Peruvian 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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