked for the coffin where the body of her husband was, and she went out dragging it, in search of the man's murderers.
As they say, in the Chilean mining areas, you can still hear the noise of the coffin being dragged through the streets, which is why you have to take care on nights with a bright moon.
The culebron
According to experts—those who study and catalog Chilean children's legends—the Culebrón myth has a protagonist most similar to the mythology of the rest of the continent. To see more legends, you can view legends from Querétaro.
An example of this is the Mexican mythological being known as Quetzalcoatl . This god of the country's culture is very similar to the protagonist of this legend. This myth tells of a serpent of enormous size that was once seen. One of its characteristics was its very thick body.
On the sides of his head he looked winged, they also say that he only used them at night, because he was nocturnal. They say that, in the mornings, this snake would hide in the deep caves. It is also believed that this creature did not cause harm to humans. Their food is the blood taken from newborn goats.
This last point is openly related to another legend, that of the chupacabra , another myth that at the time caused great concern among the rural population of Latin America.
The ghost of the Rioja Palace
The Rioja Palace is located in Viña del Mar , Chile . The building was constructed on land that once belonged to the Quinta San Francisco estate , where José Francisco Vergara and his wife Mercedes Álvarez lived until they moved to Quinta Vergara . In 1907, it was purchased by Fernando Rioja Medel.
The new owner had a new mansion built on the property, a project overseen by the European architect Alfredo Azancot . According to accounts from the time, Don Fernando Rioja was a renowned aristocrat, a member of the most elite circles of society. He married his daughter to a Spanish nobleman.
Once the nuptials were completed, the Spaniard returned the girl to her father, alleging that she was not chaste and pure, since she had had an affair with a family employee, whom they killed. According to gossip, the spirit of the young man can be seen there looking for his daughter.
They also comment that the ghost of the owner, who died on the spot, can be found wandering the rooms, fully dressed as an aristocrat. They say that in addition, in the music room, they usually see it, where the piano usually sounds, without anyone playing it. This room is located in the basement of the place, where there is a music conservatory.
Many have said that they are frightened, and that things are changed places, in addition to seeing apparitions, no one who is there regularly has been freed from the spell. The federal government acquired the building on July XNUMX, XNUMX, to dedicate it to culture and ceremonies. It was later used as a town hall.
Finally, in August 1979, the building became the Museum of Decorative Arts . Despite this, for visitors, the main attraction of the place remains the legends of paranormal activity. Thus, this place became one of Chile's most cherished children's legends.
Folk legends for children
Chilean legends for children are a contribution to the culture of the country, they can be used both in private and in formal schooling, it is a very pleasant and joyful way for children to learn more about where we come from, what our cultural roots, and most importantly it allows them to take a look at how our ancestors thought.
If this is not enough, there is documentary and scientific evidence that reading this type of literature in the company of family members makes the union between members more robust. It allows points of view to be shared at the end of each reading, and this helps them to get to know each other better.
The Ananuca
If you haven't heard yet, the Añañuca is a type of flowering plant found in northern Chile . It's similar to the Mexican poinsettia. Now we can begin telling our legend. Of course, we still need to specify the area where this flower grows, in the Coquimbo region.
Certainly very few people know the true name of this flower, this name was assigned to it, due to a beautiful story of many loves, which over time became a myth. And he became part of the Chilean legends for children.
The story we are about to read comes from a time long before the arrival of the conquistadors to our land. It was a time when a beautiful young woman named Añañuca lived here. She fell in love with a young man who passed through the village, searching for a treasure supposedly buried nearby.
As soon as they saw each other they fell in love with each other. The boy abandoned everything he did, and married the young woman. They lived very happily for many years. One day while they were sleeping, the man woke up with a start, having a dream in which the exact location of the treasure was supposedly revealed to him.
As soon as it was dawn, the husband arranged what was necessary for an expedition, and informed his wife, that he would return in no time, and that when he saw him he would come with bags completely full of gold. Gradually the days turned into years and her husband never returned to town.
Many things were discussed at that time, but among all, one of the things that was heard the most was that an apparition of those that appear to miners had devoured him. It does not matter if it is true or not, it is worth mentioning that the woman died of sadness. The afternoon she was buried, black clouds completely covered the sky.
