Chaneque



The Chaneques (from Nahuatl, "those who inhabit dangerous places") or ("owners of the house"), are creatures of Mexican mythology, entities associated with the underworld whose main activity is to care for mountains and wild animals; It presents different aspects, of which the one of small man (or woman) stands out. These beings inhabit forests and jungles and care for springs, trees and wild animals. They are believed to be able to scare people and make them lose their tonalli, the spirit associated with the day of their birth (v. Tonalpohualli), which if not corrected by a ritual aimed at recovering the lost tonalli can lead to death. of the individual, they leave white traces. Today, in the Southeast of Mexico, the chaneques are mischievous spirits with the appearance of children who hide things and appear to the people distracting them to make them lose their way or disappear them; A popular belief was to wear clothing backwards when walking alone through the bush to prevent the chaneques from catching and taking it away.

Features
Chaneques dedicate a significant part of their time to carrying out what could be human mischief, such as throwing stones, breaking things, shaking hammocks, pulling dogs' tails, scaring farmyard animals and taking objects. Its relationship with health or the absence of it is manifested by the fact of causing diseases, especially those related to the loss of the soul. However, it can also reward man with wealth and good fortune. In the Tuxtlas, Veracruz, the term denotes two groups of entities, one associated with good, and the other, with evil: chaneques of the first type appear in the area of ​​man's habitation, those of the second, are only found in remote places, not disturbed by human activity; Chaneques are described in different ways; They usually inhabit caves, forests, rivers, ruins, mountains, streams, ditches, hills, springs, lakes, lagoons, ponds, quarries, and water holes. They have the ability to cause disease to human beings, just run your hand gently on the face of someone. It also refers to the popular belief that such ailments are caused by the "air" they leave behind. In the Tuxtla (Veracruz) these beings are classified into Chaneques de río and Chaneques de Monte, depending on the place where they have their residence.

It is said that they are people of approximately one meter or twenty meter; their feet are upside down, their bodies are deformed, they have a tail and they lack a left ear, others assure that they are dwarfs with the faces of children. Some more assure that they are people of short stature, enormous head and chocolate-colored skin. But the most extensive description is the one that refers that they look like small children and that, like these, they love mischief. The chaneques are the owners of the mountains, the animals and the plants. In the Tuxtlas region, they are organized under the command of Chane or Chaneco, god of earth and water, who resides in the talogan, cantaxotalpan or ta'altampa, the underground world, where nature is lavish. Chane's subordinates, the junior chaneques, live as a couple and are married; they can be beneficial to man (white chaneques), or evil enemies (black chaneques); The Chane has both facets: it watches over humans, but it punishes sinners, especially adulterers, using two magical animals; the lúpu'ti burrito, and the shúnu'ti kitten. The first appears to adulterers, strips them naked, and then "eats them lickily"; the second one appears before the unfaithful women, becomes a tiger and devours them; Sometimes, they "love" children and take them home; there are those who say that they do it so that they can become their servants. Mothers, to protect their little ones, put amulets such as deer eye (brown seed) or palm crosses, or put the clothes inside out. For their part, the Nahuas and Popolucas of the Veracruz Isthmus classify them as white or benevolent, and black or malignant enemies. The former live in places near towns and do no harm to humans, unless they receive some harm from them. Instead, blacks locate their homes in large rivers or in the jungles; They have the habit of kidnapping lonely travelers or causing them to fall to steal their souls. These souls are placed in pots to be devoured later.