The Muki of the Andean Mines
Deep in the silver mines of the Andes, miners say, lives a little creature with long hair who can lead you to a rich vein, or lose you in the dark forever.
What was reported
In the folklore of miners in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia, the muki is a small spirit that lives inside the mountains. It's often described as a short, hairy creature with a deep voice, sometimes with long blond hair or a beard, and sometimes wearing a miner's helmet.
The muki owns the minerals in the rock. It can help miners find good veins, often in exchange for offerings of coca leaves or alcohol, or it can cause accidents and make them lose their way. Miners avoid whistling underground, which is said to anger it.
Explanations offered
The muki belongs to a rich world of mining beliefs in the Andes, alongside El Tío, the 'uncle' of the mines. Mining is dangerous work, and such spirits gave miners a way to make sense of luck, wealth and disaster deep underground.
- When
- Told by miners for centuries
- Where
- Cerro de Pasco, Pasco, Peru
- Witnesses
- Miners of Peru and Bolivia
- Status
- Folklore
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.
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