It was a very sad day, the sadness was felt in everything, in the air, in the water, the animals were sad, all the streets looked gloomy. Then a big downpour began to fall, it was raining very hard. The next day, people could not believe what they saw, and it is that, on the grave of the girl, some beautiful red flowers had grown.
According to legend—though we can't confirm it—these flowers appeared because the girl's love transformed her body into flowers, so she could eternally wait for her love to return. To learn more myths, you can read myths from El Salvador.
The Colocolo
According to the country's oral tradition, the Colocolo is a mythological animal with a very strange taste; it sucks the saliva of people who sleep with their mouths open. The origin of this creature is rather peculiar, as villagers claim it comes from abandoned eggs that free-range hens stray.
These eggs are incubated by snakes, which lay them in their dens and care for them until a Colocolo hatches . Then, once the creature is born, the snake trains it to drink people's saliva.
This Chilean children's legend tells of a man, his wife, and their children who bought a house in the countryside and moved in. Everything was fine until a woman from the neighborhood warned them that they hadn't moved to a peaceful place. She told them the best thing they could do was leave, since the previous owners had died there because of the Colocolo ( a Chilean soccer team ).
The man did not heed the warning, and simply took it as peasant trickery. He appreciated the warning and was convinced that nothing they told him was true, he thought that if an animal appeared he would kill it and that's it.
At nightfall, they went to sleep peacefully, each in their corresponding room. Suddenly, a loud scream woke up the wife. Turning to see where the sound came from, what she saw was her husband with a look of terror. She jumped out of bed and lit a candle as soon as she could.
The man had no moisture in his mouth, which prevented him from breathing; something serious was wrong. At dawn, his wife and children left the house. No one thought to mention that the Colocolo might have caused the husband's death , yet that house was never rented again.
Many years passed and one day the house caught fire without any explanation, nobody understood what started the fire. It is rumored that it was an attempt to kill the creature, it was this or simply throw stones at it as soon as they saw it.
Horror legends
Chilean legends for children also have horror myths among them, these are stories that generate fear among those who read or listen to them. They achieve this because they are stories full of supernatural elements that awaken the imagination and produce sensations of fear.
Many of these legends are modifications of eighteenth-century tales to instill fear in the reader. Basically, most of them are very old chronicles of the continent.
The Calchona
According to Chilean folklore, the character known as La Calchona was a witch who lived with her husband and two children. However, they were unaware that she actually possessed magical powers and practiced witchcraft. In the basement of her house, the woman kept several jars in which she stored ointments.
These concoctions were prepared with magic and if they were used on someone, this was converted into the animal form that the witch decided, this was a great secret, which she kept from her family.
Another story that is told is that, at nightfall, the witch would put an enchantment around her house, thus preventing her husband or her children from getting up at night and in this way, she could dedicate herself to casting spells at night. right and left, without the danger of being discovered.
One of his most common customs was to use one of his ointments, in order to transform into a black farm animal. With this appearance she managed to walk through the meadows without anyone noticing her. One night when she was about to leave her home, she forgot to cast the spell that put her children to sleep, so they saw her transform.
The children took the container that their mother used and left on the table, and smeared the contents on their faces. In a very quick instant, their bodies turned into small farm animals. At first the children were very happy, because they thought it would be fun to go for a walk in the woods in costume.
After a while, after playing like little animals, they realized that they had no idea how to return to their original form, at that moment they began to shed tears with great sadness. The crying of the infants caused their father to wake up. The man was startled when he noticed that in his house there were only a couple of little foxes and his wife was not there.
The man looked for his wife throughout the house and did not find her, but he did notice the empty jar on the table. At that moment the popular saying came to mind, which states that sorceresses use ointments to turn human beings into animals. He searched the whole house, until he found the place where the ointments were hidden in the basement.
He read one by one, until he found the bottle that was labeled corrective. He applied it to the little foxes, and instantly they became children again. Bringing his children to safety, the man took all the other jars and emptied their contents into the river. Next, he took his children and left the house as soon as possible.
When the sorceress returned to her house, upon entering she was able to realize what had happened, her husband and children were already with us. She quickly went to the deposit where she kept the creams, in her place there were only the remains of what her husband had thrown away.
