HISTORIAS Y CUENTOS DE LA

CULTURA ORAL TRADICIONAL

DEL NORTE CHICO

STORIES AND TALES OF THE

TRADITIONAL ORAL CULTURE OF THE
SMALL NORTH*

By Ángel Álvarez Cortes**

* The small north is a classification of the north region of
Chile: there is Norte Grande (big north) that has the cities
of Arica, Iquique, Calama and Antofagasta; and Norte
Chico (small north) with the cities of Copiapó, Coquimbo,
La Serena and Ovalle.
* Ángel Álvarez Cortes was born on 1935, at the feet of
the hill Tamaya. In Chilean history, the Tamaya hill
(located 25 kilometers from Ovalle) was one of the first
copper mining settlement of the country (in the 1830´s).
When he was fifteen years old, he started to work in the
mines with his father. That experience had a big impact on
him, especially seeing the sacrifice and passion of the
miners.
When he was older he followed his father´s footsteps and
worked in different mines of the region.
With the new millennium, he started a new path as a
writer and as a compiler of testimonies of mining stories
and local legends.
This book (published in 2015) was his last book. He died
in October of 2020 of a heart attack.
He dedicated this book to all the workers that earn their
pay with their sweat, to the retired miners, and to the kids
and their right to learn about the stories of their older
generations.
 THE TREASURE OF THE INCA
The hill La Parva is a large and high plain located in the
northeast of the farmer stay called Corral Quemado, a
historic place where a beautiful legend was born and
always remembered, and it has been told for generations.
What happened was that in those heights of the hill La
Parva, diaguitas (indigenous people of the small north)
and incas (ancient civilization of south America) melted
gold and silver for many years, helped by the wind
currents and by the abundance of firewood that there
would be in those fields from past centuries.
Just as the historian Garcilaso de la Vega described, at the
arrival of the Spanish in America, the natives used to melt
metals in the highest hills where there were strong wind
currents; they used the guairas (stoves handmade of stone
or clay) that were loaded with rusty high grade minerals,
and they put plenty of firewood, letting the wind do the
work of melting the metals. That was the first melting
system of minerals, before the appearance of fuelles (hand
bellows), used in the old mills.
The lead protagonist of this story was a great Incan chief,
that lived for many years at the foot of the hill La Parva,
in the ravine called Agua Fría, that flows into the large
ravine of Cachacos; there he had governed without
difficulties, until the fatal days when the Spanish hordes
arrived to those lands searching, crazy with ambition, the
coveted gold of Andacollo. Committing abuses and
humiliating the humble and peaceful people of the land,
with their christian cross, they forced the natives to give
up their gods, their customs and traditions; and pity the
one who didn´t accept that imposition; because then they
´d used swords and guns without any compassion.
The Inca Curaca (chief) knew that he´ll be attacked by
invaders that were coming hungry to conquer power, the
gold and silver that they have collected from their
commercial exchange with other communities, and from
paying tributes to the city capital Cuzco.
With the purpose of not allowing the Spanish to easily
take what they, with sweat and sacrifice had extracted
from the earth to melt, he sent people to bury a great
amount of gold and silver somewhere in that high plain.
The Curaca, as a great Chief, took all the necessaries
precautions with his group of warriors. They discussed
whether to make battle with the unknown beasts, because
they thought that a man riding on horse was just one
being, like centaurs that came from another world, that
shone like silver, with four legs, two heads that threw fire
from a large distance, killing humans, animals and birds.
That´s why it was impossible for them to put much
resistance, but many warriors went anyway to fight those
bloodthirsty men that came hungry for power and wealth,
and wherever the Spanish passed they left death and
destruction of rucas (indigenous houses) and families.
That´s how the Spanish were submitting little by little the
diaguitas and incas to slavery, taking their lands, their
animals and women.
