The Kawelwekufe (also known as Cahuelwekuve) resembles a normal orca (killer whale) but lacks a visible dorsal fin bone, giving it an uncanny, unnatural appearance. It is an aquatic predator not of the sea, but of rivers - an unusual and unsettling trait, since orcas are marine mammals. This alone sets the creature apart from its natural counterparts. The name Kawelwekufe is a compound from Mapudungun:
Orcas can beach themselves to hunt prey.
- Kawel – a term used for animals associated with strength and agility, such as horses. In some contexts, it is also used to refer to small whales, particularly dolphins and orcas. In this case, it refers specifically to a killer whale.
- Wekufe – a powerful and malevolent spirit or demon in Mapuche cosmology.
Thus, Kawelwekufe can be translated as “Demon Orca” or “Orca Spirit of Evil.”
- According to oral tradition, the Kawelwekufe lurks silently in the deeper parts of rivers, remaining still and hidden, waiting for the perfect moment. Its primary targets are children who enter the water to bathe or play. Once a child steps into the river, the creature strikes with terrifying speed and precision. However, it does not consume the victim. Instead, it plays with them in a grisly, sadistic manner, akin to a cat toying with a trapped mouse. The Kawelwekufe may:
- Wrap its massive fins around the child.
- Toss them into the air like a toy.
- Hold them gently in its jaws without biting down.
- Repeatedly submerge and release them. This game continues until the child eventually drowns, after which the creature, having lost interest, lets the body float away.
Cultural Beliefs:[]
- Much of the knowledge surrounding the Kawelwekufe has been lost to time, primarily because the Mapuche traditionally avoided speaking or writing about the creature. It was widely believed that to utter or record its name would draw its attention - an idea common in many cultures regarding malevolent spirits or demons.
The myth likely draws on real, awe-inspiring (and unsettling) orca behavior. Orcas have been documented intentionally beaching themselves to snatch prey such as seals or sea lions from the shore - a risky but calculated hunting technique. To ancient observers unfamiliar with the full biology of orcas, seeing a massive black-and-white predator sliding onto land or into shallow water to grab a mammal could be terrifying and easily reimagined as demonic or supernatural.
A rare sighting of an orca deep in a river or lake - while biologically unusual - is not impossible. There are scattered modern reports of orcas venturing up river mouths, likely in pursuit of prey. For Mapuche communities living near river systems, even a single such encounter could seed a powerful oral tradition, especially if it ended in the unexplained death or disappearance of a child.