Mitos y Leyendas: The Hummingbird and the Tatatao

• Genny de Bernardo shares with you the legend of the hummingbird and the tatatao.
• Here are two completely opposite individuals.
• Looks can deceive those who only see with their eyes.

Long ago, the hummingbird and the tatatao were people and not birds as they are now. Both were Aguaruna men, one named Jempué and the other Yákako.

One day, Jempué and Yákako went to the forest to work. They had the task of preparing new fields, which involved cutting down trees first. For many days, they worked together.

They left their homes before dawn and returned almost at dusk. Yákako always returned more exhausted than Jempué, although in reality Yákako hardly worked; he just made noise.

When he was in the forest, he shouted, laughed, threw heavy stones to the ground, hit the trees with a stick, playing around all the time.

The hyperactive one

Even though they weren’t close, the noise he made reached the ears of the townspeople, who assumed Yákako was working hard.

On the other hand, Jempué made no noise; he didn’t shout or laugh constantly. Quietly, he cut tree after tree, then planted bananas, yucas, papayas.

When they returned home, Yákako lay in his hammock, claiming to be exhausted, and quickly fell asleep. Jempué, on the other hand, still had energy to do a little more work at home.

He fixed his arrows, sharpened his machete, helped his wife, and played with his children. People concluded that he didn’t work much and that’s why he had extra strength.

The town organizes a party

Despite his lack of real work, Yákako was highly esteemed by everyone and treated well. In contrast, nobody esteemed Jempué, thinking he was lazy.

However, one day the people decided to visit the fields and were in for a big surprise. Jempué’s field was extensive and full of useful plants, clean and well-tended.

On the other hand, Yákako’s had barely any plants; a few yucas and a lonely banana near the edge, surrounded by weeds. Most of his land was full of wild trees.

So, the people organized a party in honor of Jempué. His family was very proud of him.

Tatatao

His wife offered him masato sweetened with wild honey, and shortly after, Jempué began to whistle softly and transformed into a hummingbird.

Yákako’s wife felt ashamed of her husband and also angry at his lie.

As she pondered in a corner, when Yákako asked for masato, unaware, she served it in a glass that had chili. Yákako almost choked on the cough it caused him.

When he tried to speak, he could only utter Tatatao, tatatao! And he turned into the bird that bears that name, because of its song. Mitos y Leyendas bids you farewell for now and hopes that the legend of the hummingbird and the tatatao has been to your liking. Until next time!