In the folklore of the Alakaluf people of Chilean Tierra del Fuego, the ayayema was a monstrous creature which lived in a bog called Papi, emerging during the night to stalk the shorelines, hidden in the edges of the forest. It was said to have a horrible, rot-like smell.[1]
It is said that illnesses and accidents are caused by your assiduous and personal persecutions of this spirit. Ayayema would enter the camps when their inhabitants are asleep, with the aim of taking possession of the people, or imposing his evil presence and fear in dreams or illnesses, fruitless hunting, etc.
When Ayayema arrives, it is necessary to change camp and emigrate, although this does not always imply a change of bay or beach, but simply settling a little further away. Its presence would be detected by smelling the smell of rot (smell of decomposition and humidity), since Ayayema would have and exhale that smell. Thus, if certain emanations begin to emanate from a hut in a camp, this is considered a bad sign and denotes the visit of the Ayayema.
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Whittall, Austin Fuegian Beasts - Part 2 | Patagonian Monsters patagoniamonsters.blogspot.com [Accessed 20 July 2019]