According to mapuche beliefs, the volcanoes were the home of Pillan, who was the founding father of the races and bloodlines, and when it erupted was because it unleashed its wrath as a result of misbehavior from their part. They didn’t really fear it, but extended a natural respect as children towards their father and invocated him with sacrifices and offerings to make requests of different natures. Besides smoke, tremors and lava, the Pillan expressed its wrath with thunder and lightning.
The Inca, on the other part, used to offer ten maidens every year to avoid the wrath of the volcano.
The Parincota and Pomerape, according to the legends, corresponded to two lovers, whose relationship was forbidden and punished by someone who opposed to their union, turning them into twin mountains that are always close and looking at each other, but unable to touch. The signs of activity displayed at times, would be attempts of communication among them.
RELEVANT ERUPTIONS
The first information about volcanic eruptions since the post Hispanic era corresponds to the chronic of the Antuco Volcano, named Angol volcano by the Jesuit historian priest Diego Rosales, whose eruption took place in 1624, alerting the population with its smoke and lava emanations, as well as by the quakes that came along the eight days the phenomenon lasted.
Llaima Volcano
The volcanoes that have registered more eruption episodes have been the Llaima (8), the Villarrica (6) and the Antuco (4), followed by the Peteroa (3), Lonquimay (3) and Calbuco (3). The chronicles of the XVI and XVII centuries don’t always mention the erupting volcano accurately, for which there might be discrepancy in the figures.
Among the volcanoes whose eruption caused considerable victims, the first one is the Huaina Putina, located in Peru, near the chilean-peruvian border, that on February 14 of 1600 affected the cities of Arequipa on the North, to Arica. Many small towns were destroyed in the lava path, collecting many fatal victims. It is told that many more perished, suicides caused by despair (hanging themselves from a tree or throwing themselves to the crater) or as a sacrifice to appease the volcano’s wrath (no less than eighty were thrown inside the crater).
The volcano Yate, as a result of an avalanche, caused eight victims at the Reloncavi shore, on July 14th, 1896.
The Riñinahue volcano, on April of 1907, also caused an avalanche by obstructing the Pupuhuin river, devastating houses, forests and livestock in the areas of Llifen and Riñinahue, causing more than ten deaths.
On February of 1908 the Llaima volcano erupted causing an avalanche that reached Lonquimay, killing a woman.
On April 1930, although the climax took place on 1932, one of the most violent eruptions there is memory of, the Quizapu volcano, located to the east of Linares, threw ash that covered from Rancagua to Chillan. They also caused damage in the Mendoza agriculture, and ash even fell in places as remote as Buenos Aires, Montevideo and the South of Brazil. A huge smoke cloud was formed, which darkened Rancagua and Curico, forcing the use of public illumination in the middle of the day. The underground noises were felt in a ratio of 500 km. No fatal victims were reported.
On February of 1937, lava from the Llaima volcano reached an area called Santa Maria de Llaima, killing two people and causing great material damage.
Once again the Llaima, on March of 1945 erupted, damaging several neighboring populations and causing an avalanche near the Colico lake, killing eight people.
1948 was the turn of the Villarrica volcano. In April its activity increased, and on October it reached crisis with a great explosion and with the formation of a large cloud, at the same time millions of tons of lava began to descend invading the ravines and reaching the lakes of Villarrica (its levels increased by one meter) and Calafquen. Voipir and Molco Alto, where the indigenous communities resided, where the most affected. The Sky Club shelter, at the skirts of the volcano, was completely devastated with two of its keepers inside. There were nearly 100 victims among dead and missing and injured.
Once again the Villarrica, on March of 1964, this time violently, erupted, isolating the population of Coñaripe. An avalanche swept houses, hotels, livestock, crops, vehicles and machinery from this town of a thousand residents for two hours. Only two bodies, from the 22 reported victims, were recovered. The entire area of Pucon and Villarrica was isolated.
On August of 1971, the Hudson Mountain proved it was really a volcano and erupted, destroying the Huemules valley, a small town of the Aisen Patagonia mountain. The Coyhaique, Puerto Aisen, Puerto Cisnes, Balmaceda, Chacabuco, and even the Comodoro Rivadavia on the Argentinean side, were invaded by a dense cloud of ash that caused eye and gastrointestinal disorders in the population, besides important damage to the crops and livestock.
Hudson Volcano
That same year, on late December, the Villarrica volcano caused the worst tragedy as far as human victims that has ever been registered. More than 200 dead and missing were the sequel of death and destruction that was left by a torrent of lava that flowed down towards the Calafquen lake, devastating everything in its path. Small towns like Coñaripe, Pocura, Traitraico, Quilentue, Llauquen, Chaillupen and part of Licanray and Llanahue suffered its consequences. Pucon and Villarrica were invaded by a toxic cloud that made the air unbreathable. Thousands of people were evacuated.
