Thursday 11 October 2012

A legend from Bolivia

I came across a photo of an unusual tree on Facebook. I was intrigued and after a bit of googling, I discovered this interesting legend from Bolivia:

A long time ago, when gods lived on earth as people, the dark spirits (Añas) haunted the early Guarani people, killing the men and stealing their women.


In a small village lived a beautiful young woman named Araverá (Sparkle in the sky), the daughter of the grand chief Ururutï (White Condor). She recently married the hummingbird god, Colibrí (Chinu tumpa), and hoped to soon have a son, who would grow up to be the best Shaman (Paye) of the area, capable of destroying all of the evil spirits.


The Añas got wind of her plans and schemed to kill her. They mounted their fire-breathing winged horses and pointed them to her small town. But Araverá saw the danger and escaped, flying to the ultimate ends of the universe in a tiny flying chair that her husband Colibrí gave her.


The Añas pursued her everywhere, the the depths of the waters, under the earth and higher than the stars. When her tiny flying chair finally couldn't support the weight of her and her growing baby anymore, they descended to earth and hid inside a Toborochi tree (Samou).



The Añas passed them by and never found her. Inside the tree, Araverá bore her son. The boy grew and took revenge upon the evil Añas, but his mother remained in the trunk of the Torobochi, as she does to this day. Sometimes, when she does go outside, she becomes the tree's beautiful flower, so that the hummingbirds can come and enjoy her nectar.