Alux

The Alux, pronounced “aloosh,” is a sprite-like creature that appears in various Mayan myths from Guatemala and the Yucatan area of Mexico. They are mischievous evil beings that are rumored to still plague people in rural areas.

Description

Sometimes known as the Chanekeh or Chaneque, the aluxes (or aluxo’ob in the Mayan language) are said to be only around a foot to three feet high and look like tiny humans, usually wearing traditional Maya clothes.

They are said to be invisible most of the time but can make themselves visible or take form to make contact with humans, often for the purpose of frightening them. They also manifest themselves in order to gather together in groups.

There has been debate over whether the alux are supernatural beings or simply a secretive race of little people.

Typically, they are associated with nature and are usually said to be found near rocks, caves, streams, forests, or even fields. However, the aluxes are perhaps most common in tropical areas. A small dog sometimes accompanies them.

Aluxes can be guardians of the land or malicious tricksters

In some parts of the Yucatan region of Mexico, modern-day locals consider the mythical creatures to be guardians of the local mountains and caves. But there is a strong word of warning: under no circumstances should you upset or anger an alux.

They are notorious tricksters, and in this and their ability to bestow a blessing or good luck, they are a lot like the Irish leprechaun. The alux creature has often been compared to numerous other fairy, gnome, and goblin-like beings from all around the world.

Mayan legends say that priests find a cave where no woman has ever set foot and use the clay from the floor to craft the small figures. These are then buried in the field and rise up after a certain number of days to tend and protect the crops planted there.

In the 19th century, the people on the islands of Mujeres and Cozumel, near Cancun, reported that little people would wander around at night disturbing people’s slumber by shaking their hammocks or hammering on their beds. The creatures seem to tread a fine line bewteen mischevious and downright malicious behavior.

One thing you should never do is call out their name out loud, as this is said to summon an alux from their cozy home…not a good idea, according to the legends.

Alux are said by some farmers to appear when a field is first planted with corn. A tiny house appearing on the land is usually an indicator that an alux has arrived. The creature is then said to bless the land for 7 years by summoning rain, making the corn grow, and protecting the field from animals and thieves by whistling.

At the end of the seven years, the farmer has to shut up the house and trap the alux inside before it can cause mischief.

Farmers and travelers are also said to be approached by the creatures asking for offerings. If you refuse them, they can cause illness and play harmful tricks. But if you are respectful, they will bring you good luck and protect you from thieves.

Aluxes have reportedly entered people’s homes where they have trashed rooms and upended furniture. They can also pass on illnesses such as diarrhea or fever simply by waving their hands over your sleeping body.

Luckily, many Mexicans leave out offerings such as food, liquor, and cigarettes, which seem to appease the strange beings.

Satisfied aluxes will protect your family and your property. If they catch a thief stealing crops from a farmer, they will throw stones at the intruder and recover the items.

In 1993, workers and researchers of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) at the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza performed a strange ceremony to appease the aluxes. They asked the Mayan gods for permission to work on the side in order to avoid angering the aluxes.

Mysterious origins of the alux

The origins of the creature are quite hard to pin down, with some locals saying the many shrines across the area are actually houses of the alux or kahtal alux. They say that the alux are actually ancestral spirits or nature itself given form.

The aluxes small stature and mischievous nature means they have often been compared to fairies and leprechauns from Britain and Ireland. This has led to theories that Mayan legends may have become fused with British and Irish legends, likely due to the arrival of European sailors or pirates in the Caribbean.

The creatures are sometimes called Duende, a Spanish word for a supernatural creature or power, which has led some researchers to argue the legend was brought to the Americas by Spanish sailors.

The aluxes were most likely Mayan in origin but have been influenced by European legends. Either way, the aluxes have since become an integral part of Mexican tradition and culture, particularly in rural areas.

According to 19th-century archaeologist Alice Dixon Le Plongeon, one of the first persons to excavate the ancient Maya sites of Chichen Itza and Uxmal, the alux could be a secret race of pygmies. Writing in the 1880s, Le Plongeon claimed that natives of Yucatan explained many of the ruined edifices dotting the landscape as being the work of the aluxob.

The archaeologist claimed that the vestiges of ancient cities with elaborate stonework, including triumphal arches, could be found throughout Yucatan and various islands. However, these cities could only be comfortably occupied by people who were about three feet tall, three and a half at a maximum. Le Plongeon described seeing doorways that were only three feet high and one foot six inches wide.

Sightings and Tales

There are not many documented accounts of encounters with alux, but there are numerous anecdotal fireside stories that tell similar tales.

