THE MYTH OF THE CONDOR

It is said that in a community, a man lived with his daughter. The daughter grazed the ...
sheep, llamas, and other animals. Every day, a young man dressed elegantly would go to
visit her. She had a beautiful black suit, white shawl, hat and all. Each
day he was going to visit the little woman, and they became good friends. They played everything. A

On that day, they began to play this way: 'You lift me up and I will lift you up.' Well,

they started the game, and the young man lifted the little woman. Only when he had
Lifted high, the little girl realized that she was flying.

The young man placed the little woman inside a niche in a ravine. There the young man
he turned into a condor. For a month, two months, the condor raised the little woman. He
I gave all kinds of meat: grilled meat, cooked meat. When they had been
a few years together, she became a woman. The young girl gave birth to a little boy, but
He cried day and night for his father, whom he had left in the community. "How
Can my father be alone? Who is taking care of my father? Who is
taking care of my little sheep? Return me to the place from where you brought me. Bring me back

there,” she pleaded to the condor. But he didn't pay her any mind.

One day a hummingbird appeared. The young woman said: "Oh, little hummingbird, my little hummingbird!"

Who is there like you? You have wings. I have no way of getting down from here.
More than a year ago, a condor, becoming young, brought me here. Now
I am a woman. And I have given birth to your little boy." The hummingbird replied, "Listen to me, young one.

Don't cry. I'm going to help you. Today I will go tell your dad where you are, and you
Dad will come to pick you up." The young woman said: "Listen to me, hummingbird. Do you know
my house, right? In my house, there are many beautiful flowers, I assure you that if you help me,

All the flowers in my house will be for you.

When he said that, the hummingbird happily returned to the village and went to tell the father of

I have discovered where your daughter is. She is in the niche of a ravine. It is the
woman of a condor. But it's going to be difficult to bring her down. We have to bring a donkey.

"Old man," said the hummingbird, and told his plan to the old man. They went, bringing an old donkey.

They left the dead donkey on the ground. And while the condor was eating the
donkey, the hummingbird and the old man helped the young girl down from the ravine. After
They took two toads: one small, another large, and left the toads in the niche.
from the ravine. The old man and his daughter went down and headed towards the village. The hummingbird went
where the condor was, and he told him: 'Hey, condor. You don't know what a disaster
There is in your house.

"What happened?" the condor asked.

Your wife and your son have turned into toads. Well, the condor flew away.
Let's see. Neither the young woman nor her son were inside the niche, only two toads.
The condor was scared, but could not do anything; and the little hummingbird is here every day.

among the flowers in the young girl's house. While she, her son, and her father live
happy in the community.

Collected from Gloria Tamayo. Cusco, Peru.

 THE CONDEMNED

A muleteer who was bringing four loads of silver from Ayacucho on the backs of mules,
on the orders of his employer, he settled in the vicinity of Izcuchaca
(Huancavelica), in a place called "Molino" owned by Mr. David,
who had his caregiver; this one very early in the morning, while the muleteer loaded the
Fourth mule, it caused a load to divert and threw only the animal.

While the caretaker was sharing the money with the owner of the place, the muleteer
desperate with his misfortune on his shoulders, since, to repair the loss
he had to work for the rest of his life and perhaps even for his descendants,
he was begging on his knees to the culprits who, out of greed for money
becoming indifferent and deaf to the cry of the poor Indian whose innocent tears
they reached up to heaven in search of divine justice.

Shortly after, the caretaker of the 'mill', his wife and his son died. The former because of being

the direct culprit was sentenced, that is, thrown "body and soul" out of life
ultraterrestrial, had to take refuge among the mountains taking the form of a
animal with a human head screaming from time to time: David give back the money...
They believe that because of the smoke, Mr. David, the owner of the mill, still...
he lived, suffered from paralysis in his legs.

Some clever Indians take advantage of this superstition of the 'cursed' to

to take a little cereal from the threshing floors during harvest time.

Collected and Enhanced. Huancavelican Prints.

 THE PACA LAGOON

This lagoon holds among its waters the most fascinating stories and tales.
located in the Mantaro Valley, in the province of Jauja. It has become in the
meeting point of locals and strangers.

