Myths for Monday -- La Sirena Hurtado

By -
Here is a myth, just in time for the upcoming Semana Santa (Easter Holy Week). It comes to us via today's department, CESAR.

La Sirena Hurtado

Once, there was a beautiful, yet obstinate little girl. Born in Valledupar, she was spoiled and accustomed to always getting her way. She never listened to her parents and was rebellious and disobedient.

One afternoon, she decided to go swimming in the Guatapurí river in a spot called the POZO DE HURTADO. When her mother realized what she was planning on doing, she forbid it -- after all it was JUEVES SANTO (Maundy Thrusday) and swimming would be disrespectful to the Lord, Jesus Christ. However, in her usual fashion, the girl ignored her mother and snuck out the door.

When she arrived at the Pozo de Hurtado, she took off her clothing and jumped into the water from the very highest rock. When she hit the water, the sunny afternoon sky turned dark. Then, when she tried to surface, she could not. Her legs became heavier and heavier and she was unable to move. Slowly, she worked her way to the shore where she discovered that her legs has changed into a fish tail. She had turned into a mermaid.

As the afternoon dragged on, her mother realized that her daughter was missing. She ran to the river calling her daughter's name, but there was no response. The mother, believing that her daughter had drown, ran into town seeking help. She hoped that the townspeople would help her find the body of her daughter. Most of her neighbors agreed to help look for the girl the following morning.

At first light on Viernes Santo (Maundy Friday), dozens of people headed for the river. There, as the rays of the sun first struck the rock from which the girl had jumped the day before, the crowd of family and neighbors saw the mermaid as she waved her tail and dove into the water, never to be seen again.

People still claim that if you listen carefully late at night, you can hear the lonely Sirena's songs as they lilt gently in the breeze along the banks of the river Guatapurí.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

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