Polynesian - Mapuche contact: The chickens

Continuing with my previous post on Transpacific contact, I will quote from my book below with some additional proof

From my Book's 2nd Edition

The Araucanian chickens that lay blue eggs. Juan Ignacio Molina described the chickens of the Mapuche, a breed known as Araucana, which he considered autochthonous, as follows:

"The domestic chickens, that the Chileans call Achau are also of the same species that is bred in Europe; there is a persistent tradition about them being here since time immemorial; this can also be inferred from their name in this country’s language, which is lacking in which all other birds of foreign origin. In the past they had been found wild on the mainland, towards the Orinoco River."

J. de Acosta in his História natural y moral de las Indias published in 1590 also suggested that the chickens preceded the arrival of the Spaniards:

"... of the domestic fowl I was marveled by the chickens, because in fact there were [there] before the Spanish went, and a clear indication that there are names of over there, the chicken is called Gualpa, and the egg, Ronto and the same saying that we have, of calling a man a chicken to mark him a coward, is used by the Indians."

The Chilean chickens are special because they lay blue colored eggs, the color is caused by a pigment they produce, called oocyanin, that dyes the eggshell.

Araucanian chickens and their blue eggs.

The linguistic proof is strong, the Mapuche names are completely different to the Spanish ones: chicken = achawal vs. gallina in Spanish, cock = alka achawal vs. gallo in Spanish, and egg = kuram or runtu vs. huevo in Spanish.

The chicken was probably introduced into Chile from the Polynesia, but DNA evidence hasn’t been conclusive, nevertheless, chicken bones found in the Arauco peninsula in Patagonia have been dated to 1364 ± 43 AD, 140 to 180 years before the arrival of the Spaniards.

This adds support to the transoceanic contact between Polynesians and Amerindians.

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Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia Copyright 2009-2025by Austin Whittall ©