Ten Ten-Vilu

Main article: Legend of Trentren Vilu and Caicai Vilu

Statue of Ten Ten-Vilu at Plaza de Armas, Ancud, Chile

Ten Ten-Vilu or Trentren-Vilu (from Mapudungun Trengtrengfilu: Trengtreng a name, and filu "snake") is the Mapuche god of Earth and Fertility (or goddess in some versions found in Chiloé); he has a generous spirit and is the protector of all life on Earth, and the flora and fauna and according to some Mapuche myths (later also found in Chiloé). This snake was a central figure in the Origin Of The Chiloean Archipelago. In Mapuche mythology, Ten Ten-Vilu is son of Antü (a Pillan spirit).

'Origin of Ten-Ten vilu' : The legend tells that the son, or daughter (in other versions), of the spirit Pillan Antu, wanted anvisibly the power of his father, as punishment his father transformed him into a serpent, which would become the divinity of all that is the earth. Ten-ten vilu, along with Kai-Kai vilu were children of Antu and Pien-Pillan (Antu, father of Ten-ten, and Pien-Pillan father of Kai-Kai) powerful spirits plunder, but they ambitious of the power of their parents They tried to obtain their power, in punishment their parents transformed them into serpents, into Kai-Kai vilu "the serpent goddess of the sea" and Ten-ten vilu "the serpent goddess of the earth". 'The fight of Kai-Ki vilu versus Ten-Ten vilu' : In such a way that later the humans did not capture what the spirits gave them, then the serpent (God / Goddess) of the sea and evil spirit were I come, eliminating them by raising the waters to drown and assassinate them, but Ten-Ten vilu raised the earth and began a titanic war, when both were left (in effect of the elevation of the sea and the mountains) the archipelago of Chiloe. That is why now when Kai-Kai Vilu is going to raise the water, Ten-Ten had us moving the ground under our feet (this last narrative explains why Earthquakes occur and, indeed, tsunamis).

See also

• Chilota mythology
• Mapuche mythology
• Coi Coi-Vilu

References

• Alberto Trivero (1999), Trentrenfilú, (in Spanish). Proyecto de Documentación Ñuke Mapu.
• Martinez Vilches, Oscar, Chiloe Misterioso (in Spanish). Pub. Ediciones de la Voz de Chiloe (circa 1998)