Once God came down to earth. He knocked on the door of a house. Without opening it, they shouted at him,

Get out, filthy! Then he went on his way. Shortly after, he knocked on another door; they lived there.

two poor old folks who at that hour were preparing their food in a little pot
. The food was so scarce that it barely reached for one person,
then God placed his hands over the little pot and the food increased and from it
The three ate. When they finished, God said: Let's go. The old man, before leaving,
he took his drum out of his house. They climbed a hill. The old people were walking through

in front, God behind. After a while, God asked the old man for his drum.
Then God said: do not turn your face and he let go of the drum. The drum was rolling.
sounding louder and louder. The elderly turned their faces and remained
turned into white stone. The drum rolled, rolled, until it got to the
town and burst. From it came so much water that it flooded the fields, the houses, even
turn the village into a lagoon.

Story of José Dávila. Collected in Paca, Junín.

 THE PUKUPUKU AND THE ROOSTER

One day pukupuku and the rooster were arguing about who had the right to announce with
its song the arrival of the new day, they argued and argued but have not been able to
fix themselves and agreed to bring their complaints to the attention of the authorities
from the village, along the way the rooster made friends with the mouse who asked him for a little bit of

a court for their children who were suffering from hunger, in exchange they had to accompany and

help the rooster as a witness, when they arrived in the village they went to the office
from the judge. And said pukupuku Mr. Judge I have the right to announce with my
I sing of the arrival of the new day, my ancestors did the same, now this
the rooster is a newly arrived foreigner trying to usurp my rights, the rooster
he also expressed his complaint that he had the right to wake up the
population. Then the judge said: WELL, FILE YOUR LAWSUIT FOR
WRITTEN.

The express pukupuku stated in his demand that he has been appointed by the deities.
like the hills, Mother Earth, the Moon and the sun, and other beings of nature,
therefore has the right to sing every morning to the new life and how
witness the "Leqechito" (sentry).

The Rooster expressed descending; that I have acquired the right to sing to
dawn because my owners have conquered these lands and as a witness was it
mouse

The judge had summoned both plaintiffs to a hearing; one morning the
the judge has had to listen to the chants of pukupuku and the rooster, to fulfill
with the judge's proposal, the pukupuku had sung every half hour and the
rooster at every hour, but since the rooster had the mouse as his witness, the mouse
I had extracted the documentation of the lawsuit for pukupuku and at the same time the rooster.

the mouse woke her up according to the judge's clock.

In the morning, the judge called the plaintiffs and told them; Pukupuku, you will not be the

that sings and wakes up the population and the little milk wanted to defend and
the judge beat him up and that's why he currently has this bird's head
Plan and to the rooster for being punctual gives him the right to be in the house and sing.

to wake up the population every morning and to the mouse I say no more
You will eat only grains, otherwise everything that humans eat, preferably cheese.

ZORRO WHO WENT TO HEAVEN

The achachilas say that once the fox was by a river and
he observed melancholically the images that reflected its waters. He could see
people dancing, drinking, and laughing. What was happening? The waters of the river were not making

more than reflecting the jubilation that was experienced up there: in the sky they were celebrating.
The fox, who was walking with his head down and lost in thought, did not notice that a condor

I had gone down to get some water. Upon seeing him, a great idea came to mind.

What's up, friend tiwula?" asked the condor.

- I want to go to the party up in the sky, and I just can't. Why?

Aren't you taking me, Tata Condori? said the fox.

The condor willingly accepted the fox's request and told him to get on.
their back. Flying to the heights they reached the sky and joined the party.
They ate a lot, drank, and had fun.

After a while, the condor searched for the fox that was lost among so many people.
happy and told him that it was time to go back. The fox, excited about the feast,
he did not want to return and stayed up there. Tired of waiting, the condor returned.
without your companion to the earth.

After the party was over, the fox, who had been left alone, went to visit the house.
from a star. Since he was still hungry, the star handed him a pot of
mud and gave him a grain of cañihua to make a pudding. The fox
he looked at the grain with bewilderment and thinking that this wouldn't be enough, he said
to the star:
- But how is a single grain of cañihua going to be enough for the two? That's not possible.

it doesn't even reach for me.

