8: The hunter

He lived in colonial times a man whose entertainment and daily trade was the "hunt." For him there were no profane or religious feasts; there was no meeting of friends or walks; nothing entertained him as much as going out to "hunt" deer at the touch of prayer, in the surrounding woods; borugos on the river bank among the guaduales; the guacos, chorolas, guacharacas and chilacoas in the mountains near the marshes, marshes and lagoons. The product of the hunt constituted the sustenance of the family and its only business.

In that hamlet they had a chapel where they celebrated the most solemn ceremonies of the religious calendar. It had low and wide windows that allowed to see the panorama and so that the air was the purifier of the environment in the great festivities.

The celebration of Holy Week came. The crowded faithful filled the chapel, listening attentively to the sermon of "the seven words". The parishioners were moved. The silence reigned ... the sobs of the repentant sinners and the blows of the chest were barely noticeable.

There the hunter was, in a reverent attitude, joining his prayers to those of the Minister of God, who in persuasive and laudatory elocution made them bow their heads respectfully.

Suddenly, as a satanic temptation, a small wind came in and made him raise his head and look towards the window. For her he saw, grazing in the meadow, a tame and beautiful deer. Wonderful! This was like a gift from heaven! It was within reach ... a few steps away. Quick went out through the crowd in the direction of his cabin.

The excitement of the discovery was so great that he did not remember the great moment that it means for Christians on Good Friday. He also did not notice the sacred moment of Christ's passion. He left with his shotgun and his dog in search of prey. Already the animal had advanced a few blocks towards the spring. The fawn being harassed stopped his ears and remained motionless, as if waiting for the man's attitude. When he saw it planted, he shot it, but at that moment the animal fled.

Dog and master followed the clues, they reached it and, when firing again, the same trick was performed. The feverish hunter measured neither time nor distance. He continued ... he continued ... he crossed plains, mountains, ravines, hills, cliffs, cliffs and mountains. He finally reached the mountain when the darkness of night dominated the earth.

The mountain opened its horrifying jaws ..! The hunter penetrated ... and never again came out of it. They say that the mountain devoured it.

10: The Elves

They are certain naughty spirits who are responsible for tormenting people of any age, especially girls who have a boyfriend. In some cases the picardías do not happen to change the things of their place or to hide them; to roll what is well placed and bring news. In other cases they are perverse: when they dedicate it to a person or a whole family, they go every night to throw stones or clods in an exaggerated form, which looks like a torrential downpour of ballast.

The young girls who have a boyfriend and when he is visiting, they annoy them with orders or malignant secrets in their ears, which make the poor young man indignant and end the bridesmaid. If the boy or suitor is not present, they disturb them in the house with orders and advice, until they manage not to make the marriage.

During sleep, these spirits cause nightmares, call them to a known place, until they become sleepwalkers. Thus they have found several wandering far from their residence; they go or come by a certain place without realizing them of such an act, until one of the family or acquaintance finds her in a state of subconsciousness.

There are countless cases that are known, families and young people who have had to migrate to distant places to get rid of such annoying persecution. There is no city or town, where these disastrous events caused by the goblins have not been known.

In an old hacienda, lived a marriage with three marriageable daughters; they all had a boyfriend and often held parties, which were nothing more than simple exemplary meetings where the games of the living room or the artistic demonstrations with an instrument prevailed.

On a Saturday when the house was revolutionized with the arrival of more guests, the kitchen prepared the preparation of delicious delicacies. The servitude was impressed because nothing they undertook could accomplish it. They resolved to call the patron to warn her that nothing could be done, because everything was wrong; It seemed that the devils were stuck there, because they could not perform the job they had been assigned. The lady with the three daughters became more alarmed, because the same things happened to them in the inner rooms.

When the lady entered the room alone, she heard a voice behind the door saying: "... do not worry that the guests will not come in. Today they are in funeral honors ...". Upon hearing this, the poor lady shouted, but the voice was heard again: "... do not be afraid, thank me for the warning ...".

The lady could not do it anymore. He called his three daughters to tell them what happened and to help them think about how they remedied what happened. They were in conjecture, when a pawn arrived bringing the same news that the goblin had supplied.

As soon as the husband arrived, he informed him of the mysterious events, telling him to move immediately to the town.

The trasteo was carried out in the following week and when the owner was alone unpacking trunks and flasks, she heard behind the door the same voice that said: "... what can I do for you? Do you know ... I came between the tremotiles of the trip ... " The scared lady asked him: "Are you a bug, a soul in pain or what are you?". The answer did not stop waiting: "... I am your friend, your faithful companion and servant ...".

