The Mapuche | La Isla Aillaquillen: island and love
- Myth Puzzle
- Oct 31, 2020
- 2 min read
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of present-day south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of present-day Patagonia.
During a time of war between Los Mapuches and the Spanish conquistadores, there was a Mapuche princess called Aillaquillen, who lived in a city that is now known as Villarrica. Aillaquillen was beautiful, and she had many pursuers, but the princess was in love with a Spanish general.
In a fight, the Spanish general was vitally hurt by a man from the Mapuche. In an attempt to save him, the princess put her wounded lover into a boat, and the two escaped to a nearby island. Although Aillaquillen tried to cure him with the herbs from that island, the Spanish general’s wounds were too severe to heal. He unfortunately died.
With an afflicted heart, Aillaquillen lay the Spanish captain down into the boat again. She poked a hole in the boat and pushed it into the water. Allaquillen watched the boat sink. Then, she adorned her hair with beautiful flowers, and plunged into the water.
The island, called La Isla Aillaquillen, is named after this princess who died for love.
The island
La Isla Aillaquillen symbolizes a beautiful and free entity. It was independent of the land where the war was raging. Like the island, our protagonist valued the freedom to love above everything else.
There’s nothing holding Allaquillen back from loving the Spanish general, even when the Spaniards were the Mapuche’s enemy.
Die for the lover
The ending of the story, Albeit tragic, reveals the moral that life is just a vessel for people to love, rejoice, and pursue the things that matter. To Allaquillen, her lover was the most important person in life, so living with him gave her a sense of purpose. On the other hand, dying with him shows her devoutness and her passionate love.
La Isla Aillaquillen has become a popular site of tourism, especially on Valentine’s Day. As the story of Aillaquillen is recounted to the tourists, her spirit is remembered.
Reference:
Mapuche. (2020, June 29). Retrieved July 03, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapuche
Picture Source: Pinterest
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