And without the star noticing, she quickly added ten more grains to the
hello. Thus she began to prepare her cañihua porridge while her mouth watered.
the mouth.

The happy fox continued with the task of stirring the pudding that was almost ready.
Suddenly the pot began to overflow and the corn pudding was spilling out,
dripping went to the ground. As the fox was starving, he began to
feliz a lamer lo que caía de la olla y casi sin descansar trataba de comérselo todo.
But the joy soon turned into anguish as the pot continued to overflow and
the room was filling with cañihua without the fox being able to do anything to
stop her.
The star, upon seeing her house full of cornmeal, became very angry and furious and
he shouted at the fox:

- You've always been a fool, tiwula! Why have you increased more?
Cañihua? Hadn't I given you enough?

Now you're going to have to eat it all!

The fox, regretful and sad about his misfortune, became even more troubled and, not
unable to do anything, he thought that the only thing left was to return to the land.
So he tied himself to a rope and went to the star to beg it to help him to
to lower.
The star agreed to help him and held the rope so that the fox could climb down.
On the way to the land, and when he was barely ten meters short, the fox saw
a parrot that was flying in front of him and, as smooth as he was, without more ado, insulted him.

telling him/her:
Parrot tongue of dad!

Parrot tongue of chuño!

I can kill you!

The parrot, filled with fury from the fox's insults, began to peck at the rope.
as it descended. Seeing that the rope was breaking, the fox began to shout.
strongly saying:
Spread a soft blanket!

Spread a pink blanket!

Look, I come from heaven!

The desperate cries of the fox were in vain. No one heard them. At great
speed fell amid harsh rocks and its belly full of mazamorra
burst.
With the fall the cañihua himself
dispersal for all parts.
The achachilas and awichas (grandfathers and grandmothers) say that this is how it appeared.

this food in the highlands.

Narrated by: Orfelina Mamani Otazú from the town of Huancane - Puno

THE THREE LAZY YOUNG MEN

They say that in a community there lived a woman with her three children, she was already
The elderly woman could not work the farm and her food was becoming less and less.
savings was becoming scarce. One day when the season was just starting
Planting, the woman said to her children: go plow the land to sow.
dad, they said: yes mom; so that morning they went to work on the field
carrying his cold cuts. But that day the three siblings hadn't done anything.
the sowing season told them: go and sow, they said yes mom, the
mother put out good cold cuts and the young people in the plot where they should be
They dedicated themselves to playing and would lie down. Thus, they deceived their poor

sad mother. Then the harvest season arrived and the mother ordered them to
they were going to dig new potatoes, and they went to the farm, they chose the
best plants from someone else's farm, and they brought the potato for the mother to cook,

his mother felt very happy because her children brought big potatoes.
she congratulated, then the woman went to the potato field to dig and looked at the
the farm that had the best plants and said: this must be the farm they have made
my hardworking children.

The woman began to dig, and while she was digging, someone approached her.
person and said to her: hey idle woman what are you doing digging in my plot.
he said: I am digging up what my children have worked on. The owner said: your
lazy children have done nothing, every time I came to the farm they would lie down.
They would play and in the afternoon return home. Thus, the mother received punishment.

The woman, sad and crying, returned to her house and said to them: lazy young people,
Where is the farm that you have worked on, you have lied to me, the owner told me
it is stuck because of you. The three enraged brothers responded
Mom: Now you will see the farm that we have worked on, we will harvest everything.

mentioning these words, they began to transform: the youngest into wind, the
intermediate in hail, and the greatest in the frost.

Desde ese día, se le conoce al viento, al granizo y a la helada como los jóvenes
lazy people and thieves of the farm.

Narrated by: Miriam Dianet Quilca Condori - Puno

THE MUSICIANS AND THE CHARM

For a 'Casarasiri' (marriage) party, a family had hired a

band of musicians. They had a contract for the whole day, but when they arrived the
At night, the musicians were already drunk, they had consumed too much beer.
but since they were drunk, they no longer cared about anything. The owner of the party
I poured more beer so they could play. It was already close to midnight when
they decided to leave. They went playing through the pampa, drinking and playing. Thus, so

drunks in the night saw a man appear to them, to them it was as if he was
During the day, that man said to them: I will pay you everything you want, gentlemen musicians.

