Peruvian Mythology

Supay

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Tradition: Inca Mythology, Peruvian Mythology
Alternative Names: Supaya, Auka
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Supay is a powerful spirit associated with the underworld, darkness, death, and the shadowy forces of the universe. In Andean mythology, he is connected to Uku Pacha, the realm beneath the world where the spirits of the dead dwell. Supay is an ambivalent being who can embody both benevolent and harmful forces. In later Christian interpretations, he came to be associated with the Devil and demons, but in older Andean beliefs, he represented one of the opposing forces necessary to maintain the balance of existence.

One legend tells that Supay caused the great flood that created Lake Titicaca. Long ago, the land around the lake was a fertile valley where people lived peacefully under the protection of the mountain gods, the Apus. The gods forbade them from climbing the mountains where the Sacred Fire burned. Unable to tolerate their happiness, Supay sowed discord among the people and tempted them to disobey. When they climbed the mountains, the Apus sent thousands of pumas to devour them. The terrified people begged Supay for help, but he refused to save them. Seeing their destruction, Inti, the Sun God, wept so bitterly that his tears flooded the valley for forty days. Only one man and one woman survived in a reed boat. When the waters receded, they found themselves surrounded by an immense lake, with the drowned pumas transformed into stone.

Supay is also connected to the journey of the dead through the underworld. According to Andean tradition, the souls of the deceased must cross a river of blood called Yawar Mayu to reach Upay Marca, the land of shadows. A black dog often guides the soul on this journey. Known as Tawa Ñawi, meaning “Four Eyes,” the dog appears to have four eyes because of the distinctive markings above its own eyes. In some traditions, the hair saved during a child’s first haircut was believed to form a bridge that helped the deceased cross the river and continue into the realm of the dead.

Supay represents the darker counterpart to Kawsay, the force of life. In Andean thought, life and death, light and darkness, and other opposing forces are not simply enemies that must destroy one another. Their interaction maintains cosmic balance and allows existence to continue through recurring cycles of destruction and renewal.

Sources

“Supay.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supay

Tunche

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Tradition: Peruvian Mythology
Alternative Names: El Tunche
Category: Forest Dweller

The Myth

The Tunche is a malevolent supernatural being that wanders through the depths of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. It is often described as a tall, shadowy figure with bright, glowing eyes, although it can also take the appearance of an attractive person or even someone familiar to its intended victim. This ability to imitate loved ones makes the Tunche particularly deceptive, as travellers may believe they are following someone they know when they are actually being led deeper into the wilderness. Its most distinctive feature is its eerie, high-pitched whistle, which echoes through the forest and announces its presence.

The Tunche uses its haunting whistle to confuse and lure people away from safety. Those who follow the sound may become hopelessly lost among the dense trees, unable to find their way back to their communities. The creature is blamed for mysterious disappearances in which victims eventually die from disease, animal attacks, or the dangers of the jungle. Sometimes the whistle seems to come from nearby, only to sound farther away when a person approaches, drawing the unfortunate traveller deeper into the forest. Those who recognize the sound and understand the danger are warned not to follow it.

In some traditions, the Tunche is more than a predator that hunts the lost. It is also regarded as a guardian of the Amazon rainforest, collecting the souls of people who die within its depths and punishing those who disrespect or damage the land. Its presence serves as a warning against wandering alone, disturbing the natural world, or ignoring the dangers of the wilderness. Whether appearing as a dark silhouette, a deceptive familiar face, or an unseen presence marked by a chilling whistle, the Tunche remains one of the most feared beings of the Peruvian jungle.

Sources

“El Tunche: The Peruvian Boogeyman.” Cultural Bytes. https://cultural-bytes.org/el-tunche-the-peruvian-boogeyman

“Popular Legends and Myths of Peru: The Tunche.” Machu Picchu Terra. https://www.machupicchuterra.com/guide/popular-legends-myths-peru/#legend-tunche

Amaru

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Tradition: Inca and Aymara mythology, Peruvian Mythology
Alternative Names: Katari, Yana Amaru, Yuraq Amaru
Category: Dragon

The Myth

Amaru is a gigantic cosmic serpent, sometimes described as a dragon, whose enormous body remains serpentine even when it takes on features of other animals. It may have two heads, or the head of a bird or puma, and some depictions give it bird-like feet and wings. Other traditions describe it with a reddish snout, crystalline eyes, llama-like head, taruka horns, and a fish’s tail. Its immense body is covered in scales, and it is closely associated with the waters beneath the earth, lakes, rivers, mountains, storms, rain, hail, and the sky.

The Amaru dwells in the depths of lakes and rivers and in the subterranean world, moving between the earthly and spiritual realms. Its winding body connects the earth and sky, while its scales are said to contain all things: living beings, their lives, their realities, and even their dreams. It can bring rain and vital waters to the land, but it can also unleash storms, hail, earthquakes, and destruction.

One great legend tells how the Huanca people once lived in caves because terrible beasts around a great lake prevented them from reaching its waters. They begged the god Wiracocha for help, and he called upon Tulumanya, the first rainbow. With a great roar, Tulumanya brought forth a colossal serpent called Yana Amaru, the Dark Amaru. It had the head of a guanaco, the wings and claws of an eagle, the legs of a jaguar, and a gigantic scaled serpent’s body ending in the tail of an anaconda.