So one day and another day the goblin continued tormenting the lady, causing him a desperate nervousness. As soon as the husband arrived from the countryside, he expressed his desire to move the whole family to the capital of the country. The husband somewhat upset because this trip caused him losses in their business, before the pressing situation of unrest and uneasiness had to accede. They sold both possessions and left.

They say that when the lady is distributing the furniture and other belongings of the luggage, the voice again tormented her in such a persistent way that she no longer had the courage to fight and fell ill.

The alarmed daughters called the priest of the parish to go and bless the house and do exorcisms. They say it was the only way to get rid of the troll's torments.

9: THE GOLDEN

This Colombian legend is one of the best known for its connection with the conquest of America. The Spanish conquistadors were looking for a legendary country famous for its incalculable riches (El Dorado). The origin of this belief lies in the consecration ceremony of the new Zipas.

In the beautiful country of the Muiscas, a long time ago, everything was ready for an event: the coronation of the new Zipa, governor and cacique.

The lagoon of Guatavita, natural and sacred scene of the event, showed its calm and crystalline surface like a gigantic emerald, set among beautiful hills. The hillsides, with thick ferns, showed golden buttons of chisacá, chusques braided like triumphal arcs, seven oranges and fragrant blackberries. The digital, like a beautiful cluster of little bells, tinged the landscape with purple; the dandelion, like a fragile bubble, tossed its tiny parachutes to the wind to perpetuate the miracle of its preservation, and the red and yellow colored abutilons added to the concert of natural beauty, the tiny and iridescent hummingbird, its permanent diner.

Great agitation reigned in Bacatá, home of the Zipa; the entire population would attend the singular event in an exhilarated procession to the sacred lagoon carrying shining gold jewels, emeralds, primitive vases and artistically woven blankets, to offer Chibchacum, its supreme god, to the goddess of the waters, Badini and her new sovereign .

The women had prepared in advance abundant food based on golden ears of corn and the wine extracted from the corn ferment with which they celebrated all the main events of their lives. Everything would be transported in vessels of different shapes and sizes, elaborated with patience and care by the potters of Ráquira, Tinjacá, and Tocancipá and also in woven palm baskets.

Finally the great day has come. The young heir, accompanied by his retinue, composed of priests, warriors and nobility, led the procession. Serene and majestic, his body of harmonious proportions was strong for war; his tan skin had a certain pallor, the result of the rigorous fast he had performed to purify his body and soul and thus implore the gods justice, goodness and wisdom to govern his people.

They marched to the rhythmic beat of the drums, the fotutos and the snails. Slowly, they moved away from the hills and the enclosure of the Zipas, to approach the splendid lagoon of Guatavita. There, with cheerful songs, the crowd gathered to witness the magnificent spectacle.

The priest of the place, dressed in sober clothes and multicolored feathers, imposed silence on the population with an energetic movement of his outstretched arms. With coppery skin and lean meats for prolonged fasting, the priest was feared and revered by the people; He was the mediator between men and their gods, who made offerings and prayers and who healed the evils of the body with their prayers and the help of magical plants.

The future Zipa was stripped of clothes and his body smeared with turpentine, sticky substance, to fix the gold powder that was constantly coated.

There was not a single sound; Such was the solemnity of the moment, that one could only hear the croaking of the frogs, sacred animals for them, the chirping of birds and the swift running of the deer.

The anointed one looked like a golden statue: his splendid body carefully covered with the noble metal, gave off reflections when touched by the rays of the sun. When the coating was finished, he went up with the principals of the court on a large oval raft, made entirely in gold by the goldsmiths of Guatavita.

The raft slid smoothly toward the center of the lagoon. It was there when, after invoking the goddess of the waters and the protective gods, the heir plunged into the depths; a few seconds passed in which only the circles of the water where it had sunk were visible; all the people held their breath, time seemed to stop; finally, the new monarch emerged triumphantly and solemnly; the ritual bath consecrated him as cacique.

Shouts of joy and songs accompanied his appearance and one by one, the subjects threw their offerings to the lagoon: gold figures, bracelets, crowns, necklaces, pins, pectorals, hollow vessels with human forms, full of emeralds; pitchers and clay jugs. The cacique, in turn, along with his entourage, made abundant offers of the same materials, but in greater quantity.

The raft returned to shore in the midst of the general clamor. They now had a new cacique, who should govern according to the wise rules of the legendary predecessor and legislator Nemequene, based on love and skill in work and crafts, in valor and honor during the war; in honesty, justice and discipline.

