MYTHOLOGICAL FIGURES OF PARAGUAY

Before the European colonization, the Guarani tribe which inhabited most of what is now Paraguay believed in a variety of deities and supernatural figures.

TUPA was the supreme deity, depicted today as a masculine sky god. It is said that the relative ease with which the Jesuits converted the Guaranis to Christianity was influenced by the similarity between Tupa and the biblical depiction of Yahweh.

TAU and KERANA were the two human-like figures whose offspring include many of the following mythological figures.

YACY YATERE (Pronounced “Yacee Yateray”) was depicted as a golden-haired child who could punish those who walked outside in the hot mid-afternoon sun with the symptoms which we associate with sun exposure. He was depicted as being fond of siestas, plants, and bees. Many mothers still warn their children (usually, but not always, with the same degree of belief that modern parents use when speaking of Santa Claus) that going out in the hot sun will bring punishment by Yacy Yatere.

POMPERO is depicted as a short, troll-like figure. Although he is considered capable of doing some mild harm, most people think of him as being fond of playing practical jokes. In the countryside, one can still find spots where locals will leave a shot of whiskey and a bit of tobacco out for Pompero to take. Many Paraguayans that I have met, particularly older ones, will vehemently defend the belief that Pompero exists.

AO-AO The mythological figures of native Paraguayans include a fierce creature known as the Ao-Ao. Although this seems a bit odd given that Ao-Ao is the guarani word for sloth and modern sloths are anything but fierce, it is quite possible that this legend has its origin in the hunting experiences of the early native South Americans which encountered the much larger relatives of the modern sloth. At least some of the animals known from the fossil record of South America survived until early human groups arrived, including the giant sloths. Although related to the slow moving tree sloths of modern Latin America, these elephant-sized creatures lived on the ground and could defend themselves with large claws. Below is a Paraguayan representation of the mythological Ao-Ao.

MBOI YAGUA was a cross between snake and dog.

LUISON was a cross between human and wolf who could come out at night. It is not that uncommon to find someone who tells the story of how they were frightened one night when they actually saw a Luison. The decomposition of corpses was often attributed to Luison’s gnawing on them.

CURUPI (Pronounced “Koo Roo Pee”) was seen as a protector of the jungle, animals, and a spirit of fertility. He is often depicted with a penis which is long enough to wrap around his waist several times.

MBOI TUI is depicted as being a cross between a snake and parrot who protects aquatic environments and flowers.

MONAI was a protector of birds.

TEYU YAGUA was a lizard with a dog’s head who liked holes and protected fruits.

KAAGUAY PORA (literally the “forest ghost”) protects the forest.

KAA-IARY protects yerba and medicinal plants.

Although Paraguay is predominantly Christian, belief in magic persists. The Paraguayan belief in magic or PAYE (pronounced Pajay) is reminiscent of the voodoo-like beliefs (called Makumba) which persists in other countries, although arguably it is a milder set of beliefs. There are still those who claim to practice PAYE. You could contract their services to cast a spell onto someone you don’t like or to remove the bad spirit/luck which surrounds your house. Fewer and fewer modern Paraguayans ascribe to these beliefs.