Seeing themselves lost, the warriors dispersed
everywhere, before the invaders went looking for the
famous Andacollo gold. The great Chief, with his mother
and beautiful diaguita wife went to live in a cave, a secret
place that he only knew about in the ravine of Agua Fría,
that comes from the hill La Parva, where they took gold
plus the jewelry and accessories of their high place of the
Incan Empire, like crowns and scepters. Even though
shiny metals weren´t of high economic value for them,
because they only used them on structures around the
palaces of their empire, and also in ceremonial objects or
in ornaments according to the hierarchies they had within
their kingdom.
The legend says that around those times, the Agua Fría
ravine was covered by almost impenetrable forests, and
surrounded with high cliffs; so in that cavern the royal
couple lived until their last days; they suffered and cried in
solitude and helplessness, knowing that their warriors
were scattered, killed and subjugated to the power of the
invaders beasts that came from the other half of the world.
As a conclusion of this beautiful legend, it is said that
there are two valuable lost treasures, one near the other.
The first one, buried in the high of the plain, and the
second one, hidden in a secret cavern in the ravine. Who
knows for how many more centuries they´ll continue
hidden by Mother Hearth, and guarded by scary and evil
spirits, that won´t allowed anyone to come near those
places; unless the right person chosen by the ancestral
gods arrives, and they will be the ones who would easily
find the precious incan treasures.
Centuries later, there will always be amateurs seekers of
hidden treasures, and miner catchers of vetas (seams), or
deposits of rich minerals. These seekers are always alert
and with sharp ears listening to conversations or legends
that talk about some places or about hearing voices or
seeing illusions. So they think that it is possible that
something buried exists, or a mineral seam of gold or
silver or coper; and once in a while, the local farmers say
they have seen illusions, and have felt different kinds of
penaduras (being haunted by spirits). These are the
reasons why one or another outsider continually passes by
those places, asking for the ravine of Agua Fría.
In the decade of 1830, three risky farmers of the lands of
Corral Quemado, decided to go looking for the road that
they have heard of when they were little, from their
grandparents that used to tell them stories and legends of
buried treasures, of the devil and Pedro Urdemales (a local
legend about a man that cheated the devil); all of this in
the cold nights, sitting around a fire or a burning stove,
surrounded by family who always like to talk about the
treasure of Agua Fría.
Later when those kids were grown men, in their fifties,
they went to try their luck and their courage, in finding the
treasure in the cavern. It is said that to get the buried
treasure out, there are three options: first, to use rods
blessed by machis (Mapuche healer and sorcerer), that by
holding and crossing them in the place where the buried
treasure is supposed to be, these would indicate you
strongly where you should dig, the only problem is that
they detect any kind of metal under the ground, so there
would be a lot of excavation work. The other alternative is
to use a San Gerónimo (a saint figure), that by midnight
you have to take to the right place, do a ceremonial ritual
between three or five people, as long as is an odd number,
they have to pray to the saint, asking him to lead them to
the buried treasure. And the have to tie a spool of red
thread around the saint´s waist, so they do not lose him in
the night.
The third alternative was the one that these three local
friends chose. When they get to the place, they must get
inside the radius that interests them, forming a triangle
between them with around fifty meters apart from each
other.
Carlos was the one who would light the candle, because
he was the most experienced and knew the pray that is
used in these cases; also the candle that is used is not the
common one we know, it is said that it´s a special candle
made of human grease. While at a close distance, don
Emilio and don Zacarías were ready to go, with their eyes
on Don Carlos that was lighting the candle and doing
gestures to ask the spirits permission to take out the
treasure, and with the prayers he was also trying to scare
of Satanás (the devil). After a couple of minutes, they saw
with great surprise that a black shadow cautiously sat
behind Don Carlos, like trying to take the candle. In that
moment, the men's hair stood up, like if someone had
taken their hats from their heads, cold blood was running
through their bodies, while their legs felt a little weak.
Then the shadow took the candle, and started to run at half
height, passing between the two men who looked stunned
at what was happening. Drawing strength from
themselves, they ran after the candle, despite the darkness
that reigned that night. Also, trees, weeds and rocks were
making harder the chase, but they still were able to see the
light of the candle that was getting lost among the
branches, until the brave pair arrive at the foot of the
ravine and waited for Don Carlos that was running behind
them.
