Piuchén

The Piuchén (Peuchén, Pihuchén, Piwuchén) or Piguchen (Piguchén), from Mapuche: piwichen for “to dry people” (transliterations: Pihuichéñ, Pihuichen, Pihuichén, Pihuychen) is a vampiric creature from the Mapuche mythology and Chilote mythology known in much of Chile.

This blood-sucker often assumes the guise of a flying snake, or a large lizard with bat wings, that emits strange whistling sounds or hisses that stun or kill its enemy or prey. It is also described as a avian-piscine-human composite, or a shapeshifter taking on the form of animals.

The lore may have derived from encounters with the common vampire bat.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.