Well, they made another contract. So they made them walk through a city, the
astonished musicians. But before entering through the door, one of the musicians
He stayed to urinate, when everyone was entering, he got desperate because he wasn't finishing.

to pee and suddenly the door closed, the musician began to knock on the door, but
nobody would have, so much so that he got tired of touching, then furious he decided to continue

walking, meanwhile the band could be heard. Thus the musician arrived home.
in the early morning, later the wives of the other musicians were asking
donde están sus compañeros, él un poco mareado le dijo: se fueron a tocar a
another place, when we were coming the contract was made. Upon hearing the news everyone
the relatives decided to go to the place, he took them, it's here he said, the relatives only
they saw a hill and could hear the band of musicians, they looked at each other.
The musician said: this part of the hill was a golden door and now there is nothing, only
you are just rocks.

So, for a week I kept playing day and night, this has decreased.
little by little every day. For this reason, it is said that when we hire a
the band of musicians must leave for their community before midnight, because
they can get charmed.

Narrated by: Katty Elfride Mamani Quinto - Puno

WE ARE DISTURBING

The legendary and mythical Lake Titicaca is an inexhaustible source of wonderful

tales. The ancient Aymara inhabitant has left us a series of heritage.
cultural; one of them is the spectacular myth of 'Qota Anchancho' (demon of
lake)

From the ancient waters of Lake Titicaca emerged a gigantic demon, which
with its fury swept away everything in its path. To the fury of the waves, it
swallowed every vessel that crossed its path, and after sowing
misfortunes, vanished swiftly in the high icy peaks of the
Eastern and/or western cordilleras of the Andes.

As soon as they noticed the presence of the evil being, the inhabitants - in a state
troglodyte – in a context of desperation and terror they fled to seek refuge where
they could.
The demon's rage was uncontrollable, just as the arrival of diseases was the
sequel to the damage caused by the monster. So much fear and terrible respect
had infused the malevolent lake creature, that the natives began to
consider it the demonic spirit of the waters, so they deified it and gave it
they erected totems to pay homage.

The most superstitious believed it was the incarnation of Satan that was unleashed.
its rage, sowing harm and misfortune to humanity and all beings.
Diabolical or idolatrous rites were born in different places. For the fury
wild will mitigate and do not continue with your misdeeds they offered you offerings and

sacrifices of some animals as payment.

The legend continues. The demon not only caused and instilled disaster and terror.
but also during the rainy season it was a bearer of beneficial goodness.
It emerged from the lake into the atmosphere carrying large masses of water that

He was calling on the clouds so that later heavy rains would fall watering
the region.

Narrated by: Jorge Noe Soto Ruelas from the town of Acora - Puno

WAYNA AND KAILILA

(Young and Frog)

In ancient times, in an area of Moho, there was Mama Koili. She had a young son,
a hardworking and affectionate person named HuaynaLuque, who was lovingly called 'Luli'.
he was called el cholo, he was so hardworking! during the planting season he planted a

potato plot, it was also "araría" (Authority of the plot). In a

opportunity taking care of the farm in a "chujlla" (a kind of tent) that the
he built it himself.

One of those nights a fierce hailstorm struck, and as is natural afterwards

The hailstorms brought intense cold, forcing 'Luli' (a young woman) to lie down.
It would be midnight when he felt them calling him: Luli, Luli, host me.

Luli saw through the moon a beautiful 'Imilla' (she was a young sapa) with 'ajnqo'
"chuco" (white dress) of green and yellow jasps. His cap was strange.
both the shape and the color. The most surprising were her two beautiful eyes.
who fascinated her when she looked. Luli fell hopelessly in love with the young woman she made

She loved to see the cleanliness of the 'Imilla', it was so clean that
it gave off a pleasant smell of water and wildflowers.
The man asked her for her name. She informed him that her name was Kailila. She told him
who was very rich, owner of many lands, who only asked for accommodation because of the cold,

which was also the "Llajtayoc".

Of course, they spent a happy night transporting to the fifth heaven of pleasure.
At that moment, Luli was the happiest man on earth for having Kailila.

What fine skin! as he used to say, for its softness resembled the petals of the
flowers.

