Tue Tue Chilean legend about a ominous bird

Learn about the Chilean legend of the Tue Tue bird known for announcing misfortunes when the sound of its singing Tué-tué is heard.

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What is Tue Tue

Tue Tue is a bird that cannot be seen but can be heard. It is recognized by its singing that sounds like “Tue-tué” hence its name. It is often confused with the Chonchón but its legend is much more terrifying.

Who is the Tue Tue

The Tue Tue bird is a sorcerer who transforms himself into a bird in order to fly.

What does the word Tue Tue mean?

The word Tue Tue does not really have a meaning, the bird receives this name because its singing literally sounds like a “Tue Tue”.

Difference between the Tue tue and the Chonchon

There is a great deal of confusion regarding these two mythologies, and even in the Wikipedia it is understood that both correspond to the same thing, but in reality they have a big difference.

The Chonchón corresponds to the head of a sorcerer that is detached from his body by using a strange ointment that would be applied around his neck. And that in order to be able to fly, he would use his ears as wings.

On the other hand, the Tue tué corresponds to a Nahual, which is nothing more than the metamorphosis of a powerful sorcerer into an animal, which in this case would be the Tue tué bird.

What does it mean to listen to the Tue Tue

The Tue tué is an ominous bird, this means that it is a bird that announces misfortune when someone hears its singing.

What does it mean to dream of the Tue Tue?

To dream of the Tue tué is not a very good omen, remember that the Tue tué is an unlucky bird and if you dream that it is watching someone, especially if that person is someone close to you, it is likely that this person is ill with something serious.

What does the singing of the Tue Tue mean?

It is believed that when it is heard singing as a lament, it announces the death of an adult, while when it is heard laughing, it announces the death of a child.

How to call to Tue tue

To invoke the Tue tué it is necessary to call it by its name three times.

Tue-tue, Tue-tue, Tue-tue, Tue-tue!

But only those who have heard it will know how to pronounce its name. So if you are in an area where the Tue tué is known to inhabit, you can call it with this simple ritual.

How to scare away the Tue tue

Many believe that the witches are embodied in these birds to mislead those who insult them, so it is recommended that anyone who encounters them, greet them by saying the following prayer for the tue tue: “Accompany me in good faith”, “Go on your way” or “Go well”, formulas that according to experts, are those that would make the Tue tue not feel offended, allowing you to continue on your way.

How to make the Tue tue fall

To make the Tue tue fall, it is necessary to perform magical traps that weaken it and make it fall to the ground. The easiest way would be to recite the prayer of St. Cyprian:

St. Cyprian goes up. St. Cyprian goes down, holding a candle of the good death.

Which makes the dreaded Tue tué fall fluttering to the ground.

For nothing in the world try to catch it, much less let it see your face, because once the Tue tué falls to the ground, it will start screaming for other Tue tués to come to its call for help.

And if they manage to rescue it, rest assured that it will try to take revenge in the most cruel and merciless ways you can imagine.

How to kill the Tue tue

If for some reason you want to kill the Tue tué, before doing anything, you must draw on the ground the hexagram of Solomon and in the center you must bury a knife with the tip upwards. After that, you recite the prayer of San Cipriano and the bird Tue tué will fall on the seal and will die nailed in the dagger.

Testimonials

Throughout history, various stories related to the Tue tue are told.

Central Zone

In the Central Zone, there are several stories of people who challenge the Tue tué through invitations to eat or drink tea, which he accepts by transforming him into a strange visitor.

Like a woman who invited him and in the middle of the afternoon, a man dressed completely in black appeared at home, drank tea without saying a word and left.

The same thing happened to one family, with a Tue tué who appeared as a woman dressed in black. After eating and drinking water in the rind of a melon, without accepting a glass, she left in the middle of the night, warning the residents not to accept strangers.

True stories

Don’t talk to strangers

In central Chile, in the town of Quintay, one winter afternoon, a local man felt that something was chasing him, so he asked: “Who are you?”, but all he heard was: Tue tué tué.

The man told him that if it was something good, he would invite him to his house for tea the next day.
So, the next day, a man dressed in black and with gold teeth, who had come to the invitation, appeared.

The man, with great fear, understood what it was all about and they drank tea without speaking, until the man in the dark suit left.

It is for this reason that in Quintay, it is recommended not to talk to unknown birds.

Don’t ignore the Tue Tué if you have invited him to your house.

In the vicinity of Loncoche a group of peasant friends who were working the land of their boss heard a Tue tué; then, one of them shouted to him inviting him to go to his house to have a few drinks and eat a barbecue.
After the day was over, the friends met at the house of the one who had made the invitation. They drank and ate, but no strangers showed up. Some time went by and a young rascal approached the house asking for some meat, but as they were all a bit drunk, they ignored him, playing it down as unimportant.

After a while, one of them realized that the newcomer was not there and at that moment the owner of the house screamed in horror.
When they entered the house, they saw with horror that a horrible black bird was coming out, screaming “tue-tue”. The homeowners’ little baby lay with a mouth full of foam and black feathers around its body.

Don’t challenge the Tue Tué

In Nancagua, a Tue tué appeared to a peasant woman, who angrily yelled at him to help her feed her children instead of cursing.
The following day, a man finely dressed as a huaso appeared at the house, who, according to what he said, came for the request that had been made the day before.

The woman realized that she had made a big mistake by confronting the Tue tué and, out of sheer fear, she locked herself in her home.

A few days later, the woman dared to go out to the village to run some errands. There, she met him again, but this time she confronted him, throwing salt at him and conjuring him, the sorcerer transformed into a bird and flew away without returning.

Do not refuse the invitation to Tue Tué.

A story from Cañete, near Ponotro, tells that one cold and dark night of San Juan, a peasant family warming themselves by the fire heard the typical cries of the Tue tué.

The parents shouted to him to return at eight o’clock in the morning to receive an exquisite breakfast. The next day two people showed up and the mother forgot what she had promised the night before. Soon after, the daughter began to feel very bad, until she fell unconscious and died.

From that day on, when the Tue tué passes by, the family throws a handful of salt on the ground to keep it away.

Images of the tue tue bird

Conclusion

There are many stories that prove that the legend of the Tue tué is real. To this day there are still stories of people who have encountered this evil bird. And if you live in Chile, it is very likely that you know someone close to you who has encountered this enigmatic being.