ORAL TRADITION IN COLOMBIA: CHARACTERISTICS AND MYTHS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The oral tradition in Colombia originated with indigenous communities through the language made known their thoughts and idiosyncrasies through stories, myths, legends and poems. These manifestations facilitate the recognition of the values ​​of the ancestors, whose content is important for the inhabitants of the South American country.

Because there was first an oral literature, it can be considered that these stories were foundational in the Colombian territory and their legacy is still valid. Depending on the region, the characters and their adventures change; In other words, in each area in particular some stories are better known than others.

El Silbón is the main character of a Colombian legend. Source: BOCOTRUVZLA

The festivals and carnivals that are celebrated in the country serve as cultural diffusion events, since each costume is inspired by primitive stories. This is a way to keep the cultural heritage alive, since each year tributes are made to the main figures, such as Sayona, Riviel or Silbón.

characteristics

Content variation

There may be several versions of the same myth or legend. This happens because, when transmitted orally, the speakers add new information or delete data.

Repetition

Due to the lack of the writing format, it is common for stories to maintain a repetitive character in terms of expressions.

However, it can also be seen as a memory aid: it becomes easier to remember when keywords are kept in mind. For this reason, the language is as simple as possible and highly elaborate constructions are avoided.

Teaching function

Some productions contain implicit teachings. For example, the story of the Sayona teaches men not to be unfaithful with their partners.

Foundational quality

In the specific case of Colombian myths, the creation and explanation of the world is considered recurrent. They are pagan speeches that have nothing to do with Christian religious themes; these are primitive deities that account for polytheism.

Community

The fundamental thing in the subject of oral tradition is the community. The objective does not respond to individual interests but rather reflects the identity of the peoples.

Oral traditions of the Orinoquía

The productions of this sector reveal a fusion between the real and the supernatural. Likewise, the night is presented as a dreaded scenario in which apparitions are unleashed with dire purposes.

La Sayona

This is a woman with colossal fangs with night hours whose job is to scare unfaithful men. Tradition indicates that she travels through the plain as punishment for ending the life of her husband due to jealousy.

The Silbón or Whistler

He is a man known for his terrifying whistle that he turns on during the night. Some data refer that it is a lost soul in search of company, while others point out his main sin: killing his father. From there derives the belief that he carries a sack with his bones on his back.

Oral traditions of the Amazon area

In the Amazon region there are oral manifestations with magical overtones. The presence of gods, protective figures and creatures of mixed characteristics is constant.

The bufeo colorado

It is a creature similar to the pink dolphin. When he comes out of the water he goes through a metamorphosis and becomes a man to pretend to women, kidnap them and take them with him.

Chullachaqui

This is a tiny man on a mission to protect the forests from intruders. Its characteristics include its ragged and dirty clothing, a straw hat and skin similar to that of an animal.

Oral traditions of the Pacific territory

Mountains and lonely places are environments that often generate fear. Once again the dark backdrop represents doom and tragic unbalance.

The Tunda

This is a deplorable-looking woman whose objective is to capture unbaptized children and young people to go with them in the mountains and make them their lovers.

The Riviel

It is a beast that sails in a canoe at night to scare off sinners, who are its favorite victims and whose brain sucks. His appearance is divided into half man and half animal.

Foundational myths

Chibcha Myth (Bachué)

The story portrays how the Iguaque lagoon made colorful flowers and plants bloom; from there a woman with long black hair was born with her son in her arms who had the purpose of populating the earth. She married the boy when he grew up and they had descendants from their union.

The Chibcha empire grew thanks to this and Bachué indicated the procedures to survive. He then returned with his partner to the water, both of them turned into a snake. The story goes that from the depths she makes sure that order reigns in the world.

Myth U'wa (Boyacá)

He says that at the beginning the universe consisted of two spheres: the one located above was warm and dry, while the one below was dark and humid. By the movement of the universe, both poles were mixed and shaped the intermediate world, place of humans.

So this world depends on the primordial spheres. Here beings and things are earthly and have all the basics to survive. The gods provided them with movement by fusing the heat of the sun with the water, and in this way life and death appeared in that place.

Myth Achagua (Meta and Casanare)

Meta and Casanare were the places where the world of the Achagua was born. There a serpent tried to exterminate the society of the Orinoquía; For this reason, the indigenous people of this community raised prayers for several days to the god Purú to protect them.

This deity did not ignore the pleas and for this reason he entrusted his daughter with the mission to kill the serpent. She complied and watched the animal crumble, leaving behind maggots that would turn into men when they touched the ground; They would be the ones who would guard the area so that the snake would not return.

References

1. Ocampo, Lala. (2019). Four stories to remember the Colombian oral tradition. Retrieved on June 27, 2019 from Trece: canaltrece.com.co
2. SA (2014). Colombian oral tradition. Retrieved on June 27, 2019 from Communicative Competences: Competenciascomunicativas.com
3. SA (sf). The Colombian oral tradition, creative source of mysterious and fantastic stories. Retrieved on June 27, 2019 from Colombia: colombia.com
4. SA (sf). Literature and oral tradition. Retrieved on June 27, 2019 from Colombia Aprende: colombiaaprende.edu.com
5. You are obese, Rafaela. (2011). Culture and oral tradition in the Colombian Caribbean. Retrieved on June 27, 2019 from Scielo: scielo.org.co