Thus many nights went by, but the strange thing was that in the mornings
the beautiful 'Imilla' would disappear and only return during the frozen and cold afternoons.

One of those nights while caressing her, the lover noticed that Kailila's hands were
rare, something like branches of a dry bush and the speckled fur was the skin
from her back. Of course, Luli was cautious, but by dawn the day
she caught it to keep examining it, then there was trouble, the girl began to scream
qauu qauu.

The lover threw out the toad and saw with horror that the woman was a disgusting one.
animal that gave chills when looked at.

Luli went to her parents, to whom she only said that she was afraid to continue.
taking care of the farm, impossible to inform him of what was happening.

Like every mother, she is careful. Mama Keili went to the chujlla to miss.
his son's things. While making the bed inside the blankets, he found a
enormous toad with a disgusting pattern, horrified Mama Keili said: this jamp'ato
It is the one who is sucking the blood of my son. He threw it over a flower pot and threw a
stone, thanks that it was introduced into a hole so it couldn't kill it, just
she was seriously injured. When Luli returned, she found Kailila with her head in the chujlla.
tied with "qoras" (fresh herbs) desperately complaining about the
pain. He said: look at what your mother has done to me, that bad old woman has
thrown with a stone, luckily I escaped, otherwise it would have killed me. Don't believe it.

that this will go unpunished, I have many relatives whom I will inform
so that they punish this crime. Kailila was completely disfigured, the
A disappointed lover left her for good.
The next day Luli went to get rid of some flames that were causing damage in the
chacra. The cholo instead of herding the llamas began to walk in circles
waving his whip, like someone defending themselves from a pack of dogs that are
They attack. The parents watched laughing, they thought the 'Wayna' (young man) was playing.

When they saw that he lay on the ground unable to get up, they ran to see.
and they found the son in agony, surrounded by thousands of crushed toads
and just as many living ones, who withdrew after having poisoned him with their
poisonous father. They were the relatives of the frog Kailila who avenged the crime.
committed by Mama Keili.

Luli reproached her mother, telling her that it was her fault for the frogs.
they poisoned him. Barely finished recounting his loves with the toad Kailila, he died.
Luli.

The toads that Luli killed were burned, since then in that place no longer.
Hailstones were falling. (in the province of Moho in the Sirulaya area)

The inhabitants of the Ayllu Jurinaya Ccollana still customarily burn.

live frogs when it threatens to hail, and it's not a lie, the hail
Change your course or disappear, when practicing this custom. They tell this myth.
about the loves of the frog Kailila and Luli.

Narrated by: Gustavo Coacalla Coaquira from the Province of Moho-Puno

 THE CONDOR AND THE PASTOR

There was a shepherdess who always tended her cattle alone in the
pampas and, under those circumstances, a condor was watching her. As time went by,
Days passed and he fell in love with the girl. One day he approached the girl.
converted into a well-dressed young man in a black suit and a white shirt and with
a white scarf. They approached him and talked for a long time, after that
each one introduced themselves. Then they started playing to load up.
mutually while the other closed their eyes, and so on until
Suddenly, when it was the young man's turn, he turned into a condor and took off with the.
herds to the highest hills of the mountain range. Upon arriving at the place, the girl...
she woke up and was surprised and started to cry and cry, she told the condor
that would take her back home, but the young man didn't want to because he had fallen in love with

the girl and she had her as his girlfriend.

The condor, so that the girl wouldn't cry, brought her raw meat to eat, but the
the girl always rejected him, so the condor went in search of services for
cooking and brought broken pots collected from the waste. The girl threw them all away
she was bothered, so they had a good time until they had their three little ones. One day,
when the girl's parents were desperately looking for him, they encountered
a hummingbird "lurinsitu" who knew where the girl was and told the parents. A
they provided food to all the garden they had. So,
making the deal, hummingbird went to the house of the condor and upon arrival killed his children

of the girl and she was taken to her parents' house.

