Skip to main content
(Segundo Ciclo) Inglés

What you must know about the origins and mythology of the mapuche people

The legend of the Pillan and we’ve learned more about the origins and mythology of the mapuche people.

In issue number thirteen of our collection we have gotten to know the legend of the Pillan and we’ve learned more about the origins and mythology of the mapuche people. To make sure you don’t forget what you’ve just learned, we invite you to go over the summary and answer a few questions.

The Pillan

– Mapuche deity of thunder as well as the spirit of fire. He watches over the elements and Man, whom he provides with good health, plentiful harvests and healthy animals. In addition, this god produces thunder and storms. For these reasons he is loved and feared, because if he gets angry the ground shakes and volcanoes erupt.

1. What kind of deity is the Pillan?
2. What happens if the Pillan gets angry?

Mapuches, people of the earth

– The mapuches are the most numerous indigenous culture still surviving in our country today and they are perhaps the only one that still preserves their language and culture in some areas.

– Their name comes from the word mapu, which means earth, and che, which means people, in other words, people of the earth.

– They are mainly found in the rural areas of the Region of Araucania, although there are also significantly large groups in the Region of los Lagos and the Metropolitan Region.

1. What has this culture preserved to this day?
2. What does mapuche mean?
3. Where do mapuches live nowadays?

Their origins

– There are three theories regarding the origin of the mapuche people, but it remains a mystery to this day.
– Spanish conquistadors attempted to subdue the mapuches, but their resistence, known as the war of Arauco, lasted nearly 300 years.
– In 1883, the Chilean government enacted a plan led by Cornelio Saavedra called the Pacification of Araucania.

1. How many theories are there regarding the origin of the mapuche people?
2. How long did the war of Arauco last?

 

Notas Relacionadas

(Segundo Ciclo) Inglés Inglés Reading Séptimo Básico