Witch Doctors of Chiloé

The witchcraft of the Chiloé Archipelago has been practiced for ages and ages. When the Spanish arrived in this land of "huilliches" (Mapudungun= " southern people"), the witch doctors of Chiloé had already been long established.

In many cases when a witch doctor from Chiloé cured some incurable disease, their fame spread to far distant places. Also when other sorcerers from malevolent clans cast spells so intense that it drove more than one enemy mad no other doctor could help apart from members of a friendly tribe.

In the 18th century, José de Moraleda, wished to prove his proficiency to these "huilliches" and establish that he was the most formidable sorcerer in the world. The locals didn't believe him and called upon the sorceress Chilpilla, who lived in Quetalco, to confront this intruder to their lands. Moraleda was defeated and in recognition of this offered the sorceress an enormous book of ancient witchcraft around the world. Further, Moraleda wrote that the natives of Chiloé were not as deplorable as he had believed and, in fact, were even better than some Chileans.

Today throughout the archipelago of Chiloé there are "Machis" (="witch doctors") from white sects who cure diseases which many doctors have considered untreatable, along with incurable misfortune from certain curses inflicted by witches of some black sect on persons who were defenseless from such spells. In spite of having been persecuted in the past, it is possible to find machis or "curanderos" who will will treat or alleviate some malaise which modern medicine does not know.

References

* Martinez Vilches, Oscar, "Chiloé Misterioso" (in Spanish). Pub. Ediciones de la Voz de Chiloe (circa 1998)

See also

*Chilota mythology
*Machis
*Kalku