Huenchula, Pincoya’s mother, asked her parents to babysit her sweet little daughter and left her sleeping in a basket that looked like a seashell.  Mortals were forbidden to look at the baby. But Huenchula’s parents were so curious about seeing the little girl that, after looking at her, the baby suddenly turned into water.

 

When Huenchula returned home, she realised what had happened and cried desperately. She took the container and poured its contents into the sea.  Then Huenchula waded in the sea towards the depths of the ocean in search of her husband, Millalobo.  He asked her: “what happened?”, and she told him the story.  When she finished the last word of the story, she saw a boat shaped like a seashell, which was carrying her daughter inside.  She was now a beautiful young woman. Huenchula named her sweet daughter Pincoya. 

 

Pincoya “sows” the whole variety of fish and shelfish that Millalobo generously offers the Chilote people. From those times until now, this beautiful blond long haired girl comes out of the sea in a dress made of seaweed and dances on the beach. If she faces the sea when she dances, it means that fishing will be good, that there will be plenty of fish and shellfish on that beach. If she faces land instead, the fishing season will be bad.  In this case, people will have to go farther out to sea or to other beaches.  However, when scarcity lasts for a long time due to the absence of Pincoya, fishermen can call her back and she brings abundance after a special ceremony.

 

When the Chilote people – who are eternal sea wanderers – sink, they find the untainted and beautiful Pincoya who quickly helps them resume their voyage in safety and protection through the fjords and channels of the archipelago of Chiloé.

 

If, for any reason, she can’t save them, she gently carries the dead bodies of the fishermen to a ghost ship – the Caleuche. To do this, she gets help from her siblings: La Sirena (the mermaid) and Pincoy. On board The Caleuche, the fishermen live as part of the crew of this ghost ship and have a new life with eternal happiness.

 

Perhaps, this is why Chilote people are not afraid of storms at sea, even if they do not know how to swim.

 

Pincoya’s spirit, which always cares about them, encourages them to risk their lives at sea when fishing in different parts of the archipelago.