LEGEND OF YURUPARÝ: MAIN CHARACTERS, SUMMARY - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The legend of Yuruparý is a myth of the Colombian-Brazilian Amazon. It tells the story of Yuruparý, an epic character who performs great feats during his life. Some authors equate the importance of this work with other stories such as the Popol Vuh, since it compiles the foundations and traditions of the indigenous people living in Brazil and Colombia.

The current knowledge of the myth is due to the oral transcription made by the Indian Maximiano José Roberto at the end of the s. XIX. This transcription was translated into Italian by Count Ermanno Stradelli, which is why it is considered the oldest text of pre-Columbian culture.

Not only does the mythical figure represented by Yuruparý intervene in the legend, since it also contemplates other aspects such as the Yuruparý ritual, the laws of the Sun and samples of dances and clothing for the celebration of parties and meetings.

origins

According to records, the legend of Yuruparý corresponded to an oral tradition of the peoples settled in Vaupés, Isana and Río Negro (adjacent to the Amazon).

However, at the end of the s. In the 19th century, the first transcription of the story was made by the indigenous man from Brazil, Maximiano José Roberto. Therefore, the story was captured in a language from the Tupí-Guaraní.

Years later it was translated into the Italian language thanks to Count Ermanno Stradelli and in 1891 it was published in the Bolletino de la Societa Geographica de Rome. At this point, some important elements can be highlighted:

-Some authors indicate that the participation of José Roberto in the elaboration of the translation was minimal. However, it is estimated that it was more of a team effort, which helped materialize the writing.

-Despite the publication, the legend was not known in the rest of the American continent until the middle of the s. XX, thanks to the translation of pastor Restrepo Lince.

-The disclosure was made by Javier Arango Ferrer in the essay Root and development of Colombian literature.

-Nowadays, the best known version is the one made in 1983 by Héctor Orjuela and Susana Narváez, published by the Instituto Caro y Cuervo.

Main characters

Seucí or Seucy (also known as Seucí de la Tierra)

She is the mother of Yuruparý and is described as an impatient, curious, naive and impulsive young virgin.

The old Payé

Although at first he was shown as an old man, he is actually a young man who took on such an appearance. He is described as a wise, strategic and intelligent man. Furthermore, he is also the leader of the tribe.

Yuruparý

He is the main character, son of Seucí. According to legend, his beauty is even greater than his mother's. It has a peculiar appearance because it seems that fire or light emanates from its body. He is intelligent, wise, civilizing, legislator (since he was the one who imposed order on the indigenous peoples), conciliator and patient.

According to the interpretations of some experts, Yuruparý also has a trait of a god and a mythical figure, so it has power and dominance. Thanks to this, other traits are attributed to him such as being vindictive and, to some extent, diabolical.

Caruma

Pretty young woman with decisiveness, intelligence and insight. She is Yuruparý's temporary partner.

Iacamy

Its appearance combines human and bird features. He is a confident, romantic and jealous man.

Pinion

Son of Iacamy. It has a peculiar birthmark, since it is a snake-shaped figure with stars so bright that they helped to see in the dark. He is a cunning, confident, intelligent, leading, imposing and also familiar man.

Ualri

Old man with weakness of character and vindictive.

Other characters may also be included, such as the inhabitants of the Sierra Tenuí (also called the tenuinas), the warriors, the Iacamy tribe, Seucy del lago (a woman who always bathes in the tribe's lake) and Pinon's lovers.

Legend Summary

The legend can be summarized by means of four main points. It should be noted that the story is contextualized in the origin of the world, so there are important elements about the emergence of gods, rituals and other manifestations.

Epidemic and birth of Seucí

The men died in an epidemic that almost wiped out the entire race, except for the women, some old men, and a payé (sorcerer).

The women were fertilized by this paye, and among the babies Seucí was born, whose beauty was such that it was named by the Seucí del Cielo.

Birth of Yuruparý

Seucí, being young and innocent, ate the forbidden fruit (in this case, a nut that grows in the Amazon). The juices of this fertilized her, so she conceived a child of extraordinary beauty and with a glow on her skin never seen before. The inhabitants of the Sierra Tenuí called him Yuruparý and considered him their maximum leader.

Yuruparý's disappearance

Shortly after his birth and just when the natives were paying him honors, the boy got lost in the jungle. Despite the efforts and searches, everyone gave him up for lost except for Seucí, his mother.

With the passage of time, Seucí discovers that she does not have milk from her breasts, without knowing the reason for this situation. Eventually she discovers that it is her son, who continues to feed on her to grow up healthy and strong.

The return of Yuruparý

After several years, Yuruparý returned to her mother in order to establish laws and order in the community, for which she gave rituals and celebrations of all kinds. After establishing the masculine order in society, Yuruparý met love thanks to Caruma.

However, shortly after he realizes that the perfect woman does not exist, so he decides to leave, saying goodbye to his people and his disciples.

Cults and rites

A primary element in the legend is the presence of rituals and ceremonies, which have several aspects:

-Youth to men initiation ceremonies (exclusively for men).

-Rituals in order to preserve incest.

-Celebration of the gods as essential figures in the tribes.

-Fiestas in favor of the celebration of the harvests.

-Meetings for the strengthening of social and conjugal relationships.

What towns does it belong to?

Yuruparý is a hero of the indigenous populations that are located in the Amazon (especially in Colombia and Brazil), specifically in the settlements on the Vaupés, Isana and Negro rivers. In the same way, it is associated with the indigenous Tucano, Arawak and Tapí-Guaraní tribes.

References

1. About the age of the Yuruparý legend and to which towns it belongs. (sf). In Brainly. Retrieved: April 3, 2018. In Brainly de brainly.lat.
2. Characteristic of the main and secondary characters of the Yuruarý myth. (sf). In Info-Servis. Retrieved: April 3, 2018. In Info-Servis of info-servis.net.
3. The myth of Yurupary. (sf). At Intecap. Retrieved: April 3, 2018. In Intecap of intecap.edu.co.
4. Legend of Yurupary. (sf). In Academic. Retrieved: April 3, 2018. In Academic de esacademic.com.
5. Legend of Yurupary. (sf). On Wikipedia. Retrieved: April 3, 2018. In Wikipedia at es.wikipedia.org.
6. Orjuela, Héctor. Yuruparý: South American indigenous epic. (1982). At CVC Cervantes. Retrieved: April 3, 2018. In CVC Cervantes of cvc.cervantes.es.
7. Sedlackova, Renata. The Amazonian myth of Yuruparý as a literary work. (2000). In Ibero-American Award. Retrieved: April 3, 2018. In the Ibero-American Award from Premioiberoamericano.cz.