Encounter Atlas
Aluxo'ob (singular alux) are small spirits in the tradition of Maya peoples of the Yucatán Peninsula, Belize and Guatemala. They are about knee-high and look like tiny Maya people in traditional dress. They are usually invisible but can take physical form to talk to people, frighten them or gather together. They are linked to forests, caves, stones and fields. Some Maya say they are ancestral spirits or spirits of the land itself.
In one living custom, a farmer builds a little house for an alux in his maize field (milpa). For seven years the alux helps the corn grow, calls the rain and whistles at night to scare off animals and thieves. Treated with respect and given offerings, an alux brings protection and luck; ignored, it plays tricks or brings sickness. It is said to be unwise to speak their name aloud.
Construction crews in the Yucatán often hold ceremonies at new sites so as not to offend the aluxo'ob. In February 2023 Mexico's president Andrés Manuel López Obrador posted, alongside photos of Tren Maya progress, a dark picture said to show a small elf-like figure. News outlets compared it to the alux, and social media users soon found the photo was older than claimed.
What witnesses report
- Whistling in the fields at night
- Small stones thrown with no one in sight
- Tools or pots moved or thrown
- Illness after refusing an offering
Famous cases
Seen the Alux?
Tell us what happened. Every report is read by a person before it goes on the map, and you can stay anonymous.
