Mitos y Leyendas: The Carbuncle

• Genny de Bernardo shares with you the legend of the carbuncle.
• The carbuncle, a legendary creature, guards this treasure in the Andes mountains.
• The greed of the conquerors led to confrontations with the carbuncle, which protects the treasure and can reward or punish those who seek it.

The legend tells that in the Andes, the treasure that the Spaniards failed to loot from the Incas still remains hidden.

From the summit of Aconcagua to the last of the mountains, it is camouflaged and will not be seen by anyone.

It remains loyal to the Quechuas, who dispersed fleeing tyranny. The mountain range is in no hurry; it waits to return the gold and silver that was snatched from them by the conquerors.

According to the legend, the Inca gods have left instructions for the carbuncle to obediently and silently watch from the summit of the mountains and the depths of the caves.

The Carbuncle

It must never close its eyes and must be alert to a possible return of those who were oppressed and massacred by greed.

When a local guides a traveler through the mountains, he must warn him about the possible presence of the carbuncle.

The mere sight of its strange glow, which emanates in reds, yellows, and silvery blues, causes such panic in foreigners that they must return to the shelter to calm down.

It is said that the carbuncle is actually a Quechua masked by the gods, hiding a dazzling wealth in some cave in the mountain range.

Appearance

Witnesses claim that it is small, similar in size and shape to a little turtle, with a shell covered in precious gems unknown to mortals. Its bones are made of gold and silver, and its blood, of fire.

During the nights, it goes out to drink fresh water from the waterfalls and springs of the hills to quench the thirst caused by the flames of its veins, made of sacred copper wire.

The greed of the conquerors could not take everything, as the gods refused to deliver their most precious treasures.

This is because they were aware that one day they would be necessary to return happiness to the descendants of the indigenous people who suffered humiliation and death. It is said that the carbuncle only comes out at night and takes refuge in the caves at dawn.

Guardian of the Treasure

Furthermore, it has the ability to see the soul of men at a glance, and those with a good heart can discover veins of gold thanks to its influence.

On one occasion, a conqueror tried to deceive it and prepared an ambush to rob and then kill it. However, the carbuncle, sensing the threat, struck him down with the glow of the precious stones.

The Spaniard’s greed led to blindness, and as he fled, he fell into a hole full of hungry rats that devoured him.

Therefore, although no one knows exactly where it resides, everyone knows its role as guardian, ready to act as necessary, either to reward or to punish. Mitos y Leyendas bids you farewell and hopes you enjoyed the legend of the carbuncle. See you next time!