10 fantastic indigenous legends (commented)
The Brazilian indigenous legends are part of the rich culture of two peoples originating from our country.
These are myths that, passed down orally for generations, constitute an important cultural legacy.
Generally, these stories provide explanations about phenomena of nature and reveal a precious symbolic content.
1. Lenda do sol e da lua
According to this legend, there are two rivals. They lived close to one another, but they never met, because it was forbidden for them to contact each other.
Meanwhile, one day a young warrior came out to hunt in the forest and met a beautiful girl from the inimitable ethnic group.
They were attracted to each other by a hair and passed to meet another time. And so a great love was born.
Whenever they could, the young people found a way to be together without anyone leaving.
Certain time, not so long, a two members of the community in which the boy lived flagrou or found two. They were taken to the tribe and sentenced to death.
The cacique was the father of the warrior and he was very distressed with the situation. He then asked the page to prepare a magic potion to save the house.Asim was feito. You will drink the preparation and transform into the stars of your heart. O virou o sol boy, já a moça became moon.
Unfortunately, the sun sets in the moonlight and they never meet, except when there are eclipses, at which point the couple falls in love again.
In diverse cultures, love mobilizes human beings and becomes part of the stories transmitted to centuries. Here we have a legend that, in addition to highlighting this sentiment, sets out to explain the origin of the sun and the moon.
It is interesting to analyze how this indigenous myth draws a parallel with Romeu and Juliet, a story written in a completely different context and culture.
2. Vitória-régia
Naiá was a young woman who lived in love with Lua, called Jaci by the indigenous hairs of hers.
Jaci (the moon) used to enchant the girls and transform them into stars. Naiá anxiously awaited the day that she would be transformed into a star and would live with Jaci.
One day, however, when seeing or reflecting the star in a lake, Naiá broke down to reach it and fall into the water. Tordoada, morreu drowned.
Jaci lamented the death of Naiá and decided to transform her into a very beautiful plant, a victorious one.
Vitória-régia is two symbols of the Amazon, from where we see it. The story seeks to explain the emergence of this aquatic plant that is so common in the region.
Interesting the similarity of the indigenous myth as the Greek myth of Narciso, not which young man is apaixona hair reflection of his own image in the lake and (in some versions) he also suffocates, being transformed into a flower.
3. Lenda do guarana
In an indigenous community there was a house whose greatest dream was ter um filho. After some time trying, they will ask God Tupã to send a boy.
Asim was feito e logo depois a moça engravidou.
A criança was born healthy and grew up happy and loved by all.
But isso woke up the old woman from Jurupari, o deus das sombras. Planning to cause or harm, Jurupari transformed into a serpent and beak or garoto while the fruits fell on the bush.
Tupã sent many trovões in an attempt to alert the country of Garoto, more than anything adiantou. When I was found, the little boy was already lifeless.
The tribe all lamented the death of the garoto and the deus Tupã ordered that their olhos be planted in a special place.
The request was attended to in the place where the old ones were buried, a different tree was born, with an exotic fruit: guarana.
Guarana is a very important Amazonian plant for various indigenous peoples. He um cicipated that he can reach 3 meters high and his fruit looks like human eyes, a reason that explains the legend of guarana.
The myth, as well as several other legends around the world, have several versions, differing in some points, but it is always a garoto that dies and we fear the eyes planted, from where it was born or from guarana
4. Boitatá
Boitatá is the name of a personage of Brazilian indigenous folklore. It is a serpent of fire that protects the forest from two invaders, scaring them.
One of many versions tells that once upon a time a cobra agreed with a long and deep sound.
Likewise, she devours the eyes of various animals of the forest. His body was lighting up more and more and his eyes were burning labaredas. It is said that olhar burns um boitatá, it can make you blind or crazy.
This character is known by various names, including bitatá and baitatá, but all of them mean “fire cobra”.
A curious phenomenon that occurs in nature, mainly in swamps, is the fatuous fire, in which the gases from decomposing materials can cause fire explosions. In this way, the criação do boitatá can be a legend that explains the fatuous fire.
5. caipora
This is a folklore character who is closely related to the bushes. Protector of fauna and flora, the caipora is a mythical being represented both as homem quanto and as a woman.
She has red hair, has ears like a leprechaun, is short in stature and lives in the bushes.
Her powers include misleading hunters and resuscitating animals.
