Mewlen, tornadoes and waterspouts in Chile: a situated geomythological perspective

The May 2019 tornado outbreak in south-central Chile abruptly reinserted tornadoes and waterspouts into public awareness, surprising both the population and parts of the atmospheric-science community. Yet historical sources indicate that these phenomena are not new in Chile, and Mapuche oral traditions preserve long-standing interpretations and practical orientations toward severe storms. Here we develop a situated geomythology framework to examine Mapuche narratives concerning the mewlen/meulén (tornado/whirlwind beings) as forms of situated knowledge (inarrumen) produced in specific territories and transmitted through oral, ritual, linguistic, and toponymic practices. Rather than reducing myth to a distorted chronicle that must be validated by a single "true" geophysical event, we analyze how narratives generate () observational resonances with physical processes and (ii) relational efficacy that guides action, memory, and care within communities. Drawing on colonial and republican written records (including early literary mentions), ethnographic archives, and contemporary references, we identify recurring descriptions of tornado behavior — cyclonic rotation, preferred approach directions, afternoon timing, and gradations of intensity — that are consistent with modern meteorological characterizations of tornadic convection. We further show that place names and vernacular uses of mewlen/meulén variants function as landscape-anchored markers of hazard memory and local prudential norms.

We argue that periods of institutional skepticism regarding tornado occurrence in Chile contributed to scarce systematic observations and delayed risk awareness, particularly in territories historically inhabited by Mapuche communities. Integrating historical–cultural evidence with meteorological perspectives can strengthen tornado climatologies in data-sparse regions and support risk communication that respects epistemic plurality while improving preparedness for rare but high-impact convective hazards.