Paraguayan Legends and Myths
When I was a child I could not sleep with my foot or hand
hanging off the side of the bed, I couldn't sleep with my closet door open and I
couldn't, I’m embarrassed to admit, sleep without a night light. Why you ask?
All for one reason, the boogey man!
The boogey man is an example of a myth. A myth is typically
a traditional story that deals with supernatural beings, heroes or ancestors
that is used to explain how natural wonders or social customs came to be, or to
teach a lesson. In most cases the boogey man is used as a tool to keep kids in
line, if you don’t follow the rules to boogeyman will get you.
Paraguay has so many cultural myths and legends it would
take 10 blog posts to tell you about them all so I’ll just tell you about my
favorites.
Many of the myths stem from the marriage of Kerana and Tau.
Tau was the personification of the evil spirit and he captured Kerana and together
they had seven cursed children, all but one were born monsters. These seven
children account for a majority of Guarani myths.
Teju Jagua – He
is a large lizard with seven heads of a dog. He only feeds on fruit and honey
(given to him by his brother Jasy Jarete) and is the protector of caves. He is
considered harmless, but many children fear him because of his monstrous
appearance.
Mbói Tu’ĩ – He is
an enormous snake with the head of a parrot. He has a terrifying gaze that
scares anyone that has the misfortune to come upon him. He lets out a loud
squawk that can be heard for miles and instills terror into those who hear it.
Moñái – He is a
large serpent with two horns on his head. He is the protector of thieves and
robbers because he himself is responsible for the mysterious disappearances of people’s
belongings.
Jasy Jatere- The
only son not to be born a monster. Jasy Jatere appears as a small man or child
with long golden hair and light eyes. He is considered the lord of the siesta,
he wanders the town at siesta time looking for children who are out playing
instead of napping. He is generally considered to be invisible except to the
children who are not taking their siesta, he then lures them into the forest.
Parents use Jasy Jatere as a way to get children to take their nap.
Kurupi – He is
considered the lord of fertility and when you see a picture of him you see why.
He is a short, ugly, hairy man who has a large penis that wraps around his body
(like a belt) several times. Kurupi is often blamed for unwanted and unexpected
pregnancies. He is also used to warn women to not leave the house
unaccompanied.
Ao Ao – He is often portrayed
as a ravenous sheep-like creature with massive fangs. He is
considered to be a cannibal that will chase his victims through the woods and
the only way to escape him is to climb a palm tree.
Luisón—He is called
the lord of night and death. He appears vaguely human, but is horrendously ugly
and smells of death. He is similar to the legend of the werewolf.
Another Paraguayan myth, and arguably the most popular or
well known (there is even a popular song about him) is the Pombero. The Pombero also known as Karai Pyhare which means the man of the night in Guarani, is
considered to be an ugly, short man with long hair. He is generally described
as a mischief maker whose favorite activities are setting cattle loose, stealing
chicken eggs or scaring horses. He is usually blamed for bad things that happen
in the night. He is said to whistle before he appears but, he can be swayed
from wreaking havoc if you leave him gifts of caña (sugar cane whiskey), tobacco or honey. (I have witnessed
people doing this)
What are some of your favorite myths and legends? Have you
learned about any legends from other cultures or countries?
3 Comments:
Whoa. Those are pretty funky looking! I can't think of any off the top of my head except the old Loch Ness monster/Bigfoot ones. It's funny when people think they're real.
These are just a few too, Paraguay has so many! I wonder if when I'm back in the US I can tell children if they don't take their nap they'll be taken into the forest by a small man child ... probably not?
www.instagram.com/monhaipy/
Can you please follow this profile!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home