Camahueto

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The Camahueto from the Mythology of Chiloé has the form of a calf, with a small horn on its forehead, similar to a unicorn. The horn is the most valuable part of the animal which machis use planting small pieces in the earth from which other camahuetos will grow. When it has grown, it errupts from the earth with such forct that it leaves a tremendous hold and drags down everything in its path in a rapid race to reach the sea.

A machi will stalk and capture the camahueto with a lasso and tear out the horn and bandage the opening. Afterwards, he will use the horn for curing many kinds of illnesses.

One witness related the following account

Once while I was working our land, a sound like a hurricane started, at first underground and later dreadful thunder overran the area where I was. In that moment from a small hill decended with a deafening roar a camahueto demolishing everything in its way. Reaching the bottom it ran through our mill destroying it and finally disappeared into the sea. I saw it perfectly, it was still newborn and had a beautiful horn like a unicorn

One use of the horn is to scrape shavings from it into a mixture of sea water and apple cider until it turns into vinegar and course salt. This potion has the capacity to restore the vitality of older men and to those who have become impotent. Users of this preparation claim to have become like Hercules and gain the reputation throughout the islands as "a man like a trauco".