Guaraní mythology
Encyclopedia
The Guaraní people live in south-central part of South America
, especially in Paraguay
and parts of the surrounding areas of Argentina
, Brazil
, and Bolivia
.
was not a written language until modern times, and, as such, the entirety of their religious beliefs is passed down through word of mouth only. As such, accounts of the various gods
and related myths and legends can vary from one locale to the next, and the regional differences may be so extreme as to completely redefine the role a specific deity plays in the Guaraní belief system.
Although a large number of the indigenous Guaraní people have largely been assimilated into modern society and their belief system altered or replaced by Christianity
(due in large part to the work of Jesuit
missionaries
in the 16th century), several of the core beliefs are still active in many rural areas in the Guaraní region. As a result, the myths and legends continue to evolve to this day.
, the supreme god of all creation. With the help of the moon goddess Arasy, Tupa descended upon the Earth in a location specified as a hill in the region of Aregúa, Paraguay, and from that location created all that is found upon the face of the earth, including the ocean
, forests, and the animals. It is also said that the star
s were placed in the sky at this point.
Tupã then created humanity (according to most Guaraní myths, the Guaraní were naturally the first race of people to be made, with every other civilization being born from it) in an elaborate ceremony, forming clay
statues of man and woman with a mixture of various elements from nature. After breathing life into the human forms, he left them with the spirits of good and evil and departed.
, considered to be the wisest of men and the great prophet
of the Guaraní people. Second of their sons was Marangatú, a benevolent and generous leader of his people, and father of Kerana
, the mother of the seven legendary monsters of Guaraní myth (see below). Their third son was Japeusá, who was from birth considered a liar, a thief and a trickster, always doing things backwards to confuse people and take advantage of them. He eventually committed suicide
, drowning himself in the water, but he was resurrected as a crab
, and since then all crabs are cursed to walk backwards much as Japeusá did.
Among the daughters of the Rupave and Supave was Porâsý, notable for sacrificing her own life in order to rid the world of one of the seven legendary monsters, diminishing their power (and thus the power of evil as a whole).
Several of the first humans were considered to have ascended upon their deaths and become minor deities.
. Together the two had seven sons who were cursed of the high goddess Arasy, and all but one were born as hideous monsters. The seven are considered primary figures in Guaraní mythology, and while several of the lesser gods or even the original humans are forgotten in the verbal tradition of some areas, these seven were generally maintained in the legends. Some of them are even believed in down to modern times in some rural areas. The seven sons of Tau and Kerana are, in order of their births:
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, especially in Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
and parts of the surrounding areas of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
.
Overview
There exist no written records of the ancient myths and legends associated with the Guaraní people. The Guaraní languageGuaraní language
Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...
was not a written language until modern times, and, as such, the entirety of their religious beliefs is passed down through word of mouth only. As such, accounts of the various gods
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
and related myths and legends can vary from one locale to the next, and the regional differences may be so extreme as to completely redefine the role a specific deity plays in the Guaraní belief system.
Although a large number of the indigenous Guaraní people have largely been assimilated into modern society and their belief system altered or replaced by Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
(due in large part to the work of Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in the 16th century), several of the core beliefs are still active in many rural areas in the Guaraní region. As a result, the myths and legends continue to evolve to this day.
Guaraní creation myth
The primary figure in most Guaraní creation legends is TupãTupã (mythology)
Tupa is the name of the supreme god in the Guaraní creation myth. Tupa is also the word in the Guaraní language that means "god". Tupa is considered to be the creator of the universe, and more specifically the creator of light...
, the supreme god of all creation. With the help of the moon goddess Arasy, Tupa descended upon the Earth in a location specified as a hill in the region of Aregúa, Paraguay, and from that location created all that is found upon the face of the earth, including the ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
, forests, and the animals. It is also said that the star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s were placed in the sky at this point.
Tupã then created humanity (according to most Guaraní myths, the Guaraní were naturally the first race of people to be made, with every other civilization being born from it) in an elaborate ceremony, forming clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
statues of man and woman with a mixture of various elements from nature. After breathing life into the human forms, he left them with the spirits of good and evil and departed.
Early humanity
The original humans created by Tupa were Rupave and Sypave, whose names mean "Father of the people" and "Mother of the people", respectively. The pair had three sons and a large but unspecified number of daughters. The first of their sons was Tumé ArandúTume Arandu
Tume Arandu is a mythological figure from Guarani culture. He is considered to be the "father of wisdom".-References:* COLMAN, Narciso R. : Ñande Ypy Kuéra , 1929....
