THE MYTH OF ISONDÙ AND CHAKI

 

1. Legend has it that Isondú was the most beautiful man of his tribe (the Tikuna), the tallest, the strongest, the most skilled hunter.

2. You had to see him shooting an arrow, rowing the canoe, dancing in the ceremonies of the peasants (sorcerer doctor).

3. When he was a child, there was no mother in his family [4] who, when she saw him laugh, did not caress him.

4. When it was time for the amulet ceremony[5] worn by adult men, there were many girls who wanted to marry him. They all liked his dexterous hands, his penetrating gaze and his manly aroma of forest wood [6].

5. One afternoon Isondú returned from the neighboring village, where he had relatives. He came alone, thinking of a girl he had met there, the only girl he was sure he really loved [7]; Her name was Chaki, the youngest daughter of the great chief Yaguarova, the most beautiful of his tribe.

6. He thought that he would soon marry her, he imagined her next to him, with her body adorned with paintings and an orchid, the most beautiful flower he could find - in her long black hair. she.

7. Happy and tired, he walked along the jungle paths, chasing away the mosquitoes from time to time. He, so big and strong, looked small next to the immense trees[8].

8. But along with the love that he awakened in so many girls, the envy of men was also awakened.

9. The children who played with him, climbing palm trees in the clearings of the forest and in the river[9], were now men who were angry with him.[10]

10. Those hunters waited for Isondú one evening. Early on they had dug a pit on the road and had hidden it well, they were specialists in hunting with traps, and this trap was already ready.

11. Then they sat down to wait, and drink the corn chicha[11] that they had brought.

12. When he was close to reaching his village, Isondú began to hear the laughter and shouts of his enemies. But he did not worry, because he was young, he was not afraid of anything and he had always been too happy to even imagine what awaited him.

13. When they heard his footsteps, the hunters remained silent. Suddenly, Isondú tripped among some vines and fell into the ditch[12].

14. The hunters [13] immediately came out from his hiding place and began to laugh and mock him:

Hunters - Isondú! Isondú! We hunt you like a chigüiro!

- Let's see, what's the point of being so brave now?

  - Isondú! There's a hook for you to bite on!

Do you want us to call your mommy to save you?

15. And meanwhile they threw stones, sticks and some hard clay balls with which they hunted mice and birds.

16. Isondú: - But what do they do? What's wrong with them? What did I do to you, cowards?

  (And from below he returned the projectiles to them.)

17. Hunter 1: - You'll see if we're cowards.

  And he grabbed his mace and hit Isondú on the shoulder, on the head, on the back... [14]

The others became emboldened and, amidst insults, did the same.

 

18. NARRATOR: Isondú's body began to fill with bruises and blood, and there he remained, silent, fallen on his side at the bottom of the pit. In the jungle it was almost night. The hunters walked away mockingly, [15] abandoning Isondú to his fate.

19. NARRATOR: Three nights later, a payé, that is, the tribe's sorcerer, who was passing by the place seeing his sadness [16], took pity on him and taught him some magical verses that would allow him to get out of this situation. .

20. NARRATOR: Suddenly, Isondú's body began to move, little by little it took the shape of an insect and in the place of each wound a little light lit up.

21. Those magical verses turned the young hunter into a little firefly[17]. Isondú flapped his wings and flew away, he was now free, he turned on his dim lights and flew away in search of his beloved.

22. NARRATOR: When Isondú in his new firefly form arrived at the village of chief Yaguarova; Chaki, broken, gazed at the stars awaiting the arrival of her lover.

23. Village people - Chaki is getting married! Chaki is getting married! - the people shouted.

24.-It's good that they are going to give Chaki as his wife to Don Arana so maybe he will stop mistreating us so much in the rubber shops.

25. -People: Yes, we can no longer endure so much work to finally pay him some of what we owe him in the canteen[18] of which he himself is the owner.

23. Cacique Yaguarova: You know, Don Arana, that the only thing I have left is my daughter. Please don't ask me to hand her over to you. Don't ask me for that. I will pay you all the drink I owe you[19] in some other way, I promise you.

24. Don Arana: Well, you see, cacique, what do you prefer, give me your daughter or have your entire people die of hunger, [20] you well know that only I control the food trade in this entire region and I am also the only one who He hires his lazy Indians to collect rubber... you'll see...

25. -Cacique Yaguarova: Well, it doesn't leave me any other alternative.

NARRATOR: To consummate that infamous pact, all that was left was to wait for the preparation of the chicha.

Everyone, absolutely everyone, anxiously awaited the appointed day, except the beautiful Chaki who cried day and night because she was being forced to marry the man she did not love, since her heart belonged only to Isondú.

26. Isondú (revealing her identity) perched on her shoulder and spoke in her ear, asking her to follow him to the place where they used to walk.

-Chaki: I have to tell you so many things that have happened in your absence...

27. Once in the place, Isondú wanted to become a person again, but he forgot the spell that the payé had taught him [21], they cried in despair, but all his attempts were in vain. They then ran to the magician for help, but he refused to give it to them.

28. Payé: - It's too late,

-I gave you the great opportunity of your life[22], but your desperation prevented you from giving importance to my words...

29. Chaki's cry: but it is not possible, why do the gods punish us this way?

30.1 Isondú: it's my fault, it's my fault, I should have learned the magic words of Payé very well.

30.2 Payé: the gods have sent me to help them, but now, I only have one alternative left.

Isondú: Please tell us what possibility we still have.

Payé: Turn your beautiful beloved into another firefly.

(Isondú and Chaki looked at each other for a moment and with a slight smile Chaki affirmed that he agreed with the sorcerer...)

31. Turned into two beautiful fireflies they flew among the stars

32. NARRATOR: A moment later hundreds of fireflies dispersed in the jungle, under the roof formed there by trees, ferns and vines, intermittently illuminating the night.

33. Many of these insects crossed the rivers, left the jungle behind and got lost in the plain.

END