The Chaneques
In the forests of Veracruz, people say tiny beings with old faces guard the land. They lead trespassers astray, and can frighten their souls right out of their bodies.
What was reported
Chaneques are small beings of Mexican folklore, especially in Veracruz, with roots in Aztec and Olmec belief. They look like children with the faces of old people, and they guard the forests, rivers and springs, and the animals that live there.
People who disturb their places may be led astray for days and come back with no memory of where they've been. A great fright from a chaneque could make a person's soul leave their body, an illness called susto, which needs a healer to call the soul back.
Explanations offered
Chaneques are part of living folk belief in Mexico, tied to respect for the land. Susto is a recognised folk illness across Latin America, treated by traditional healers.
- When
- Told since before the conquest
- Where
- Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico
- Witnesses
- Mexican folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
More from Mexico