Competition of games and races began; the winner was awarded with beautiful blankets. It was sung and danced for three days in a row, which were the consecrated ones to the celebration. The sounds of drums and whistles rumbled in the mountains and hundreds of natives followed the rhythm in calm and rhythmic dances, or frenetic and crazy.

After the days of the festivities, the drink and the abundant food, the people returned to their daily activities: the farmers to continue watching and taking care of their crops; the artisans of gold, to the work of goldsmithing; the potters, to the making of pots and vessels, after looking for the right mud in special veins; others to the exploitation of the salt and emerald mines; and the majority to the commerce, because this was its main activity. Women caring for children, picking the harvest, cooking, spinning and weaving.

Thus, in this order and placidity would pass the days, until a war, a disease or old age, deprived them of their monarch and it was necessary to perform again the ceremony of Dorado to anoint a new cacique. This should continue to govern with prudence and wisdom to the people and their fertile and green country, surrounded by beautiful vegetation and crystal clear streams of water.

7: The carrao

The llaneros patriarchs say that many years ago, in the immense Colombian-Venezuelan plains, there were two men very famous for their self-sufficiency in the hard life of the sabanero man; they were inseparable companions and known fully by nicknames or nicknames: one was called Carrao and the other was called Mayalito.

The first, osse "Carrao", was a man of those llaneros who never know fear and feel pleasure defying danger; resolute man, friend of the roads in the dark nights, great baquiano (expert) of the plain and extraordinary rider, no horse had managed to remove it from the loins no matter how brave it was, as a brave bull had never managed to touch it with its horns. The Carrao was happy walking in full nocturnal storms, he did not care that his horse was wild, more man felt, was so confident that he knew he would never fall off a horse, because his legs were born to tame wild horses .

Mayalito, his inseparable companion and friend, on the contrary, was his opposite pole; a man plumb, judicious and talented in all its aspects, faithful knowing that with llanera nature can not play too much because it is severe, of course without leaving that way, of being a man of great courage as all good llanero. That was Mayalito, who made an inventory of warnings to his companion, which were never taken care of or obeyed, because the rebellion and the courage of the Carrao constituted a patrimony of his, which it was not easy to forget immediately because with those features had been born.

One afternoon, when the sun paled and the night began to impose its color on the plain, there was a horrible storm on the nearby horizon that made us think that the night was going to be stormy, went to the mangrove and tied the horse that was trochando , he brought it to the corral, saddled it and hit the margalla, cagalerióla rope and riding on the brisk horse said goodbye to Mayalito. He opened the door of bars of the corral and in the midst of candelosos rays went away in the darkness of the savannah, this time ... never to return.

"Mayalito", seeing that his friend and companion did not return, was given the task of looking for him on all the dark nights in the different directions of the communal savannas, especially for the parts that he knew that "Carrao" liked to frequent.

There were many nights that Mayalito kept shouting incessantly at his companion "Carrao", "Carraooo", listening only to the response produced by the echo of his voice. One night, Mayalito shortened a crossing in the middle of a storm of lightning, in the light of a lightning saw something shine at the feet of his horse, got out and inspected the object, was surprised when he identified it as it was the shoes of the metallic brake of the "Carrao" implement, he picked them up and took them with him.

Since then he emphasized the search for his partner, he thought that something had happened to him and that he would not be far from there; He continued his task night after night, until Mayalito also never returned home, he was swallowed by the savanna along with Carrao. Mayalito became a bird that flies on dark nights producing a song: Carraoooo, carraooo.

6: The limelight

The limelight is an igneous ball of three torches or luminaries, with arms like sizzling tentacles of a red candle, which produces the noise of broken pots. Chase drunks, infidels and irresponsible and sleazy parents. It also scares travelers who travel late at night. Grandparents and great grandparents, in the homes of large families, tell this legend again and again for a lesson or moral lesson to their children and grandchildren.

According to many years ago, there was an old woman who had two grandchildren whom she spoiled too much, tolerating even the strangest occurrences, vulgarities and insults. The infantile occurrences even demanded that the old woman do the role of beast of burden to saddle her and then mount her between the two; the grandmother agreed at once to the happiness of her two grandchildren, who walked throughout the house as on the meekest quadruped. When the old woman died, San Pedro reproached her for the lack of rigidity in the education of her two blossoms and condemned her to purge her sorrows in this world between three candela flares that mean: the body of the old woman and the two grandchildren .

