Eco Discovery Tours

Legends and Myths of the Amazonia  

Amazonas  

Once upon a time, there was a tribe of female warriors who lived in a kingdom with green rocks. They were excellent fishers and hunters and went about naked in the forest. One of them was chosen to be the priestess and command the group. every five years, the person in this position was replaced because the position could only be held by virgins up to twenty-five years of age. Only once a year, the women authorized the entrance of men from the neighboring tribes. The wedding night was always in the month of April, with a full moon. The men who gave them daughters received a

"muiraquitã", a good-luck charm in the shape of small animals that was made from a greenish mineral. When a boy was born, they were immediately returned to their fathers. Only the girls could live among the amazonas.

Iara

Iara is a beautiful creature with a sculptured body who, according to the caboclos (the backwoodsmen), lives a the bottom of the lakes, swamps and rivers and adores appearing at night during the full moon. There is no one who can resist her melodious voice. Men who hear Iara's songs become bewitched and even children fall under her spell. In the case of the children, they are captured and taken to live underwater where learn all the secrets for miking potions, remedies and. After seven years they are then returned as great sorcerers. The caboclos insist that the Iara is not a legend. They even say that, once in awhile, a wad of blond hair over a meter longs is caught in a fisherman's net. Seeing as anyone who has ever experienced this has run away as

fast as possible, leaving everything behind, there is still no evidence that she truly exists.

Water Lily

Once upon a time, there was a group of young Indian girls who were so fascinated by the moon and the stars that they decided to touch them. They thought that if they did that, they could turn into a star or the Moon. So they decided to climb up a hill, but that did not work. Persistent, every night the girls always tried to find the highest palace, but the sky continued to be far away. The Indian girl who dreamt the most was so disappointed that one night when she saw the moon reflected in the lake, without hesitating, she dove into the deep waters and disappeared. The moon who was touched by her gesture, the decided to turn her into a large perfumed flower the water lily.

Mapinguari

The "caboclos" swear that the "Mapinguari"which is a giant hairy animal that shouts just like a person, lives deep in the forest. If someone answers, it will go to meet the uninformed person. By its description, the "Mapinguari" does not seem to be very attractive. Who would ever want to meet up with a creature with one eye in its forehead and a mouth in its belly button? And what's worse is that it has such a bad smell that

whoever gets nearby may become dizzy and end up a easy prey. The "Mapinguari"is ferocious and has no fear of hunters because it is capable of expanding steel when it blows into the rifle barrel. They say that it only runs away when it sees a sloth. What no one can explain is why it would be afraid of a relative, since it can be considered to be a prehistoric sloth.

Curupira

Curupira has its feet turned the other way round. With this trick it deceives its hunters, who always take the wrong direction and get lost in the woods. This creature lives all over the Amazon region and is recognized as a protector of animals and forests.

Jurupari

Jurupari is a god. According to the legend he is the son of a virgin indian who, because of her curiosity, was condemned to death for insisting on spving on sacred rituals. On a mission to find the perfect wife for the sun, Coaraci was put in the hands of Jurupari. The outcome no one really knows for sure, but during the search had the opportunity to teach many rules to the men, some of which the indians adhere to until today. At Jurupari's time, the tribe was matriarchal. It was he who gave power back to the men and instituted many laws and rules of conduct. He declared, for example, that men should remain by their woman's side throughout pregnancy, that each man was responsible for supporting himself, that women should remain faithful to their husbands until death, but in compensation, if an indian chief's wife was sterile, he could remarry in order not to loose the throne. The Jurupari ritual takes place at the end of March when the level of the river water goes down. This timeframe coincides with the pagan ritual that takes place in Europe at the beginning of spring.

Boiúna

This is a legend that has traveled far throughout the Amazon. The boiúna is a gigantic snake that lives at the bottom of the rivers, lakes and swamps. Its body is so shiny that it reflects the moonlight. Its eyes radiate so much light that they attract the fishermen who think it is a big boat. When they near the light, they are eaten by boiúna. When the boiúna gets old, it moves on to the shore. Seeing as it is very big and awkward out of the water, it depends on the help of a five-meter long centipede in order to catch its food.

Uirapuru

Uirapuru is a god that was transformed into a bird. Therefore, the other birds easily recognize his divinity when he begins to sing. From that point on, all the other birds become absolutely silent so that the only song that can be heard is that of the Uirapuru. He is considered to be the protector of business and love. Therefore, the sale of stuffed birds and even bird feathers and dried skin is very common in the north of Brazil.

Anhangá

Anhangá is a spirit that roams the forest like a phantom or a ghost. A whistle detects his presence, at which point, whatever animal is being hunted simply disappears. He can take on the shape of different animals, but one of them seems to be his favorite: that of a graceful stag with fire-like eyes and a cross on his forehead. Anhangá is considered the protector of all living things in the forest.