When the condor returned home, he saw his dead children and one of them
He had saved, the girl was not there, so he started to cry and asked his son.
Where is your mother? And the little condor, I mean the lurinsitu, has taken her away.

he also asked other birds about what had happened, looking for the
responsible; when he was informed who the culprit was, he went in search of
hummingbird, upon arriving home said: - lurinsitu come out, I want to talk to you. To
to listen to the voice of the condor, the lurinsitu was preparing in his room and replied: -
Right now I am putting on my shirt. The condor was calling him again and the lurinsitu was
he responded: -I'm putting on my socks right now. The condor asked again
and the lurinsitu replied right now I am putting on the flip-flops, and so on
until Lurinsitu had made a hole to get out, from so much insistence the
the condor became bitter and entered his house and grabbed the lurinsitu when it was

leaving through the hole and he ate it all, when excreted it came out
small hummingbirds. That's why today it is said that hummingbirds are small.

THE MOON AND THE SUN

The moon and the sun lived for a long time on earth, the sun was very scorching and
the moon quite cold, for this reason the two did not understand each other well. One day the moon

I make the decision to separate from my partner the sun, I look for a very long rope.
and ascended to the sky to walk there for centuries and centuries. One day the sun
He asked out of curiosity, what could the moon be doing in the sky? What things.
had you seen beautiful ones? And did she decide to do the same as the moon? And she left. For

In the Andean worldview, everyone is both a person and a couple at the same time.

The Fox Santiago

EL ZORRO Y SANTIAGO (RELÁMPAGO)

On a hillside, a llama was eating, but the fox asked Santiago.

You kill him or I kill the Llama, the fox went ahead I will kill him with three blows
with my tail said, Santiago said go, the fox ran and started to the flame.
to hit three times with its tail, could not kill the flame, then Santiago
he said: you can't with me, I will kill him with a single blow, Santiago killed with one

only lightning to the flame and to the fox.

The story is told in all Aymara and Quechua areas and teaches us that
we must not rush into challenges.

THE MOUSE AND THE LITTLE BIRD

Once upon a time, there was a very hardworking mouse. During the harvest season, he had collected

more than thirty sacks of barley, for the whole year, the little bird was very lazy that
he did not like to store the fruits and in times of scarcity he always went to his
neighbor mouse to borrow a sack of barley and the mouse would lend according to the

request and the little bird returned happily carrying fruit and after a
the week returned again to his neighbor to borrow another sack of barley and
I lent him the mouse again and he returned happy. A long time the bird passed.
he kept lending until one day the mouse no longer wanted to lend and they argued;
the mouse said: neighbor you are very lazy just wanting to live off borrowed
to your children and you only like to sing on top of the tree hills. The little bird
I only listen.

The story conveys the message of not just living in the moment, but in every moment of
season of the year, in the rural experience, one always has to store the fruits
for other times of the year.
 THE ORIGIN OF LAKE TITICACA

It is told in the nearby pampas of the city of Chucuito, covered

currently, around the waters of Lake Titicaca, there was a thriving population in
On a certain occasion, a wandering woman arrived carrying a large jug on her back.
a clay jar with a well-fitted lid, very painfully overcome by the
Fatigue settled in a house after many pleas, the people of the town
they had forgotten the rules of hospitality, but he/she stayed.

The next day very early he wanted to continue his journey, in reality he had spent
a very bad night due to lack of a bed and food, they had accommodated him in the
corners of the kitchen and he had not been invited to the dinner.

Because of them, I had neither the strength nor the energy to carry the huakulla jug, I pleaded.
to the owners, to leave his huakulla. Well, they allowed him to leave until his
I return, but the woman had said please do not uncover it and that they have
be very careful. The owners of the house graciously accepted with the
promise not to do it.

Several ants had constantly bitten them in the community and they
they were asking what the jar would have, because I had recommended that they not remove it

They could not endure the restlessness for so long and with the hopes of finding
something very valuable, they took off the lid, then very dismayed they saw sprout a
violent water eruption, the water was endlessly flooding in the end all
the region and the inhabitants of the dwellers, did not have time to escape.
Along with the jet of water came the fish, the seagulls, flamingos,
ducks, pigs, paddles, divers, q’eñola, qaslachup’uquñay all of the
birds and living beings that currently inhabit the waters of Titicaca,
they are in turn the effect of ambition and the curiosity of the inhabitants of that village.

It is also said that at certain hours of the night and on certain days of
the week one observes in the bottom of the lake a vanished city
especially in those moments that are called, now bad moment.