Through signs, they told him where they had lost the light
of the candle, and since they couldn´t talk, they only
communicated with signs to tell each other that that was
the cavern, and that they had to get in to take the treasure.
With slow and insecure steps, they moved on, while their
bodies were shaking with fear, knowing that they were
about to face the unknown, the supernatural. But they also
knew that they were searching for an enormous treasure,
and that they were really close to get it.
Lost in their own thoughts, the three men proceeded at a
slow pace towards the cavern entrance, that could already
be seen between the trees, when suddenly an infernal
noise was heard, it was like a furious hurricane came
rampaging through the woods, and at the same time, there
were screams, and crying from the undead. Despite of this,
the three men resisted the evil spirits that wanted to stop
them from getting to the treasure. However, when these
men with their willpower, continued walking towards the
cavern entrance, they saw with horror, that near their feet
was an arm and a half of a human leg recently torn apart,
still bleeding, and in that precise moment they heard a
loud roaring of pumas (local felines, similar to the
panthers), almost as if they were fighting over a human
fest from inside the mystery cavern.
The false courage of the three friends lasted till that point,
because neither of them wanted to show cowardice in
front of the other, but when fear dominates the body it can
no longer be resisted, because the blood gets ice cold and
a so does the sweat that runs through their backs, while the
voice chokes and the strength vanishes. That is what the
three friends felt, so they had to do a big effort to run
away from that terrifying place, promising to never again
look for lost treasures. Let it be that other braver men,
who sooner rather than later search for the treasure of
Agua Fria at the hill La Parva.
It is told that in the plain of the hill La Parva, there are
seven crates with gold bars buried on the ground, right
next to a big rock. Some men, addicted to finding the
treasures hidden by Mother Earth, have also come that far.
These are men determined to find buried treasures from
centuries long ago, without worrying about sacrifice,
money or time spend, just to find a clue that indicate
where the gold may be buried. But all those attempts have
been unsuccessful because no one has found anything.
The last one of these strong headed men, was Guillermo
Alfaro a clerk from the Compañia Manganesos Atacama,
and a brave man who was a believer of the myths of those
lands. A lot of miners and farmers had told him about the
legends of La Parva and Agua Fría, and that in Corral
Quemado there were at least thirty treasures buried on
different places in the land.
All those stories motivated Guillermo Alfaro to venture
into La Parva, not without first consulting with a well
known machi, who told him to go up to the hill and look
for a big prominent rock and search around it, and that
there would be the buried gold, just like a flower of the
land, that in a few decades of centuries more it would
surface for anyone to find, because there is an old saying
that says “el oro es para quien es, no para el que lo
busca” (the gold is for who it is for, and not for the one
who seeks it).
But don Guillermo, who was headstrong and persistent on
his ideas remembered this other saying: “el que la sigue,
la consigue” (the one who looks for it, gets it). So by
dawn he packed everything he would need to go the hill
La Parva, and rode on his inseparable horse. With a lot of
difficulties, he manage to get there and explore all day
drawing conclusions about what the machi said to him.
About the big prominent rock there were too many
negatives for the lack of a metal detector. What he found
interesting was a little hill with a rock structure meant for
ashes, probably where the incas melted the gold and silver
to pay tribute to their gods. And since there was nothing
else to see and was already late to get back, he decided to
spend the night in that solitude, many miles away from
other people, with the purpose to hear or see some
illusions that may appear in the night.
He settled to sleep by a bushy olive tree, he tied up his
horse near some herbs and weed for him to eat, and after
he ate a snack he lay down, covered himself with a blanket
and his poncho and he slept like an angel until midnight,
when he woke up startled by the noise of a herd of horses
or angry animals that went by near his ruca (handmade
tent), but when he went to look between some branches,
he saw nothing. An hour later, when he was about to fall
asleep again, he heard whispers or conversations of the
indigenous spirits that used to live in that land, at least that
was don Guillermo thought, because he couldn’t
understand what was said. Were there whispers of another
language? Everything that he heard that night was surreal,
it is what is called penaduras (being haunted by spirits),
because in that spot big animals didn’t pass to eat, due to
their difficulties to get there up on the hill.