Archaeologist Le Plongeon wrote about an indigenous native who told her of a possible encounter he had had with an alux. He explained,

“They are very small and wear big hats. Once, at the entrance of a cave in the forest, I found a clay figure. It was an enchanted dwarf, and he was reading a book. I picked it up to carry it home, then felt afraid and put it down again. Next day, I returned to look for it because I wanted to have the alux but could not find the place again.”

Another incident told by Le Plongeon occurred in 1825 in British Honduras, modern-day Belize, when a group of woodcutters were traversing the banks of the Mojo River when, suddenly, a strange tiny person appeared from the brush and stared wild-eyed at them. The creature tried to flee but was captured by the woodcutters who said it appeared to be a woman or girl of about 18 who was only three feet tall.

The tiny woman stayed with the men in their camp for about ten days before she eagerly agreed to guide them to her people. The group ventured deep into a forest before the woman motioned them to stop when she explained that she would first approach her people to announce their arrival so they wouldn’t become scared and run off. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, the woman disappeared into the trees and was never seen again. The woodcutters explored the area and found a cornfield where there was corn prepared in bundles for transportation. The ground was well-trodden, but they could find no sign of the woman or her people.

Le Plongeon claims she encountered multiple woodsmen who all had similar tales of strange encounters with little people who may have been aluxes.

The Yucatan Times reported the tale of a rancher who would leave offerings for the aluxes every evening. Unfortunately, one evening, he got drunk and fell asleep in his hammock, having forgotten to leave anything out. The rancher was awoken later by the aluxes, who stoned him until he was forced to leave the property.

Another story tells of a farmer who was ordered to leave the land by an alux. He refused and sought advice on how to kill the creature. He was told to buy an unwashed bolt of virgin cloth and use it to make a shirt covering every part of himself.

Then he was to load his own rifle with bullets salt smoked with burnt dried chile. He confronted the alux, and it shot him with its own rifle, but all the bullets failed to penetrate the fresh cloth. He then fired and killed the alux, but forever after the act, that field remained barren, and no crops would grow.

Dan Gannon 2007 Sighting in Yucatan

In 2007, Dan Gannon was working with an anthropological organization and driving through the rainforests of the Yucatan when he came across a strange sight.

He reported seeing a small humanoid figure that appeared to be around two feet tall. The creature only appeared briefly in his headlights before vanishing.

Martin Segura Soberanis 2010 Sighting in Manu

Martin Segura Soberanis worked in the tourist industry in the region and had befriended an American man who visited the area every year.

In 2010 he decided to take the man to his local town of Manu to do a little bit of sightseeing and experience the authentic local culture close up.

All went well until they visited a local farm area where Soberanis was a little tired and let his friend explore the area alone. Soon he started to worry and began a search that lasted nearly an hour. When he found his friend, he looked in shock, his face a mask of fear.

He told Soberanis that he’d encountered two small humanoids that were about one foot tall. He initially thought they were children’s dolls until they looked at him and began running away.

Next, he was targeted by small stones that were thrown with great accuracy but without the intent to injure him seriously.

He then walked back towards the main house and was found by Soberanis.

Mexican president reported sighting of an alux

In February 2023, none other than Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador posted a picture of a suspected alux to social media. The president shared a nighttime image of a ghostly figure with glowing eyes sitting in a tree. López Obrador explained that the photo “was taken three days ago by an engineer, it appears to be an aluxe.” He added, “Everything is mystical.”

The engineers were working on a tourist train on the Yucatan peninsula. López Obrador has long advocated for indigenous cultures and beliefs.

References

https://yucatanmagazine.com/a-scenic-overlook-in-muna-is-guarded-by-an-army-of-aluxes/, “A scenic overlook in Muna is guarded by an army of aluxes.” Accessed January 25, 2023.

https://www.theyucatantimes.com/2020/06/fantastic-beings-from-the-mayab/#:~:text=The%20aluxes%3A,they%20hunt%20are%20%E2%80%9Cwind.%E2%80%9D, “Fantastic beings from the Mayab.” Accessed January 25, 2023.

https://www.theyucatantimes.com/2018/10/aluxes-the-goblins-of-the-maya-land/, “Aluxes… The Goblins of the Maya Land.” Accessed January 25, 2023.

AP News. “Mexican president posts photo of what he claims is an elf.” Accessed December 6, 2024.

Dixon Le Plongeon, Alice. “Here and There in Yucatan,” Pub.: J.W. Bolton, (1886). Accessed December 6, 2024.

Na’atik Mexico. “Maya Aluxes: Mysterious Elven Guardians of the Yucatán Jungle.” Accessed December 6, 2024.