Birth of the Coqui - HH story

We’re still in Hispanic Heritage Month and it felt appropriate that I continue my retelling of Latino fairy tales from my particular corner of Latin America, Puerto Rico.

Another story related to the coquí dates back to the time of the Tainos, the indigenous people of the Caribbean. Admittedly, I took a few liberties with the details, but the conclusion is the same.

There was a water goddess who fell in love with the son of a chief. To show her favor for him, she made sure that he always returned with ample catch when he went fishing. He, in turn, would thank and praise her each time. The goddess, not content to simply love him from afar, came to the chief’s son as a Taino woman. Despite taking human form, the man knew who the woman was, and they fell even deeper in love. But she couldn’t remain indefinitely. She promised to return the next evening with the rising of the moon.

Guabancex, the benign face of the goddess of water and winds

When the man returned, instead of finding the woman and goddess he loved, he was confronted by Juracán, the mercurial side of Guabancex, goddess of the weather. Perhaps Juracán, envious of the other goddess’s happiness or overcome with desire for the man, caused the skies to darken and blew down great winds to snatch the chief’s son. The water goddess tried to save her lover, but in vain. She called his name over and over again until her voice grew hoarse, but she never saw him again. In her grief she created a tiny frog that echoed her cries, calling to the man named Coquí.

Taino representation of the Coqui

The Stories We Learn

In past posts I’ve mentioned my love of mythology. I knew more about Greek, Norse, Egyptian and Roman mythology than a child of eight should know. I loved the idea of goddesses and gods who were like us, but writ large. I didn’t know it then, but they were the original superheroes and arch villains. And I’m a sucker for a good origin story.  

          Which is why I found myself becoming dismayed while researching my next project. I want to daughter and any future generations to know our mythology—Taino mythology and yet finding information about it proved difficult. I was equal to the challenge of reading academic research in Spanish (being both a historian and a Spanish speaker) and sifting through websites for what was honest conjecture and what was wishful thinking (my superpower is research). And yet the more stories I learned and loved, the angrier I became. Why hadn’t I learned more about this in school? I grew up in New York City, which is fairly progressive and well-represented by Puerto Ricans. Shouldn’t the indigenous cultures of the Caribbean have been covered? My love of Greek myths had started in school, why hadn’t my love been expanded to include my mythology? Why wasn’t my culture considered as interesting and vital? Eight-year-old me wouldn’t have known the answer, but current me knows the answer is obvious.

          The stories we learn are important. It’s a recent idea that representation matters, but that’s an abstract idea. I’m reminded in little ways all the time that it’s more than an idea. It’s an ideal. And making sure the stories we learn include everyone is just as important as marches and rallies. Writers often say you should write the stories you want to see. I’ve always known I wanted to put Latinas at the forefront of my stories and I hope that one day a child of any background walks around with a big book of Taino myths and meets her new superheroes.

Three point cemi of the Tainos

Minding my Mythology, part II

Here’s the problem when mythology is collected from an interrupted culture: the stories are left partially incomplete. The Greeks thrived for centuries recording their mythology for posterity in a written language. It proliferated throughout the ancient world allowing it to become further etched in the culture. Even after the arrival of Christianity there were folk beliefs that remained.

The Tainos didn’t have a written language and relied primarily on oral tradition. As such their beliefs were dictated to one priest who came with his own biases while being the chronicler of a culture that would almost disappear. As such some of his writings have to be interpreted and have been, by men.

All this preamble is to explain that the following story from Taino mythology is based on the research I’ve done and inference based on the contradictions and gaps I’ve found.

Old Blood Mother

Much has been said about the Four Twins and especially the first among her quadruplets, Deminán Caracaracol. But what of the woman who brought them into being?

The gods tried many times to coax beings from the underwold that could inherit the Surface. Their attempts brough forth creatures that were ill-suited to the bright rays of the implacable Sun. And yet they knew one day men and women would populate the earth. It would require someone of great bravery and selflessness.

Her name was Itiba Cahubaba.  

Itiba Cahubaba wandered the world of the gods largely ignored by them. She, along with others of her kind, eked out an existence from the remnants left by their creators. How she became pregnant remained a mystery, but she sensed that pregnancy was important to her people.

Her stomach grew and grew although the rest of her became thin and weak. Despite this, she when to great lengths to protect her belly knowing she had to successfully give birth.

Finally, the day came when the pains assailed her. She worked hard, but she quickly grew too tired to continue. When others of her kind came, she made them promise that her child would be born, no matter the cost. They agreed and as she lay dying one of them used a stone axe to open her belly. To everyone’s shock, not one but four children were born.

Because of Itiba Cahubaba’s sacrifice her people came together ending their nomadic existence. Recognizing her willingness to give her life’s blood to further her race, they honored her as an ancestral spirit, the Old Blood Mother.

Minding my Mythology, part I

I’ve mentioned once or twice that my superpower is research. It’s also my comfort zone and in these unsettling times, research is where I go to relax. Lately it’s been mythology. As a child, I devoured books about Greek and Egyptian mythology. And yet I never thought to search for my own. In a previous post, I mentioned the need to invite other pantheons to the table and I’m gratified to see Yoruba, Hindu, Korean, Mayan and many other mythologies are getting their day in the sun thanks to Rick Riordan.But I want to do my part, too. My research has led me to finally fulfill my 2014 promise in the post At the Crossroads of Fairy Tales and Folklore and learn more about my own mythology.The indigenous people of Puerto Rico (Borinquen) were the Tainos. They had a rich culture and an intricate mythos. Here’s one story:Yaya was the Original Spirit, imbued with both feminine and masculine energy. Being of both natures Yaya was able to conceive a son, Yayael. At first, Yayael was an obedient son, doing as Yaya told him. Yet as he grew, a rebellious streak grew with him. He was envious of his creator’s power and position and began to plan Yaya’s murder.But Yaya was observant and sent Yayael away, hoping that it would change Yayael’s feelings. When Yayael returned, his feelings hadn’t changed, and Yaya had no choice but to kill Yayael. Suffering the loss of a son, Yaya collected Yayael’s bones and put them in a calabaza, a gourd, and hung them from the roof the house. Days passed and Yaya missed Yayael and they brought down the calabaza to look at their son's remains. To their astonishment, the calabaza was filled with water and the bones had become fish of all kinds. Yaya ate the fish, but there were always more. After eating their fill, Yaya put the calabaza back on top of the house……To be continued! 

Guest Post on Outland Entertainment!

Hey FF readers!In an attempt to generate some buzz about my upcoming novel, A Smuggler's Path, I wrote a guest post for Outland Entertainment about the search for universality entitled, Fairies with Dark Faces. Drop by the website and then feel free to learn more about my book on my other website, booksbyilcruz.com