He poured what he found of pomades on his hands and face. With this only these parts returned to human form, the other parts of his anatomy continued to have animal form. For this reason, some nights the peasants affirm that a sheep can be heard bleating, desperately looking for her children.
In popular parlance, there is a variation of this legend, where it is said that people put a container with food for the Calchona , as they consider it good luck to be kind to her, since she is a completely harmless mythological creature, because the years she has spent looking for her family have served to make her repent of all the evils.
the basilisk
One of the strangest stories in Chilean children's legends is that of the mythological creature known as the Basilisk . This animal was supposedly born from the union of the genes of a snake and a fowl. To learn more about this topic, read Roman myths.
Country people say that during the passing of the seasons, at least once, they can run into about twelve eggs that they do not understand what animal they are from. Extending the description of this creature, we could say that it is a beast that has a rooster's head.
In addition, the reptilian aspect can be appreciated, for having the rest of the body with scales, in addition to being similar to the body of a snake, and its legs are proportional to those of a lizard. By the time the Basilisk is born it is almost the same as a tadpole. For this reason, the people who get to see it do not feel alarmed.
This animal grows very quickly, reaching adulthood in just a few days. A certain group of people have the firm belief that this beast is capable of killing people who stand in front of it. The victim remains petrified for approximately four hours.
After this period of four hours, the victim begins to suffer from intense symptoms, such as cramped limbs, strong ailments, this increases until eventually it affects their heart or lungs and the person dies. As always, there are several points of view when it comes to this and there are people who claim the opposite.
Another part of the population says that if one encounters the Basilisk , regardless of whether the beast sees them or not, one should simply run as fast and hard as possible; in this way, one manages to escape and thus gain a distance that prevents the creature from attacking.
As in all myths or legends, for the same creature there are many versions. There is one that affirms that this being seeks to enter houses while their inhabitants sleep. If you are not careful, and the inhabitants allow it, the beast will use them for food, while they are frozen by its gaze. It is also said that he possesses a very powerful poison.
Of course, if any of the inhabitants of the house invaded by the creature realizes the presence of the animal, it will immediately hide in some dark corner and when everything is calm again, it will leave without taking anything.
The leather
This is one of the strangest Chilean legends for children: the creature known as "el cuero " (the hide ) can be found practically everywhere, as it likes to inhabit any place with water, of any kind, whether a lot or a little; in other words, if there's moisture, it can be there. However, its preferred habitat is small streams or dark lagoons.
As for how it looks physically, as its name indicates, its appearance is that of a cowhide, that is, leather. The native population of the place, who were the first to mention it, also gave it the name by which we know it today. At one end of its being, it has strong, sharp, long claws.
This seems to be too simple a way to describe this creature, but there are not many people who have been able to detail it, until now no one has talked about what its head is like, those who describe it say that it is covered by a kind of tentacles that They lead to two red dots, which are believed to be nothing more and nothing less than the eyes.
What does coincide in each variation of the sightings, and they all describe it the same, is that what is supposed to be his mouth is in the central part of his physique, and he uses it to drink all the blood of the people he meets. they become its victims, this is done through the skin.
Having such a strong affinity for water, this being is capable of swimming. With this ability, it can attack from anywhere, making it very difficult to escape, as it can move both on land and in water. One of the Cuero 's most well-known powers is its ability to control water at will. It can raise or lower the river's water level simply by wishing it.
Not satisfied with all this, he has the power of hypnotism, with which he freezes his victims. In this way he manages to keep them inert, unable to defend himself or flee, while he drinks their blood through their skin. Right now the story comes to mind that talks about a young woman who was washing clothes on the shore of a peaceful river.
This young woman was quite distracted by her chores, so preoccupied was she that she didn't notice something approaching her. She was being stalked by none other than El Cuero . The beast waited for the precise moment the young woman put one of her hands in the water, then pulled it in and sucked all her blood dry in a matter of seconds.
A day later, the corpse of the totally cold young woman was found by the people who left early to work, in that sad Chilean field. The poor girl had no time for anything, because she was in the creature's favorite environment.
