The Trauko is one of the most important characters in Chilean mythology.
The Trauko lives in the woods of the south of Chile, it's a little dwarf,
less than 1 meter high. He is very ugly, and has no feets, just stumps.
The Trauko is very strong and can fell any tree with just three hits of his
axe. His special power is that, if an unmarried woman look into his
eyes, the Trauko will seduce her. The girl starts dreaming night after night
about sex and pleasure. Eventually she (in her dreams) get out of his
house, goes into the wood and the Trauko possesses her. Nine months later,
the son of the Trauko is born.
The origin of this legend seems quite natural. Until today, some people
in the most rural southern areas of Chile still believes in it, and that
has saved a lot of young woman from giving explanations about why they
became pregnant. "It was the Trauko!", they will say.