---
title: Piuchén
description: Aberration of nature in the traditions of southern Chile.
author:
  name: Graciela Paula Caldeiro
  url: http://graciela-caldeiro.idoneos.com
canonical: https://mitosyleyendas.idoneos.com/en/bestiario_mitologico/piuchen/
source: en/bestiario_mitologico/piuchen/index.md
---

**Piuchén**

The piuchén is a monster, a mythological error of nature according to the traditions of southern Chile.

The origin of the piuchén may be the punishment or transformation received by a human being upon failing in a magical act. Thus, this horrible creature can take on different forms. The most common versions describe a marine animal with some human characteristics. It can likewise take the form of a flying serpent-rooster that sucks the blood of flocks and emits shrill sounds. It may eventually take on the form of a human, a serpent, a fish... or even blend in with the grass or appear as a twisted shrub.