When his watch read 5 o´clock in the morning, the
treasure seeker got on his noble animal and stared to
descend the difficult road of the mysterious hill La Parva.
Once he arrived at the bottom, he stopped to look to the
top of the hill that he just left, and saw with great surprise
a blazing bonfire illuminating the place. Just then, don
Guillermo realized that the gold was there, but it just
wasn’t for him, but for others more fortunate.
AN EXCEPTIONAL SORCERER
When I was younger I liked to make friends with older
people, because they are an open book of lessons about
lives already lived, of their adventures, achievements and
deceptions; that can serve as a guide to newer generations
in leading to a happy and healthy life, to enjoy the fruit of
their work, being reciprocated in love, and having a
righteous attitude in the society that we live in. For me it
was really interesting to hear their stories because they
were told with a lot of details, seriousness and grace.
In 1957, when a I was working in the manganese mineral
in Corral Quemado, at east from Andacollo, I met my
great elderly friend Doroteo Contador, a working man,
responsible and righteous, a “minero de tomo y lomo” (a
miner through and through), like we say in miner slang.
With this character, I had a good friendship while I
worked at that mining. He told me, among others, a
beautiful story that took place in the mining of Panulcillo,
when he was twenty years old. For me it was a one-of-a-
kind story, that I just can´t ever forget.
By the end of the XIX century, young Doroteo worked as
an apir (is the person who transports on his back, the
minerals to the surface of the mining) in the mining called
El Incienso de Panulcillo. He was a hardworking boy who
didn’t have the alcohol vice, but he was a fan of gambling,
especially in card games. Every weekend, and in every
pay day there were game nights with tough men that were
experience in cheating, and always won against innocent
amateurs. Doroteo was one of the victims that continually
lost to his last penny, and many times he end up owing
money. He had a rugged appearance and was a man
worthy of compassion.
Since he arrived to the mining, Doroteo had a great
friendship with don Valentin. He was a veteran miner who
worked in the chancado (the crushing of big mineral rocks
into smaller ones), and was an expert on separating the
minerals in the three categories according to the copper
law (chemistry law): pinta (you take the good mineral
rocks), despinte (the regular mineral rocks) and
rechanques (you separate the waste and put it apart). Don
Valentin was a strange man of few words and mysterious
actions. He lived in a cavern of a hill; his bed consisted of
a pair of sheepskin and sacks. People said that he didn’t
sleep, he didn’t eat any type of bread, and that his food
didn’t have any salt or seasoning.
But even if young Doroteo and don Valentin were very
different people, a very good friendship and mutual trust
were formed between them. Maybe because of the simple
and honest attitude of the young man, but mostly because
don Valentin felt pity and compassion for Doroteo, that
was always losing his money on gambling, and was poor.
One night, while talking among friends around a bonfire
and drinking mate (a bitter herb drink that has a similar
effect to caffeine), the old man look to Doroteo and said:
-Look Doroteo, listen to me very closely, because we are
good friends and I always considered you to be a serious,
respectful and understandable young man. I hope that you
understand what I´m about to say, because is for your own
good. I want you to stop gambling, to leave that damn
vice. Don’t you realize that they always win your money?
Look how you are: Poorly dressed and even hungry! You
are going astray.
- I´ll try to stop gambling don Valentin. You are right. But
how do I do it? -the boy answered.
-Look boy, I will help you. Since this weekend is pay day,
you´ll play a last time. I´m going to make you win a lot of
money but pay attention: you have to bet at the first card
that the tallador (card dealer) throws at the table, and once
in a while play at the other cards, so you lose some money
and nobody notices your plays. But you must promise me
that you´ll never ever play again. . .
-Yes, don Valetin, I´ll never play again, it is decided!
That´s how the boy play at the first cards, just like don
Valentin told him to, and he also bet on other cards losing
a little bit of money. So around 5 o´clock in the morning,
Doroteo had his pockets so full of money, that he decided
to retire of the game to go to sleep, going first to don
Valentin to share his winnings.