These kinds of myths always have a strong element of magical realism, which is so interesting that it's worth mentioning. In this case, if a person is certain that one of these creatures exists in their area, the only way to protect themselves from its attacks is to seek refuge with a Machi (Mapuche healer ).
The Machi is a person who performs a specific magic to summon the Cuero (a type of wild animal) so that he can move it as far away as possible from any aquatic environment. Once the animal is on land, away from the water, the shaman throws branches of calafate , a shrub from the Andean region characterized by its extremely hard branches.
This is actually a trick to deceive the Cuero . When the branch falls on it, it thinks it's an easy target and that it can suck its blood. But when it attacks, because the bush is so thorny, the animal only swallows thorns, which become embedded in its flesh, causing a slow and painful death.
The Caleuche
Some legends are so interesting that they deserve to be told, and this is the case with this story of the Caleuche . It's a myth that has earned its place among Chilean children's legends, and no collection of them would be complete without it.
This is the story of a ghost ship, a classic horror tale. It tells of a vessel that travels aimlessly, sowing fear in its wake. Storytellers say it drifts through the seas near the port of Chiloé , as well as the channels to the southwest.
This ship does not sail on its own, it has some crew members, who are very powerful wizards and sorceresses. In the night hours when the moon is at its largest, it is possible to see this boat pass with its sails fully hoisted, and while it sails you can listen to music, played by a variety of instruments.
Every so often while the ship is seen, a thick foggy mist covers it, this is produced by the ship itself. In addition, it is common knowledge that it is not possible to look at the ship during the day. However, if for some reason, someone tries to approach him. Immediately the ship transforms into a wooden plank that is impossible to catch.
The people who try to grab this wooden board go into the sea every time, because the board avoids them, and if they do not realize it, they run the great risk of being lost forever, the board will never allow them to catch it. At other times, the ship turns into a rock and its crew members turn into birds.
The elders always say that those who live on the ship are really human beings who, by some misfortune, were bewitched and thus enslaved on the ship, and there they will be sailing forever. As if this were not enough, it is said that each and every one of them has one leg tied behind their back. That means that, to walk, they need to jump.
Something else that is commented on, in the myths, is that apart from being obliged to be sailing forever, none of those on the ship can remember what it is called, or where it came from, much less how it got there. This is one of the Chilean legends for children.
As a closure for this legend, the people who live in the towns where the ship can be seen, warn all those who do not know about it. They are told that if at any time they see the ship, do not look at it in the face, because they risk being punished for daring to look at a ship run by sorcerers.
Devil's Pass
This is one of the myths of the Antofagasta region of Chile , specifically as far as Chiu Chiu . In pre-Hispanic times, this place was part of the Inca route . When the conquest ended, along with the process of converting the indigenous people to Catholicism, this site became the location of the Church of San Francisco.
This is the oldest Catholic church still standing in Chile. Built in 1611, it is currently considered a National Monument by the State . Much could be said about its history and features, but on this occasion, we will focus on the Salado River.
This river is a tributary that originates where more than thirty thermal springs converge, in a pool at the base of the El Tatio volcano , and flows into the Loa River . It is considered the longest river in all of Chile . Chilean legends for children originate from this area.
As it crosses the desert areas, the river is full of many stories, all of them mythical, stories about people who are lost in an inexplicable way, or who simply disappear. They speak of deaths without explanation or reason, and many events that are full of mystery that can only be considered supernatural.
One of these many legends takes place at the Chiu Chiu intersection , where a bridge connects the two areas, known as the Devil's Crossing. This place is considered cursed, and the locals are terrified of it, refusing to even go near it after nightfall.
They say that from the river waters emerges a demon with a dagger between its teeth, who dances and invites anyone he sees to leave with him. If the person is persuaded, the demon will kill them with the dagger and take their soul. If you want more horror stories, you can read longer horror stories.
Those who go to the place during the day can only think that it is a beautiful place, with magnificent natural landscapes, which is why it is very visited by tourists, and by people who like to go on expeditions. Many others, who are attracted by supernatural tourism, visit it at night to see if they can see the aforementioned demon.