, considered to be the wisest of men and the great prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
of the Guaraní people. Second of their sons was Marangatú, a benevolent and generous leader of his people, and father of Kerana
Kerana
Kerana is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.-References:*...
, the mother of the seven legendary monsters of Guaraní myth (see below). Their third son was Japeusá, who was from birth considered a liar, a thief and a trickster, always doing things backwards to confuse people and take advantage of them. He eventually committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, drowning himself in the water, but he was resurrected as a crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
, and since then all crabs are cursed to walk backwards much as Japeusá did.
Among the daughters of the Rupave and Supave was Porâsý, notable for sacrificing her own life in order to rid the world of one of the seven legendary monsters, diminishing their power (and thus the power of evil as a whole).
Several of the first humans were considered to have ascended upon their deaths and become minor deities.
Seven legendary monsters
Kerana, the beautiful daughter of Marangatú, was captured by the personification or spirit of evil called TauTau (mythology)
Tau is the name of an evil spirit in Guaraní mythology. Although Tau is not quite synonymous with the Devil in Christian beliefs, for example, he was sometimes referred to as The Evil Spirit and as such may have been a personification of evil itself...
. Together the two had seven sons who were cursed of the high goddess Arasy, and all but one were born as hideous monsters. The seven are considered primary figures in Guaraní mythology, and while several of the lesser gods or even the original humans are forgotten in the verbal tradition of some areas, these seven were generally maintained in the legends. Some of them are even believed in down to modern times in some rural areas. The seven sons of Tau and Kerana are, in order of their births:
- Teju JaguaTeju JaguaTeju Jagua is the first son of Tau and Kerana and one of the seven legendary monsters of Guaraní mythology.Because of the curse placed upon Tau by Arasy for raping Kerana, Tau's descendents were forever cursed to a derformed and monstrous appearance....
, god or spirit of caverns and fruits - Mbói Tu'ĩMbói Tu'iMbói Tu'i is one of the seven legendary monsters of Guaraní mythology. He is the second son of Tau and Kerana.Mbói Tu'i literally translates to "snake-parrot" which describes this creatures appearance....
, god of waterways and aquatic creatures - MoñáiMoñáiMoñái is the third son of Tau and Kerana and one of the seven legendary monsters of Guaraní mythology.This creature has an enormous serpent-like body was two straight, colorful horns which serve as antennas....
, god of the open fields. He was defeated by the sacrifice of Porâsý - Jasy JatereJasy JatereJasy Jatere is the name of an important figure in Guaraní mythology. One of the seven cursed children of Tau and Kerana, Jasy Jatere is one of the most important legends among the Guaraní speaking cultures of South America, especially in Paraguay.Jasy Jatere, which means literally "a little piece...
, god of the siestaSiestaA siesta is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those where the weather is warm....
, only of the seven to not appear as a monster - KurupiKurupiKurupira is the name of one of the important figures in Guaraní mythology. He is one of the seven monstrous children of Tau and Kerana, and as such is one of the central legendary figures in the region of Guaraní speaking cultures...
, god of sexuality and fertility - Ao AoAo AoAo Ao is the name of a monstrous creature from Guaraní mythology. As one of the cursed sons of Tau and Kerana, it is one of the central mythological creatures among Guaraní-speaking cultures....
, god of hills and mountains - LuisonLuisonLuison, Luisõ or Lobison is the name of a monstrous creature from Guaraní mythology. Being one of the seven cursed children of Tau and Kerana, the Luison is one of the primary figures of legend in Guaraní-speaking cultures today, such as Paraguay...
, god of death and all things related to it
Other gods or important figures
- Angatupry, spirit or personification of good, opposite to Tau
- Pytajovái, god of war
- PomberoPomberoThe Pombéro is a mythical humanoid creature of small stature being from Guaraní mythology. The legend, along with other mythological figures from the Guaraní, is an important part of the culture in the region spanning from northeast Argentina northward through the whole of Paraguay and southern...
, a popular spirit of mischief - AbaanguiAbaanguiAbaangui is the moon god in the mythology of the Guaraní people of central South America.According to the myth, Abaangui had a huge nose, which he cut off. When he threw it into the sky, it became the moon....
, a god credited with the creation of the moon; may only figure as an adaptation of outlying Guaraní tribes - Jurupari, a god limited to worship by men, generally limited to isolated tribes in Brazil
- Yande Yari, "our grandmother" spirit of the river Parapetí in Bolivia
- Mala Visión
- Plata Yvyguy, "Buried Treasure" a headless dog who can be found running around through the forest, and if you follow him, he will show you where to find buried treasure.