In some versions she appears mounted on a pig I kill.
This is a Tupi-Guarani legend that arose in the north of Brazil. The nome caipora comes from kaa-póra and means “inhabitant of I kill”.
She is a character similar to the curupira, being often confused with him, who is also a protector of the bushes.
6. Iara
In an Amazonian indigenous community there was a very beautiful girl who called herself Iara. She was so pretty that she woke up to see many people.
Her brothers, also unfortunate, one day they will decide to kill her. The young woman was persecuted by her arms and almost died, but she was courageous and managed to fight with them, killing them.
Concerned with her father's reaction, the girl ran away, but ended up being found. O pai de ella, furioso pela morte dos filhos, atirou-a no rio.
For her lot, the fish of the river ficaram solidários and will transform into a series, meta de mulher, meta de peixe.
Likewise, Iara went to live together with the fish and passed the tempo singing twelve melodies with her enchanted voice. The men, attracted by her song, are dragged to the bottom of the river and death.
This is a legend from the northern region and also has other versions. One of them says that a young man was actually attacked and violated by a group of men, who did not laugh.
Her name means "the one who dwells in the waters."
This is one of the most well-known characters in two Brazilian indigenous myths.
7. To lenda da cassava
A long time ago there was a young indigenous man in a village. She was the daughter of the cacique and wanted to become pregnant, but she did not have a husband.
Até that certain night she has a very clear dream. She dreamed that a lovely man came from the moon and came to visit her, saying that he loved her.
After a while, a young man perceived that she was pregnant. The criança that was born was loved by all the tribe. She has a very white skin, two others different, and was called Mani.
Mani jumped and had fun, but one day he woke up without life. Her mother was devastated and buried inside the oca.
Every day my chorava on the local and the land was watered with her tears. When suddenly a bush sprouted in the place where Mani was buried and the young man thought that maybe her daughter is wanting to get out.
I seem to think twice that she dug the ground and what she found was a root that, when shelled, is white like Mani peel.
And it was thus that “manioc” arose, making reference to the legend of Mani.
Very important food for most of the two native peoples, manioc is considered or “indigenous bread”.
This legend of Tupi origin seeks to explain the emergence of this nutritious white root, giving the word “manioc” a junction of the name Mani and oca.
8. curupira
The curupira is a legendary being that is part of the culture of two indigenous peoples. He dwells on the kill, he fears the hair of fire and his feet turned back, or what makes the hunters deceive themselves and not be able to locate him.
Very agile and short in stature, he is mischievous and clueless that enters the forest, and can confuse the people he is doing as he is percam.
Because he is a protector of nature, he is frequently confused with a caipora.
O nome curupira vem do tupi-guarani and it is accredited that it means “body of menino”. The first writings in the literature on that land date from the 16th century and were written by Father José de Anchieta.
9. Lenda gives big cobra
A young indigenous woman who was pregnant with twins gave birth to two children of dark appearance. They looked like cobras and forams called Honorato and Maria Caninana. Mãe ficou was impressed with the appearance of her offspring and decided to laugh at it.
The boy, Honorato, was kind and forgave me, but the girl, Maria Caninana, became vindictive and whenever she could do badly to the members of the village.
Tired of seeing so much evil, Honorato matou Maria Caninana.
They say that at night of lua cheia Honorato becomes a man, but when the period of lua cheia ends he returns in the form of a serpent and over time in the depths of two rivers.
This is a legend that, like the others, has several versions. She originates from the Amazon region, being very well-known about the ribeirinho people.
The story tells that a large cobra, because it is huge and can grow, formed furrows that, later, formed rivers and tributaries.
10. Lenda do milho
Ainotarê, a young chef from an indigenous village, once upon a time, having died, ordered his son Kaleitoê that when he dies he will be buried in the center of the plantation. The godless also said that a new plant would sprout from its cave that would feed the community. He explained that the first seeds of the plant could not be consumed, but could be replanted.
It didn't take long and Ainatorê died. His son fulfilled the wish of his father and was buried in the indicated place.
After some time, in fact, a plant that gave spikes and many yellow seeds began to be born from his cave, it was the milho.
This is a myth of the Paresi people, who lives in the Mato Grosso region. It is interesting to note that many ethnic groups have various mythical stories that serve to explain the origin of important foods for that people.
I eat cassava, guarana, açaí and also milho.
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