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The muki (Quechua for asphyxia, also for a goblin who lives in subterranean caves, hispanicized spelling ''Muqui'', also spelled ''Mooqui'') is a goblin-like creature in the mythology of the Central Andes in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. He is known to be a miner and his existence is constrained to underground spaces: The ''muki'' lives inside the mines. Despite the distance and the isolation of the mining camps, the belief and the description of the ''muki'' is consistent throughout Peru, from the highlands of Puno in the south to Cajamarca in the north. Nonetheless, the names differ: ''chinchiliku'' (Moquegua), ''anchanchu'' or ''janchanchu'' (Puno), ''jusshi'' (Cajamarca) and ''muki'' (Pasco and Andean regions of Bolivia). == Appearance == The ''muki'' is considered to be a dwarf due to its height, since it is no taller than 2 feet (0,61 meters). In the traditions of Cerro de Pasco, the ''muki'' is a small brawny creature with a disproportionate body. His head is attached to his body, but he lacks a neck. His voice is deep and husky, not matching his appearance, his long hair is bright blonde, his face is hairy and reddish, with a long white beard. His look is deep, aggressive and hypnotic and his eye reflect the light as if they were made of metal. In some mining traditions, he has two horns that are used to break the rocks and point at the mineral veins. His skin is very pale and he carries a mining lantern. Sometimes he is described as having pointy ears. As it is noted above, there is more than one type of ''muki'' in legend. Just like there is diversity in the mining elves at a universal level, there are many varieties of ''muki'' in the underground world of the Andes. They are known for the places where they became visible. The oral traditions of each mine help to identify them by region, thus a ''muki'' can be from Huacracocha, Goyllar, Morococha, El Diamante, Santender, La Mina Tentadora, La Mina Julcani, Excelsior. Following the safety regulations of his work, the ''muki'' wears a helmet, a miner’s outfit and studded boots. In other traditions, he is described as a small elf with a green outfit, sometimes with a very fine vicuña cape or with the waterproof outfit proper of a miner. He usually carries a lantern or a flashlight, depending on the technological level of the mine. He also walks like a duck because his feet are of abnormal size, and sometimes his legs can take the shape of a goose or crow’s. But the description of the ''muki'' changes with time. Around the 1930s, he was said to wander the mines while holding a gas lantern and wearing a vicuña poncho. He was described as having two small shiny horns and to speak with a soft voice. Nowadays he has a more updated look: mining outfit, rain boots and a battery flashlight. Sometimes he shape shifts into an animal or a blonde white man to appear to the miners and deceive them. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Muki (mythology)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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