The young boy walked and walked to the mining camp,
because the gambling and the drinking was done in the
house of a farmer family, away from the mining camp
because the company had banned those activities. While
he walked, Doroteo was thinking about how much money
he was carrying in his pockets, and what he was going to
do with his part after he shared the money with don
Valentin.
When he was one kilometer away from the camp, near a
ravine, two man appear from the dark of night, they were
armed with knives and with firm voices they told him:
-Give us the money you won, or we will send you to hell,
you devil´s child. . .
The poor boy hesitated, because he didn’t want to give up
the money that he had won for the first time, besides he
also felt happy that he was able to recover part of the
money that he lad lost for so long. Getting impatient, the
thieves saw that the boy wanted to resist so they got ready
to attack him and stab him. But right at that moment a shot
rang out, and the deadly whistle of a bullet passed over the
thieves, who instantly fled in terror among the rocks and
weeds.
Doroteo was stunned and perplexed at seeing the
silhouette of his saviour riding a black horse and blending
in with the dark night. The rider passed by him without
saying a word, and mysteriously disappeared. Shaking
with fear, the young man continued walking until he
arrived to the cavern. Don Valentin was laying down in
some sheepskins, and when he saw Doroteo he ask him:
-How did it go my dear friend?
-Really good, don Valetin! I won a lot of money. My
pockets are full. Let’s count it all and shared it?
-No, it is not necessary to count it, son. You won 1.450
pesos, and you almost got killed. But don’t worry about
me, I don’t need any money, all I´m asking is that you
don’t play anymore, and that with that money you pay
what you owe and buy yourself some clothes, so you look
like a decent young man.
-But is not fair that you don’t get anything, don Valentin!
You are the one that gave me good luck to win a lot of
money!
-It doesn’t matter son, I´m just going to ask you that on
Saturday we both go to eat a good cazuela de gallina
(chicken soup with vegetables) with the girls of don
Sebastian, and that you also invite your friends to have a
few drinks with us.
Arriving to his room, Doroteo emptied his pockets on his
bed. He took out the bills and silver coins, which was the
money that ran at that time, to know how much he had
won. Greater was his surprise when he found out the same
thing that don Valentin had told him: he had exactly 1.450
pesos, an amount that Doroteo could only win working for
four or five years. But how did his old friend know how
much he had won that night? How could he know that
those men would want to assault him on the way? These
were questions that Doroteo couldn’t get out of his mind,
because there were no answers.
On Saturday evening, in the company of other friends,
they visited the house of don Sebastian, father of five
beautiful ladies that always attracted the attention of men
from the mining. That day they ate, drank, sang and
danced until dawn. Don Valentin looked happy,
apparently he felt pleased and satisfied by the healthy
attitude of his young friend, because he offered to pay for
all expenses that night.
But what Doroteo did not understand, was why don
Valentin, despite being happy didn’t drink anything, not
even a sip of wine or pisco. He only drank a few cups of
hot herbal water. He also didn’t eat either the cazuela or
the tortillas that the lady of the house had just taken out of
the embers, and they were so delicious that Doroteo
bought two and they all returned to the camp.
Days later, don Valentin said to Doroteo:
-Look my friend, I have seriously thought about offering
you a fortune, because I know that you deserve it. I´ve
always considered you a man without ambitions, unselfish
and of good sentiments, above all a good man. Do you see
that big rock on the top of that hill?
-Yes, I see it perfectly.
-That rock is marked with a cross drawn in blood. Over
there, two wooden crates full of ounces of gold are buried.
Not so long ago, some arrieros (men who transport cargo
on horses or donkeys) came searching for it, they dug at
the edge of that rock and they didn’t find anything,
because the treasure is buried five kilometers from that
rock, at the roots of an old guayacán (a local tree), where
they tied their donkeys that they brought to carry the gold.
Tomorrow go and take a look and you´ll see that all I´m
saying is true.
The next day, Doroteo climbed the hill and he realized
that everything was true: there was the rock, the cross, the
digging and the guayacán. So he decided to immediately
get back to don Valentin and tell him what he saw, and
that in fact, he was right about all the signs.
