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IYARINA
Napo-Pastaza, Ecuador
CENTER FOR LEARNING ALLIANCE: Fundación Cotococha | Andes and Amazon Field School | Shayarina Amazonian Resilience
Barbasco Kichwa Story

In a Quichua version of the story a hunter was walking alone through the forest when he heard a particular tree frog called an atan (Shuar: kaka). This frog, which is generally heard only in old growth forest at night, has a loud a- rhythmic call which Runa men jokingly associate with the sound of a woman in the throws of sexual pleasure: “atan a-tán atán.” Hence the name of the frog atán. Hearing this sound the hunter jokingly calls on the atan to come down from the tree and make love with him. Later, as he again passed the tree on his way home he was startled to find a woman. “That woman was a beautiful woman, a good looking young woman.” The hunter was overcome with fear but she put him at ease, “You said to me ‘tan tan tan do me’ well now do me then.” After making love the woman turned back into the atan and climbed up the tree without letting go of his penis. When his penis stretched out tremendously the man panicked and cut it off with a machete. The pieces were eventually thrown into the various rivers where they became anacondas.
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