Enjoying the Culture 155a good harvest. The Machi leads the ceremony and uses
a rewe (ladder to heaven) that also faces east. The whole
town participates with singing and dancing and in the past
an animal was sacrificed. Participants paint their faces blue
and white, sacred colours which hold positive meanings.
Afterwards there is a big party and the Mapuches celebrate
by eating and drinking lots of chicha.
Several unique instruments can be found in Mapuche
culture. The trutruka is a very long type of trumpet that
makes a loud monotone sound. The Machi play the cultrún,
a type of drum decorated with cosmic designs, during rituals.
For sport the Mapuche play a game called chueca, which is
similar to field hockey, using a wooden ball.
Every culture has its own explanation for the creation
of the world. According to Mapuche legend, their land was
formed when two snakes met while crawling across a flat
land. Kai Kai was a terrific snake that scared other animals.
Treng Treng had the respect of the animals, but they were
not afraid of him. Eventually they met in battle. Kai Kai
won, but his hissing created an ocean that threatened all
life. To save himself and the other animals, Treng Treng