-All right Doroteo, at midnight take with you a llaucana
(an iron bar to recognize and dig minerals), a shovel, and
you dig a hole with a half a meter depth, always to the side
of the rock because the treasure is there. You have to start
climbing at 11.30 o´clock at night, so you´ll start digging
at exactly 12.00 o´clock, and I will deal with the devil that
is guarding the treasure. You must be careful, because you
´ll find some difficulties passing the roquerío (path full of
rocks) halfway to the top of hill, but I trust that you´ll
manage just fine.
For three nights Doroteo try to get to the top of the hill
where the treasure was buried. Every night he went out at
11.30 o´clock, but when he got to the roquerío that don
Valentin told him about, he had a weird sensation that he
could not control. He didn’t understand if he was afraid, or
tired; he just didn’t know. But he did remember feeling a
cold sweat with a freezing chill all over his body, he
couldn’t stop shaking, he felt really weak and his legs
faltered so bad that neither one of those days he could
keep going. And every time he started to walk back, he
felt better. It was really strange, and since he couldn’t get
past the roquerío he gave up, even if don Valentin always
told him to try again, that he just needed to past that test to
find the treasure.
While the days passed, Doroteo thought about trying
again, but then he made friends with two coal miners that
had arrive from Lota. Doroteo trusted them greatly,
because he thought that all men were like him with a clean
conscience and a health attitude. So he told them, down to
the last detail of the treasure that don Valentin gave him to
take out, and since he couldn’t do it, he thought that with
his two new friends he could. But these men were greedy
and listened to all the details with an open mouth. And
without wasting any time, they made plans to go look for
the gold on the next night.
When it got dark, everything was ready for them to go as
they had agreed. But around 8 o´clock Doroteo was laying
on his bed, imagining the moment when they´d find the
gold and about what he would do next. The only thing that
was clear to him was that he wanted to help his family that
was very far from him, also give part of the treasure to
don Valentin because he deserve it, and he wanted to
never work again in his life because he didn’t want to
continue to be exploited in the mines, working like a dog
to earn the small ration they gave for days worked, that
consisted in a marraqueta, a handful of walnuts, a handful
of dried figs, and sometimes some companies gave beans
for lunch.
Lost in thought imagining a wonderful world, he suddenly
felt the weight of remorse on his conscience for betraying
don Valentin´s trust in him, who gave with all his heart the
secret of the treasure that for many years lay buried on the
top of the hill, with the purpose of helping him to get him
out of the vice and misery in which he lived.
In that exact moment, by the threshold of the door his
great friend Valentin appeared, who with a firm and
authoritative voice said:

-My friend, take your things and get out of here now!
Because after they take the treasure they are going to kill
you, and if you tell them that you cant go they will kill
you anyway. You don’t have other choices. Bye, friend
Doroteo! I wish you luck.
Then, in a blink of an eye Valentin was gone, he
disappeared like magic.
It was a great dilemma for young Doroteo, but he really
didn’t have another choice. He´ll never reject the advice
given by his old friend, who had always helped him and
now was trying to save his life.
So even if he wanted or not, he abandoned the idea of
discovering the treasure and the world of wonderful
fortunes that he thought about for several days, with his
new friends that without a doubt, were greedy and had
criminal intentions.
Don Valentin had been like a father to him, he always
gave him good advices, he got him out of the gambling
vice, made him win a lot of money, save him of being
assaulted by thieves, gave him the opportunity to discover
a treasure, and now he was saving him from being
murdered by his own friends. Without any doubt, his old
and mysterious friend was an exceptional brujo (sorcerer),
demonstrated by his powers on helping people and by
having a good heart. Young Doroteo truly believed that
the old man had been like the father he never had, so
without thinking it twice, he packed his things and went to
the road that will take him to the gold mining of
Churrumata in Andacollo.
Doroteo was walking with sadness and with great pain on
his conscience, not because he had to leave the treasure,
but because he had to leave behind, forever, his great
friend don Valentin.
Hopefully young people of today would accept the wise
advices of their elders, because they can share with you
their life experiences, and their wisdom gained during
their long years; that without a doubt, can always guide
you on the path that you have to go through, to have a
good life.