top of page

Mazama americana

Family:

Cervidae (deer)

English:

Red brocket

Spanish:

Venado

Kichwa:

Taruga

Prochilodus nigricans_edited.jpg

Talkin About Taruga

Bélgica Dagua - Deer Papaya: A Deceased Grandfather Returns as a Deer.

Bélgica Dagua tells the story of a deceased man who returns to his grandchildren as a deer. When the children are left home alone the deer comes out of the forest as a man and gives them what appears to be papaya. He tells them he has much more out in his forest garden. He lays down to take a nap and sends them off to look. But when they go look there is no cultivated garden but only wild forest variant of domestic papaya that deer eat. When the return to question their sleeping grandfather they cannot find him. But someone runs off as a deer. I am going to tell you about this (deer) papaya. In former times the deer was a person. So one time when the children had been left at home alone (the deer) arrived in the form of person. "I'm your grandfather," he said. So when the adults returned the children said "Grandfather came, Mom!" "Oh! How could your grandfather have come? Your grandfather is dead." "No! Grandfather did come to (visit) us. He came to give us a papaya and left." "So what did that papaya he gave you look like?" their mother asked. So (they answered), "It was this fruit they said (showing her a small wild papaya called "deer papaya"). (It was) this! This papaya." It was this, his (wild deer) fruit that he had come to give his grandchildren. But when he gave them that papaya (it was not enough since) there were a lot of nephews (grandkids) in that house. So he said (to one of them), let's go harvest (more of them.) "There are lots of this kind of papaya at my place," he said. (Hearing that the kids said) "(Yes!) go (with grandfather) to gather some of those (fruits) that he was talking about to give us!" So he went. When he went (to the grandpa's place) he saw a fishtail palm standing and arriving there he saw that the brush was cleared around its base. "What's this?" the child wondered looking in all directions. "Grandfather, you brought me out here so you could pick papayas for me. Now where are they?" "Ohh... Son, they are over there in the garden. In the garden." (Looking for the garden he thought, "Where is it that he says the trees are cut down? There is no garden," he said. Wherever he looked, nothing! "But grandfather," he said, "there is no garden." "There is nothing there. Where is that papaya?" he asked. "Oh. OK. Just wait a little while. I am just going to take a nap first because I am sleepy." So he laid down and pun! (he fell asleep.) So then his grandchild went off, to look for the papaya probably. And when he came back to the base of the palm tree there was a deer lying there asleep. "Now I wonder where my grandfather went." he thought, "this is a deer." I wonder where grandpa went?" The child began to search (and cried) "Grandpaaa!" Then it ran! The deer. That deer ran away. When the deer ran away he thought "Now what?" "Grandpa! Grandpaaa!" the child cried like that in the forest. The child began to cry seeing that the grandfather had deceived him like that. (Then he heard his grandfather) say "Why are you crying?" "Grandfather," (the child) answered. "A deer just ran off that way!" Text in Kichwa Kay papayamanda kwintanga rauni. Ñaupa taruga runa ak ashka. Chi pay runa asha, wawaguna sakirishkay paktak ashka. “Ñuka mani kanguna apayaya,” nik ashka. Y chasna nikpi, yayaguna purinamanda shamujkpi, wawaguna nishkauna, “Apapaya shamura, mama!” “Ima shinata apayayaga shamunga? Apayaya wañushka man,” nik ashka. “Mana, apayayaga shamurami ñukanchita. Shamusha kaybi papayata kushka washa sakisha rira kutillata,” nishkawna. Chi chasna nijpi, “Ima shina rikurij papayatara kura?” nisha tapun payba mama. Chiga, kay muyutashi, kay, kay papaya muyuta. Chi payba muyutaga wawagunta kushak wasiy sakik shamushka, payba chi nieto wawagunata. Chi kukpi ña sobrino wawaguna ashka tiaushkawna wasiyga. Tiyakpi, chimanda randi, aku nisha kasnataga. "Kay sami," nin, "ñukawakpi ashka papaya tian." Nkipi, kay niushka shina pallasha kuway nik anga ya. Ña rishka. Rikpi shu taraputu shayaushka, paktachisha, rikukpi chushajlla ak ashka. Imatanmi nisha rikushka wawa karanma. “Apayaya kanga ñukata papayata pallasha kungawami apamurangui maytan, ña?" “Ahh. Churi, chi chagraybi