Chilean Legends for Mythological Children
To finish the article, we would like to show you about three legends with mythological features of this interesting South American country, which children will surely love.
the lion stone
When the Spanish conquistadors arrived at the town of San Felipe , not far from the northern region of Santiago , there were many wild cats. They were very large, and could be seen roaming the area, sharing the land with the native population.
In one of the many mountains near San Felipe , known as Yevide , lived a beautiful feline who had become a mother to two beautiful, strong, and cheerful cubs. She wandered off in search of food for her children, and some muleteers who passed by took the cubs.
The mother cougar, mortified, began a fruitless search. At the end of the afternoon, she was very sad next to a rock that was very large, from there she roared very loudly because of her sadness, it was so loud that the people of the town could hear her pitiful lament. This is one of the Chilean legends for children.
The sad creature decided to leave, and from that moment the cats could not be seen in the area again. Even today, on the coldest of nights, the locals say they can hear the mother cat's lament, and are convinced that it is the spirit of the animal that still claims the children she lost.
the lagoon of INCA
At some point before the Spanish conquest, the Incas managed to expand their dominion, reaching as far as central Chile . Archaeologists have found much evidence of this, in addition to the legends that remain, enriching Chilean culture.
It is in this area, in a place called Portillo , where a famous tourist center is located, a short distance from the city of Santiago , that one can see a green lake known as the Inca Lagoon . Legend has it that the Inca Illi Yupanqui fell in love with the beautiful princess Kora-llé . Their love was reciprocated, and they were sealed in a marriage ceremony.
The wedding would take place around the edge of the beautiful lagoon of the place. Following the custom, at the end of the rite, the beautiful young woman with her wedding dress and her jewelry, would descend the slopes along with all her entourage. The path was very small and with many loose stones, this made the bride slip and she fell into the void.
Illi Yunpanqui, filled with anguish, ran to his beloved and found her already deceased on the water's edge. He was very sad and sorrowful, and since he did not believe there was a tomb majestic enough for his beloved to rest in peace, he decided that her body should be laid to rest in the depths of the lagoon.
The princess was shrouded in the finest white fabrics, and her remains sunk in the depths of the lagoon. As the debris descended, the liquid magically turned emerald green, which was the shade of green of the bride's eyes. Since then it is said that the Laguna del Inca is enchanted.
On calm days, if you look closely, you can see the prince's soul wandering and weeping for his beloved. If you go on a cold afternoon, you're sure to hear the mournful laments of the Inca who never stopped loving his wife. This is one of the sad Chilean legends for children.
The Alicante
In the mining regions of Chile lives the Alicanto , a mythological bird that, according to legend, is golden in color with ruby eyes. This mythical animal lives deep in the mines, where it hoards great treasures. Many miners have been lost trying to find the bird's lair.
This bird lives in the hills, precisely where large veins of precious minerals and valuable materials can be found, which it feeds on. Seeing an Alicanto is considered good luck, because if you manage to follow it to its roost, you'll find gold, silver, or other precious metals. However, it's not always a good omen.
Not everyone who observes it finds good fortune, the animal has the ability to see the heart of those who follow it. If these people are greedy and miserly, the bird will lose it through the tunnels of the mine, placing it in the most dangerous and hidden places. From there he will not be able to leave again, nor find food or shelter.
According to locals, when someone gets lost, they must pray with great faith to the Virgin of Punta Negra , asking for guidance to find the safest route home. Tradition holds that this can be a good way to avoid being lost due to the Alicanto.
It is part of the legend that the bird shines so much that it is almost impossible to look at it directly, its plumage is very bright because it is said to be made of gold, since it feeds on this mineral, as a curious note if it fed on silver, its fur would be a brilliant silver color. This is another of the Chilean legends for children.
As a curious side note, when this animal feeds, it ingests large quantities of the precious metal. This excess weight prevents it from flying, so it must move by walking. This isn't considered a disadvantage by the bird, since it doesn't leave footprints and can't be followed. You might also be interested in these invented horror stories.
Many things are said about the Alicanto , one of them being that if you manage to follow him and try to take his gold for petty reasons, he will close the gate of the enclosure and the selfish person will be trapped inside with the treasure, dying there with a great fortune but confined. But if the person is a noble bird, he will give them gold and show them the way out.