Yana Amaru was sent to destroy the beasts threatening the people, but the creature soon became a monster itself. It began attacking humans and other creatures for pleasure and took possession of the lake. The desperate Huancas once again called upon Wiracocha, who created another Amaru to oppose it. This second serpent had brilliant silver scales and was known as Yuraq Amaru, the White Amaru.

The two gigantic serpents fought one another, but their battle only brought greater destruction. Neither could defeat the other, and their struggle seemed endless. Finally, Wiracocha sent Illapa, the lightning, and Wayra, the wind, against them.

The Amarus attacked the two divine powers and, finding themselves overwhelmed, attempted to escape. They fled toward a lagoon, but Illapa destroyed its shore while Wayra drove the waters outward until the lagoon dried up. The serpents then tried to flee into the heavens, but Wayra dragged them back toward the earth. Illapa confronted them directly, and the final battle began.

As they approached death, the two Amarus stretched out their enormous bodies and grew larger still. Their bodies eventually became the two great mountain ranges surrounding the Mantaro Valley. The larger western range became a land of fertile fields and broad pastures, while the smaller eastern range rose into perpetual snow.

Yet the Amaru did not completely disappear. When a storm cloud approaches, the serpent is said to rise from the depths and reach toward the sky, attempting to scatter hail over the crops. At that moment it can appear as an immense, twisting serpent stretching toward the clouds. The people call upon their divine protectors, and once again lightning and wind descend upon the beast. After their terrible battle, the Amaru is defeated and driven back into the depths of the lake, where it waits until it rises again.

Sources

“Amaru (mythology).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 3, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaru_(mythology)

Ccoa

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Tradition / Region: Peruvian Mythology
Alternative names: Cacya, Chokkechinchay, Choquechinchay
Category: Cat

The Myth

The Ccoa is a fearsome cat-like mountain spirit about 40 centimeters tall and 60 centimeters long, with a broad tail measuring around 30 centimeters. It has gray fur marked with black stripes, a disproportionately large head, and glowing phosphorescent eyes. Hail is said to pour from its eyes and ears, while some traditions describe it as a cat-like bull with blood-red eyes.

According to Andean belief, the Ccoa belongs to the guardian mountain spirits known as the apus and the agricultural spirits called the aukis. Just as condors are their chickens and vicuñas their llamas, the Ccoa is their cat. Its principal home is Mount Ausangate near Kauri in the Cusco region, and it is closely associated with Choquechinchay, the celestial puma represented by the evening star and a constellation.

During the rainy season, the Ccoa emerges from mountain springs in the form of storm clouds. It is feared as a destructive spirit that sweeps its tail through the clouds to unleash violent storms, hail, and deadly lightning. It often destroys crops before harvest, making it one of the greatest threats to farming communities. Whether it acts on its own or carries out the commands of the mountain spirits is uncertain, but it is always treated with caution.

People traditionally viewed the Ccoa in two different ways. Wealthy landowners were believed to serve and honor it, allowing their fields to escape destruction, while poorer farmers fought against it because their crops were ruined by hail and their families afflicted with disease. Sorcerers especially revered the Ccoa, believing it granted supernatural powers to those struck by its lightning.

To appease the spirit, offerings were burned on high mountain ground. These typically included incense, wine, gold and silver tinsel, llama fat, and grains such as cañihua and huairuro. Sorcerers were expected to make regular offerings in gratitude for the powers the Ccoa bestowed. The spirit was believed to become enraged by inadequate offerings, by attempts to drive away its hailstorms, or by the improper burial of unbaptized children, whose souls it was said to claim as servants beneath Mount Ausangate.

In some later traditions, the Ccoa’s role was replaced by Santiago, a more neutral supernatural figure associated with hail and lightning who could both damage and protect crops. Some scholars also suggest that the Ccoa preserves elements of the ancient feline cults of the Chavín civilization.

Sources

Countess Sica. “Ccoa.” A Book of Creatures. September 27, 2019. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://abookofcreatures.com/2019/09/27/ccoa/

Jarjacha

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Tradition / Region: Andean Folklore (Southern Peru; Ayacucho, Junín)
Alternate Names: —
Category: Llama / Shapeshifter / Mountain dweller

The Myth

In the mountain regions of southern Peru, especially around Ayacucho, people speak of a nocturnal creature known as the Jarjacha. It is said to appear after nightfall, wandering the hills and remote paths near villages. Its presence is announced by a piercing call—“Jar-jar-jar” or “Qar-qar-qar”—a sound that echoes through the mountains and strikes fear into those who hear it.

According to tradition, the cry of the Jarjacha signals that a grave transgression has occurred within the community, most often incest. The creature is believed to be the transformed result of such an act, condemned to roam the night and reveal the hidden wrongdoing through its voice. When the call is heard, villagers know that someone nearby carries a secret that has violated the deepest social and moral boundaries.

Descriptions of the Jarjacha vary by region. Most accounts connect it to llamas or alpacas. Some say it appears as a llama with a human head; others describe it as a two-legged creature resembling a llama or alpaca, sometimes with two or even three heads. In certain stories, its glowing eyes shine unnaturally in the darkness, making it unmistakable even from a distance.

The Jarjacha is not bound to a single form. Some tales claim it can briefly disguise itself as a dog or even as a human, allowing it to move unnoticed among people before returning to its true shape at night. Though rarely said to attack directly, its appearance brings fear, shame, and unrest to the community.

When dawn comes, the Jarjacha disappears, retreating into the mountains until night falls again. Its cries linger in memory, a reminder that hidden acts cannot remain concealed forever, and that the night itself will give them voice.

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