Myths, Legends and Peruvian Stories (Mitos, Leyendas y Cuentos Peruanos)
Selections and Notes by José María Arguedas and Francisco Izquierdo Ríos
Costa – Leyenda (Coast – Legend)
003. The Village of Narihuala (El Pueblo de Narihuala)
From the District of Catacaos, Province and Department of Piura. Told by the 39-year old Mr. Néstor Zapata, to Dilna Zapata, a fourth year high school student at the Private school “Nuestra Señora de Lourdes” in Piura.
A few kilometers from the city of Catacaos is a small village called Narihualá. This village, according to historical accounts and the remnants that were found, was populated by various tribes. At the time when the Tallanes people populated this city, they lived in ayllus and focused on shepherding and agriculture. Upon hearing that the Conquistador Francisco Pizarro was near the village, they were overwhelmed with fear and buried themselves alive with all the riches that they possessed, so that the Spaniards would not seize these from them. They also said that this village had a magnificent temple dedicated to the worship of the Sun, adorned with objects of great value. Among these objects was a golden bell; on discovering it, the Spaniards were awed with admiration and their greed increased even more. They threw themselves at capturing the bell, but it collapsed and fell to the ground, sinking into it; and it was not possible to find it despite the best efforts from the Spaniards. Nowadays this village has few inhabitants, and walls of old houses can still be found [there]. The Church [of the village] is built on a small hill of earth, which has been called the Height of Narihualá (Alto de Narihualá).
The villagers say that on Good Friday a little Native American came out carrying a lighted candle in the right hand and a bell in the left hand, which makes a loud noise when rung; and that this is the appropriate day to search for the buried objects.
Many times they have found sepulchers surrounded by objects made out of gold, silver or huacos (e.g. earthenware and/or pottery) which contain a large quantity of pearls in them.
The government and other authorities prohibited taking possessions of these treasures, and impose harsh punishments on those who disobey this order.
—– VOCABULARY —–
Tallar – (to fashion) to carve (wood, stone), to sculpt (stone, metal), to cut (gemstone); (to determine the height of) to measure; (to massage) to rub; (to scour) to scrub
Tallarse – (to massage oneself) to rub oneself; (to rub oneself hard) to scrub oneself
Ayllu – (form of community in the Andes) (Bolivia) (Peru) ayllu
Enterrarse – (to cloister oneself) to cut oneself off from the world
Enterrar – (to cover with dirt) to bury; (to entomb) to bury; (to survive) to outlive; (to conceal) to cover up; (to put out of mind) to forget, to bury; (to stab) to thrust into
Apoderar – (legal) to authorize, to empower, to grant power of attorney
Apoderarse – (to appropriate; used with “de”) to seize, to take possession of, to take control of; (to overpower; used with “de”) to overcome, to grip
Templo – (place of worship) temple; (center) temple
Campana – (instrument) bell; (in school) bell; (for absorbing smoke) hood, extractor hood; (for protecting food) cover; (for diving) diving bell; (sentinel) lookout
Codicia – (desire for wealth) greed, avarice, covetousness (for other people’s possesions); (desire for something non-material) thirst; (bullfighting) combativeness
Arrojarse – (to fling oneself) to throw oneself, to hurl oneself (violently), to jump
Arrojar – (to fling) to throw, to hurl (with force); (to generate) to produce; (to emit) to spew out (lava, ash), to belch out (smoke); (to cast out) to throw out; (to puke) to vomit, to throw up
Desplomar – (to move out of place) to knock out of plumb
Desplomarse – (to crumble) to collapse, to fall in, to plummet; (to fail) to collapse; (to faint) to fall flat on the ground
Lomito – (sandwich) (South America) loin sandwich; (cut of meat) (Andes) (Central America) sirloin, tenderloin of veil
Poblador – (colonist) settler; (citizen) inhabitant; (resident of a poor neighborhood) (Chile) (Peru) slum dweller, shantytown dweller
Viernes – Friday
Sepulcro – (burial chamber) tomb, sepulcher