Myths for Monday -- Fura Tena and Emerald Tears

By -

Today's myth comes from the now extinct indigenous group called the Muzos. They inhabited what is today the Western part of the department of Boyacá, near the city of Muzo. (This is the region most famous for its beautiful emeralds). Unlike their Chibcha speaking neighbors, the Muiscas, the Muzos were more closely related to the Caribes. They worked in agriculture and pottery, but their favorite activity was war and their favorite victims were the Muiscas. They would often assault Muisca villages in order to get the supplies that they needed. It took the Spanish over 20 years to conquer the Muzos, while is took just a few short months to conquer the Muiscas.

And now, the legend of Fura Tena and the Emerald Tears.

In the land of the Carare (Magdalena) River, the Muzo creator God, ARE, swept over the area creating the mountains and valleys. On the shores of the sacred river, now called Minero, he formed two figures -- one male (Tena) and one female (Fura) -- and threw them into the river. There, they were brought to life. Once alive, ARE taught Fura and Tena how to take care of the gardens that He had planted and make pottery. He gave them rules to follow including the requirement of fidelity in their husband and wife relationship. ARE taught them that violating the laws he had established would lead to aging and eventual death. For a long time, Fura and Tena enjoyed their ageless lives in the beautiful land ARE had prepared for them.

Then, one day, a young man appeared. His name was ZARBI. Zarbi was looking for a flower that could cure any illness. He claimed to have crossed mountains and rivers, looking high and low for the flower without success. So, he asked Fura for help, and she agreed and began to follow him throughout the forests looking for the flower. Soon Fura became aware of her own interest -- not in the flower, but in Zarbi. She was unfaithful to Tena with Zarbi and as a result immediately began to age.

Realizing her error, she returned to Tena, who upon seeing her in her aged state realized that she had broken the law that ARE had given them and she would soon die. Not wanting to be left alone, Tena laid down on Fura's knees and stabbed himself in the heart. For three days, Fura cried with the body of her husband on her lap -- her tears changed into green rocks -- EMERALDS.

Soon, ARE returned to visit Fura and Tena and realized that his laws had been broken. He changed the couple into large rocks. Angered, he also banished Zarbi, who in his own anger changed into a raging river in order to eternally separate Fura's rock from Tena's rock.

The picture above shows the Fura and Tena rocks.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Muisca Indigenous Names, from Hunza (Tunja)

By -
In response to this week’s posts on names, I have received several e-mails asking about the names of famous Colombians and their stories and about Indigenous names. I plan to spend the next three days sharing some of them. Also, I will continue to post more in the future and you will be able to find them all by clicking on the NAMES link the LABELS section to the right of the blog. Name: AQUIMÍN ( pronounced: ah key MEAN) or AQUIMINZAQUE (pronounced: ah key mean ZAH kay) When the Spanish arrived on the plains of Bogotá, 1536, they found a great nation. In fact, it was the third largest group of indigenous inhabitants in America. They called themselves the Muiscas , which meant ‘the people’. Their language was called Chibcha . The Muiscas were not a united group, but rather a collection of city states. The majority of the power was held by two main cities – what today are called Bogotá and Tunja (in Boyacá). These two cities were mortal enemies and each enlisted the loy
Read more

Popular Colombian Names

By -
Recently, I was asked to write a post on Colombian names, and popular Colombian names. I had a hard time finding a list, but eventually I did find one. According to I.N.E. - Instituto Nacional de Estadística, -- unfortunately, when I found this it doesn't say the year -- the most common Colombian boys names across all ages are: 1 JUAN CARLOS 2 CARLOS ALBERTO 3 ALEXANDER 4 ANDRES FELIPE 5 LUIS FERNANDO 6 DIEGO FERNANDO 7 JHON JAIRO 8 CARLOS ANDRES 9 ALEJANDRO 10 JUAN DAVID The girls are: 1 SANDRA MILENA 2 LUZ MARINA 3 CAROLINA 4 PAULA ANDREA 5 CLAUDIA PATRICIA 6 MARIA EUGENIA 7 PAOLA ANDREA 8 DANIELA 9 LILIANA 10 MARTHA CECILIA Just as here, names go through ebb and flow. Fourteen years ago when we were married, I attended several baby baptisms and met numerous friends of my husband. At the time, it seemed like everyone was naming their kid Juan CAMILO (boy) or Maria CAMILA (girl). I met dozens of them. Then, about 7 years later, I heard tons of SANTIAGO, JULIAN, SEBASTIAN and FE
Read more

La Madremonte

By -
Image
The myth of the Madremonte (Mother Mountain), and I do say myth though many campesinos in Colombia believe in her today, has it's roots in the indigenous cultures of Colombia and is known throughout much of Colombia including Antioquia, Caldas, Arauca, Caqueta, Amazonas, Guainia, and perhaps more departments. The Madremonte looks like a large woman. She has large, bony hands, large teeth and Betty Davis Eyes -- which on closer examination glow. Her body is covered in leaves and moss. Her hair is a tangled mess of plants and moss which often covers her face. She lives in the mountains and jungles, (in Antioquia and Caldas she lives in swamps where streams are born. People who claim to have seen her, usually report to have done so near thickets and bushes in jungle like areas. Others report having heard her bloodcurdling screams and groans on stormy nights. She rules the winds, the rains, and all the vegetation, and her role is to protect nature. She punishes those who invad
Read more