El Diablo de Huaraz

To this point, I have not yet experienced much concerning Peruvian superstitions. In the past few months, the only superstitions that reveal themselves clearly are those concerning curatives. I have witnessed a ‘passing of the cuy’, which is a small ceremony to pass a guinea pig (cuy) over the body of a person that is ill. After the cuy has been passed, or more informally, rubbed, over the body of said ill person, it is killed and torn apart to view its organs. By viewing the organs of the cuy, it is said that you can find what is wrong with the ill person.
Today, I was informed, by a very superstitious lot, of the ‘Diablo de Huaraz’. Huaraz is a major city that is about 3 hours away from me, and I frequent it once or twice a month for meetings, trips to the bank, or just general merriment with my fellow Peace Corps volunteers. From what I have learned today, there is a devil lurking about the streets of Huaraz. This devil that parades around Huaraz is manlike in presence but from the waist up is covered in a thick fur. Along with unsightly hairiness, this devil has a long, red tail, and fear invoking large fangs. Marking his or her trail, Diablo de Huaraz has allegedly eaten multiple sheep and chickens from the surrounding rural areas, leaving only the heads and feet to be found the next morning by the perplexed farmers and herders. According to ‘credible’ sources in Yungay (or the old Quechua ladies selling in the market), this devil has been photographed and captured in a field nearby Huaraz, speaking fluent Quechua. After speaking to this devil, it informed its capturers that it is of a family, and there will be more of these demons lurking Huaraz and later, Yungay in a sort of test. Not only has this devil been captured, but is being held captive in the Huaraz police department, where, for only 10 nuevo soles, you can catch a glimpse of this evil beast. My next trip to Huaraz is next Saturday, and I am certainly b-lining it for the Huaraz police department. It isn’t everyday that you are given the opportunity to see an evil sheep eating Peruvian demon. Updates to come.