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It was a voracious creature often seen as half fish or crocodile, or another creature. Its name can be translated to “the black lizard”. Nowadays the chaneques are known as tiny beings with the appearance of children who make jokes, hide things from you and can even lead people into getting lost. One of the beliefs said you must wear your clothes inside out while walking through the mountains so that the Chaneques wouldn’t bother you. Sometimes they stole an essential part of their soul, called tonalli, which was vital life energy, so they had to perform rituals to return it, otherwise, the person might fail. It was believed that they were beings linked to the underworld, dedicated to taking care of the mountains, forests, springs, trees, plants and wild animals and also possessed a mischievous and ingenious character. There are four of them according to the cardinal points, each protecting their corresponding properties. Its appearance is that of a man with a very long beard, as an older man. In this story, we’re told that this being’s purpose is to take care of the land and crops. This creature has two inquisitive stories in two different regions of México in Yucatán, there is a story about the dzulúm that bears the name Balam,Mayan word for jaguar. You may see one near the Cancun-Nizuc bridge which had many problems while being built until the small pyramid was offered so that the guardian could allow the bridge to carry on being built. That is why, if you visit the Mexican Caribbean you may come across small buildings of tiny pyramids near some buildings. There are currently many legends in southeastern Mexico, in which witnesses mention falling bridges, natural disasters, or diseases occurring when invading a land without asking permission or making an offering to these beings. When their owner dies, they are under the protection of the maize god Yum-Kaax, who grants them permission to take care of the land as well as the nature that resides there in the same way they take care of the subterranean world called Xibalbá. This period of care had to last seven years.ĭuring this time, the being could make mischief, appear in the shadows and change the place of things as a sign of fidelity to their master, but once the seven year term is fulfilled, the owner has to build a small house for them, leaving them trapped so they don’t lose control. In return, the alux took care of the land, crops, and animals of thieves by throwing stones, making them stumble or whistling. These usually contained corn, pozole or regional grains. It was the owner’s responsibility to make altars with offerings for his alux. This was intended to develop a connection between master and servant. A ritual was performed that consisted of using virgin clay extracted from a cave with which the creature was molded along with nine drops of the blood of the creature´s owner. They were created by the maya wise men, also called shamans. Representations of them can be found in Chiapas at Yaxchilán and Nohoch mul, Quintana Roo in Coba. They are related to elves in their physical likeness since their size is that of a tiny being with a mischievous character and with indigenous traits. According to legends, they were tiny beings older than the sun. 1.AluxĪlux or alux’Ob comes from the maya culture that developed in Mexico, Guatemala and Belize in which they were considered nature caretakers. Below, I will tell you about the 10 main mythical creatures of México. People who claim to be witnesses of their existence have resulted in a rise of mythological creatures.Įach fantastic creature is part of the Mexican folklore so varied, curious and enigmatic. With time, they have been incorporated with new characteristics due to the cultural mix our country has experienced. From them, certain fantastic beings emerged. Pre-Hispanic cultures worshipped gods seeking an answer to natural disasters as well as unexplained events.
#Fabled lands into the underworld full#
Mexico is a land full of mysteries and legends dating back to our ancestors. Learn about the Mexican mythical world Mythological creatures are part of our ancestor’s history