Kaleuche

Caleuche This is a mythical ghost ship from mythology and local folklore on the island of Chiloe, in Chile. This is one of the most important myths about the culture of Chile.

According to Chilean legend, it is a large ghost ship sailing the seas around Chiloe (a small island off the coast of Chile) at night. 

According to one version, the ship is endowed with magical power and has its own consciousness and mind. It became a place of permanent residence of the souls of all those who died at sea.

The ship looks like a beautiful and bright white sailboat with 3 masts of 5 sails each, always full of lights and with the sounds of a party on board, but quickly disappears again, leaving no traces of its presence.

Anyone who accidentally sees a "Kaleuche" floating out of the night fog is doomed to death or lifelong bodily suffering.

However, sometimes the creepy crew of the ship invites a random witness to come on board. If he was not afraid, then the ship plunges into the abyss and all the treasures of the underwater world are revealed to a person. The one who will be able to keep what he saw a secret from his neighbors and will not try to get treasures from the bottom on his own will become a brother for the Kaleuche team and will be able to join the merry company whenever he wants.

The ghost ship is also known for its ability to move underwater, as is another famous ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman.

There are different versions of the legend:

• The popular version says that this ship collects the dead from the water and gives them a new life on board as crew members who will spend eternity at parties and celebrations.
• Another version says that a mythical ship will also appear in the seas of Chiloe to enchant fishermen with wonderful music and thus attract them to turn them into slaves-crew members who will be cursed for all eternity, carrying one leg bent on their back.
• There is also a widespread idea that this is a ship of the dead and slave sailors, there is a version that it will also be a magic ship on which the sorcerers of Chiloe arrange their parties and transport goods after this journey. sorcerers return from a journey they make every 3 months to improve their magical abilities. However, it is said that only sorcerers can approach it and use only the Chilote seahorse as a means of transportation, since by order of Millalobo (an analogue of the sea king in the mythology of Chile), other creatures are forbidden to board it or access the ship in other ways.
• Another version is that the crew of the ghost ship enters into magical contracts with certain merchants, guaranteeing them prosperity in exchange for services such as using their houses for parties or other illegal or dark purposes. 

Because of this version of the legend, when a person in Chiloe quickly becomes rich, it is often attributed to his signing a contract with the team Kaleuche. 

Similar rumors spread after the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, because some houses were not affected by the fires that subsequently engulfed Chiloe. 

In the same decade, there were stories that the sounds of a ship dropping anchor could be heard around the homes of many successful traders of the Chiloe archipelago. Allegedly, these were the sounds of Kaleuchen, Imperceptibly delivering goods and treasures to those with whom the contract was concluded. However, most people rejected this supernatural explanation and instead placed the responsibility for the merchant's prosperity on mortals rather than supernatural smugglers.