tian, chagray." “Mayshi ruya kuchushka, chagra mana tianzhu," nishka. "Illan, may maskan, apayaya pero mana tianzhu chagraga," nishka. “Illanmi nishka maybita chi papayaga an?” nishka. “Ah ña chapangui. Puñushalla sambayay tiawan,” nishka. Chiga payga siririjga pun! Chiga pay wawa maskangawa chari rira. Chagrama rin nisha kasnaga bola kallpasha rishka. Chimanda pay shamungajka chi sapiybi tarugacha puñusha siriushka. “Apayaya kuna maytacha rira, kayga taruga. Ñuka apayayaga maytacha rira?” Chi wawa maskan, “Apayayaaaa!” Chi kallpan taruga. Tarugaga kallpashka. Taruga kallpajpi payga nishka, "Kunanga? Apayaya! Apayayaaa!" kasna wakangaj kasna sachay. Wakangaj kallarishka wawa. Rikujpi apayaya kasnamanda umanshi shamushka. “Imangajta wakangui?" nira. “Apayaya," nishka, "Kayta taruga kallpan." Text in Spanish Te voy a hablar de esta papaya [el venado]. En tiempos pasados el venado era una persona. Así que una vez cuando los niños habían sido dejados solos en casa [el venado] llegó en forma de persona. Y dijo "Soy tu abuelo." Así que cuando los adultos regresaron los niños dijeron "Mamá vino, el abuelo!" "Oh! ¿Cómo pudo haber venido tu abuelo? Tu abuelo está muerto." "¡No! El abuelo vino a visitarnos. Vino a darnos una papaya y se fue." "¿Cómo te pareció esa papaya que te dio?", Preguntó su madre. Así que [respondieron], "Fue esta fruta dijeron mostrándole una pequeña papaya salvaje llamada "papaya de ciervo". ¡Esto fue así! Esta papaya." Era esta, su fruta venado salvaje que había venido a dar a sus nietos. But when he gave them that papaya (it was not enough since) there were a lot of nephews (grandkids) in that house. Pero cuando les dio esa papaya no era suficiente había muchos nietos en esa casa. Los niños dijeron "¡Sí! vamos [con el abuelo] para recoger algunos de esos [frutos] que estaba hablando para darnos!" Así que se fue. Cuando fue (a casa del abuelo). Vio una palma de cola de pez de pie y al llegar allí vio que estaba despejado alrededor de su base. ¿Qué es esto? el niño se preguntaba mirando en todas direcciones."Abuelo, me trajiste aquí para que pudieras elegir papayas para mí. Ahora, ¿dónde están?" "Oh... Hijo, están en el jardín. En el jardín." Él niño buscaba el jardín, él [niño] dijo"¿Dónde es que dice que los árboles están talados? No hay jardín." ¡Dondequiera que mirará, nada! "Pero abuelo", dijo, "no hay jardín" "No hay nada allí. ¿Dónde está la papaya?", preguntó. "Oh. De acuerdo. Espera un poco. Voy a tomar una siesta primero porque tengo sueño." ¡Así que se acostó y poom! [se durmió]. Entonces su nieto se fue a buscar la papaya . Y cuando regresó a la base de la palmera había un venado acostado allí dormido. "Ahora me pregunto a dónde fue mi abuelo." "Esto es un venado." Me pregunto a dónde fue el abuelo? El niño comenzó a buscar (y gritó) "¡Abuelo!" ¡Entonces corrió! El venado. Ese venado huyó. Cuando el venado huyó pensó: "¿Y ahora qué?" "Abuelo! ¡Abuelo!", gritó así el niño en el bosque. El niño comenzó a llorar al ver que el abuelo lo había engañado así. Entonces oyó a su abuelo decir "¿Por qué lloras?" "Abuelo", respondió [el niño] "Un ciervo acaba de salir corriendo de aquí"

Why Deer Don't Have Masters

Bélgica Dagua argues that deer are unique in not having masters because they are the ghost of humans. Most animals have an amu or spirit master analogous to a Hopi Kachina who protects them and causes them to flourish. To protect them these amus keep the species locked in corrals inside the mountains only letting out a few to be hunted. For this reason the animals are relatively scarce in the forest but believed to be plentiful inside the mountains. Unlike peccaries the deer do not have amus because deer are the transformed ghosts of people who have died. For this reason deer haunt the areas around their previous homes as well as their old manioc gardens. According to Bélgica there are many deer in her home community because the deer have no amu to lock them up. By contrast there are few peccary in the forest because the their amu keeps them protected inside local mountains. A western ecologist might attribute the relative abundance of deer to hunting practices. Because deer are believed to be ghosts they are not hunted for food and consequently multiply. Peccaries by contrast are heavily hunted.

Eulodia Dagua - Dance Like a Deer

Eulodia Dagua - On eating deer

bottom of page