5: Encourage alone

It is a belief that is still deeply rooted in the peasant masses. His devotion dates from the first colonizers. They represent her as a woman who suffers torments in purgatory and travels the roads with her hands tied with chains.

The legend that runs from mouth to mouth is nothing like the one quoted in Sacred Scripture in relation to the "thirst for Christ".

They say that in Jerusalem they had women destined to give drink to those who sacrificed on the cross. On the afternoon of Good Friday, he had to climb Calvary to a young woman: Celestina Abnegada. From the amphora he gave Dimas and Gesta to drink, the two thieves who accompanied Jesus. He despised the savior and that is why He condemned her to suffer the thirst and the constant heat of the flames of Purgatory.

4: The Alligator Man

The alligator man is a legend of the north coast of Colombia. The popular Colombian song "Se va el caimán" by Crescencio Salcedo, also has its origin in this story.

This is the alligator, this is the alligator,

what all the people say

This is the alligator, this is the alligator,

an intelligent alligator.

Yes my friend. This story started right here. And the one who is today the alligator man sat there, where you are now ready to have a glass of rum, a cheese and finally, your plate of coconut rice.

He always looked towards the opposite shore of the river and when he guessed the presence of someone on the other side, he rushed his rice and disappeared into the water. why was he doing that? Do not despair, friend, finish taking your rum and listen, this story just started.

It is a love story, like all of them, with the difference that man was better off than anyone, despite all the adversities. So if you are going to order another drink, do it once, that here I begin my story and I do not stop until the end.

A man, happy and carefree, traveled continuously from Pinillos to Magangué, selling all kinds of foods and beautiful fruits. In great voices and in the middle of the romp between him and the people around here, the man amused everyone with his absurd stories of how he acquired the products, to the point of convincing the buyers that what they were carrying were wonderful objects.

One afternoon, while announcing loudly the sale of some oranges that, according to him, possessed the essences of eternal love, he discovered for his fortune the presence of a beautiful mulatto woman with freshly rinsed hair that walked carefree. The man made conversation with the girl and quickly, both were deeply attracted.

Her name was Roque Lina and she was the daughter of a severe and unapproachable rice merchant. His brothers, who played the secret role of guardians of the girl's footsteps, realizing that Roque Lina was more and more attracted by the man's pompous phrases, gave the alarm to his father.

So, friend, when the man appeared as usual with his screams and his otherworldly products and rushed happily to greet with songs his beloved Roque Lina, he found himself facing the unkind presence of his impossible father-in-law. "Here the one who sells is me," the father said sharply. "And my daughter is not rice. So you can go with your music somewhere else, before we have problems. Or I do not know! " And without adding another word, he took Roque Lina by the arm and dragged her with him.

It was from that moment when the man began to come every day to this store, to ask for the same rum, the same cheese and the same rice with coconut and to look towards the river. Why? I quickly understood it: here men bathe on this shore. Towards the middle of the stream there is a whirlpool and on the other side the women bathe. Also, here people go to the need in the water and they charge a penny for everything. What was happening? For nothing more than the man had agreed with Roque Lina so that when she went to bathe, he would swim across the river and come to visit her.

You will be asking how man would go through that whirlpool, which at first sight is not suitable for human beings. Well, this is where the secret of history lies. The man finished eating the rice, got into the water and little by little, his body was corrugated, his arms were shrinking in little feet, his legs were joined in a fluttering tail and each of the granites of rice that had eaten they were transformed into a row of filudísimos teeth, until being turned into an expert swimmer caiman.

Thus the alligator man nimbly traversed the whirlpool and after violent splashes, managed to get to where Roque Lina, who anxiously awaited him to go to discover with him the secret depths of the river. The man came here daily, drank and ate his eternal ration and launched on his reptilian journey where his beloved Roque Lina. This permanent visit was alerting all fishermen in the area.

One morning, one of Roque Lina's brothers caught a glimpse of the unbridled tail of the alligator man breaking the whirlpool and immediately raised the alarm. All the fishermen of Magangué went hunting for the alligator. But any effort was useless. The more obstinate the men were trying to annihilate the animal, the more agile the man became to reach the shore of Roque Lina.

Take the other little rush, friend, that this story is already rushing to its end and you have to prepare for what follows. Are you following me ...?

The father of Roque Lina, ostentatious man and thirsty to make his own pride, located exactly where the caiman used to swim and organized a fence to catch it.

