Key Info

- Sprite-like guardians of nature

- Can scare the soul from the body

Brief Bio

Chaneque are legendary creatures in Mexican folklore, meaning "those who inhabit dangerous places" or "owners of the house" in Náhuatl. These small, sprite-like beings hold a connection to elemental forces and are regarded as guardians of nature. Comparable mythical beings are found across Mesoamerican and Latin American folklore, often referred to as "duende" in Spanish. Within Yucatec Mayan folklore, the Yucatán Peninsula's tradition identifies similar elemental entities as "aluxob".

In some contemporary legends, chaneques are portrayed as children with the faces of elderly men or women, capable of leading people astray for several days. During this period, victims experience memory lapses, attributed to their alleged transport to the Underworld, specifically Mictlán or Chiconauhmictlán. The entrance to this realm is believed to be located within a dried kapok tree. In other instances, chaneques are said to intimidate intruders to the point where their souls leave their bodies. A specific ritual is required to reunite the soul with the body; otherwise, illness and subsequent death result.