One morning, a good number of fishermen sailed busily through these places, searching without rest for the alligator, commanded by the father of Roque Lina. While this was happening, the man in our story, sitting where you are, finished his rum, his cheese and his rice and left here. Where would he go if everyone looked for him? Then I knew: the very alive threw himself into the water while everyone was in his search, swam swiftly to the ship of Roque Lina's father and, one, devoured all the rice he found. Then he looked for his beloved who was dozing on the dock. Gently he placed her on his back and without waking her, he left with Roque Lina in silence.

They never heard from them again. But, from that day, all the men around here hide their women early and rush to eat all the rice they have in the pot, before the alligator man comes and makes the woman disappear

It is a love story, like all of them, with the difference that man was better off than anyone, despite all the adversities. So if you are going to order another drink, do it once, that here I begin my story and I do not stop until the end.

A man, happy and carefree, traveled continuously from Pinillos to Magangué, selling all kinds of foods and beautiful fruits. In great voices and in the middle of the romp between him and the people around here, the man amused everyone with his absurd stories of how he acquired the products, to the point of convincing the buyers that what they were carrying were wonderful objects.

One afternoon, while announcing loudly the sale of some oranges that, according to him, possessed the essences of eternal love, he discovered for his fortune the presence of a beautiful mulatto woman with freshly rinsed hair that walked carefree. The man made conversation with the girl and quickly, both were deeply attracted.

Her name was Roque Lina and she was the daughter of a severe and unapproachable rice merchant. His brothers, who played the secret role of guardians of the girl's footsteps, realizing that Roque Lina was more and more attracted by the man's pompous phrases, gave the alarm to his father.

So, friend, when the man appeared as usual with his screams and his otherworldly products and rushed happily to greet with songs his beloved Roque Lina, he found himself facing the unkind presence of his impossible father-in-law. "Here the one who sells is me," the father said sharply. "And my daughter is not rice. So you can go with your music somewhere else, before we have problems. Or I do not know! " And without adding another word, he took Roque Lina by the arm and dragged her with him.

It was from that moment when the man began to come every day to this store, to ask for the same rum, the same cheese and the same rice with coconut and to look towards the river. Why? I quickly understood it: here men bathe on this shore. Towards the middle of the stream there is a whirlpool and on the other side the women bathe. Also, here people go to the need in the water and they charge a penny for everything. What was happening? For nothing more than the man had agreed with Roque Lina so that when she went to bathe, he would swim across the river and come to visit her.

You will be asking how man would go through that whirlpool, which at first sight is not suitable for human beings. Well, this is where the secret of history lies. The man finished eating the rice, got into the water and little by little, his body was corrugated, his arms were shrinking in little feet, his legs were joined in a fluttering tail and each of the granites of rice that had eaten they were transformed into a row of filudísimos teeth, until being turned into an expert swimmer caiman.

Thus the alligator man nimbly traversed the whirlpool and after violent splashes, managed to get to where Roque Lina, who anxiously awaited him to go to discover with him the secret depths of the river. The man came here daily, drank and ate his eternal ration and launched on his reptilian journey where his beloved Roque Lina. This permanent visit was alerting all fishermen in the area.

One morning, one of Roque Lina's brothers caught a glimpse of the unbridled tail of the alligator man breaking the whirlpool and immediately raised the alarm. All the fishermen of Magangué went hunting for the alligator. But any effort was useless. The more obstinate the men were trying to annihilate the animal, the more agile the man became to reach the shore of Roque Lina.

Take the other little rush, friend, that this story is already rushing to its end and you have to prepare for what follows. Are you following me ...?

The father of Roque Lina, ostentatious man and thirsty to make his own pride, located exactly where the caiman used to swim and organized a fence to catch it.

One morning, a good number of fishermen sailed busily through these places, searching without rest for the alligator, commanded by the father of Roque Lina. While this was happening, the man in our story, sitting where you are, finished his rum, his cheese and his rice and left here. Where would he go if everyone looked for him? Then I knew: the very alive threw himself into the water while everyone was in his search, swam swiftly to the ship of Roque Lina's father and, one, devoured all the rice he found. Then he looked for his beloved who was dozing on the dock. Gently he placed her on his back and without waking her, he left with Roque Lina in silence.

They never heard from them again. But, from that day, all the men around here hide their women early and rush to eat all the rice they have in the pot, before the alligator man comes and makes the woman disappear and grains.

This is more or less the story, friend. The good thing is that here, from those days, a merengue is sung that says:

This morning, early,

when I went to bathe,

I saw a very unique alligator

with the face of being human.

You already realize why it is. The only thing I can not give you, my friend, is your plate of coconut rice. These days, I do not know why, it has been scarce around here. But. . . Do not you want me to tell you another story?