top of page
IYARINA
Napo-Pastaza, Ecuador
CENTER FOR LEARNING ALLIANCE: Fundación Cotococha | Andes and Amazon Field School | Shayarina Amazonian Resilience
Luisa Cadena, "Smallpox chief follows paths."
From interviews with Tod D. Swanson
Description
Not available.
English translation
Maybe in town (the smallpox) was about to pass. When the people in town had all been dying and were now lying there recuperating he began to look for the paths leading out from the town. Just like a person.
How was it in those early days? They say he came from town, from our Montalvo . Travelling along the path he used to whistle "Whiiuu! from the river bank.
When they looked they saw a man wearing a hat down to here, carrying a bag. In his bag were his sores.
They say he would throw those (at people) so that it would catch them. He was its cheif. A Supay. Yes. A supay.
They say he had a staff like this. A staff! The upper part was painted like blood and the base was black, black! They vomit black pulluluu as they die. They vomit blood as they die. That is how his staff was-- to cause diarrhea.
That is how our father used to tell it to us. He would cry as he told it.
That is where are old people were finished off.
And (this sickness) was not sent by a witch? No, no. They say it was brought by someone from the sierra.
By the trader who lived there. Borbor. They called him Borbor Viracocha. His name was Borbor.
In the old days they say a white man, Borbor Viracocha used to travel to trade with the Peruvians. He caught (the sickness) there and came back with it.
So was it he who brought the (smallpox) amu? That patron had brought the sickness from the sierra, from the city, from the people in Quito.
He was dying when he arrived at Montalvo. They say the smallpox had caught him and he was already dying at the time he arrived.
He went. He arrived in Montalvo. There the (smallpox) chief caught him. When the fever caught them blisters would emerge and cover them agluu, agluu.
At that time there were no medicines in Montalvo so that Viracocha Borbor died there.
After killing him that smallpox kept looking for people to catch.
Did white people bring this on purpose to do harm? No, no, no. It happened because the fever caught them.
For example if we had looked over there we would have seen him coming with his staff, carrying his bag here, coming with his staff. Coming.
He comes. And when he comes like that and looks at us our bodies get caught (by the smallpox).
He would arrive like that by following the paths. Now that there are vaccines the smallpox has finished.
Did some escape by hiding? Yes! They hid. Half of them hid and a remnant lived. They say that they went into hiding.
The smallpox amu pressed down (their throats). In the middle of the night they lay there in their canoes (trying to breathe). The smallpox chief was pressing on their throats.
They went downriver by canoe into hiding.
They say one (escaped) by swimming underwater so that he would not be caught. He arrived by diving and coming up for air "tupuu!" submerging and coming up for air "tupuu!"
They say that those people went down river. To the East. Down river, to settle at the mouth of the Bujio River. They say that they went silently abandoning their doges and their chickens.
That is what they used to tell us. Our ancestors were the remnant that were left over.
It was up to that point that it took lives because after that they came out with the vaccine. With that now you don't hear anything about smallpox anywhere. Or have you heard anything?
Kichwa Translation
Tal vez en el pueblo (la enfermedad) ya había estado pasando ya.
Como seria antiguamente? Dicen que ha venido del pueblo, desde nuestro pueblo Montalvo. Asi siguiendo por el camino desde la orilla del rio "Wio" a sabido silbar.
Cuando vieron (para allá) estaba puesto sombrero así, cargado un bolso paqueño. Y lo que estaba en su muchila eran las llagas.
Chitashi tuksin payga apichun nishaga. Chi karachatashi shitan. Payba amu shi ag ara. Supay. Ahh. Supay.
Kasna bara shaun. Bara. Awamaga raway shina pintashka. Sapimaga shinki, shiki.
Tenia un bastón. Así. Una bastón. La parte de arriba estaba pintado como sangre y la parte de abajo bien negro. Mueren vomitando negro. Mueren vomitando sangre. Así era su bastón porque iban a tener diarrea.
Asi nos sabía contar mi papà. Sabía contar llorando.
Es por eso que nuestros mayores se terminaron. That is where are old people were finished off.
Shu rukuga mana kachashka (chi unguira)?
Y (esta enfermedad) no sería mandado por un brujo? No, no. Dicen que trajo (un blanco) de la sierra.
Mashti chima randichisha kawsak.
El comerciante que ahí vivía. Borbor. Borbor Viracocha le decian. Borbor era su nombre. By the trader who lived there. Borbor. They called him Borbor Viracocha. His name was Borbor.
Antiguamente dicen que un hombre blanco, Borbor Viracocha, sabia andar al Peru vendiendo mercaderia. Dicen que desde ahí le a cogido y a venido trayendo.
Cuando vino de allá tal vez murió acá. Entonces el trajo a ese dueño de la enfermedad? Ese patrón había traído (le enfermedad) desde la sierra, deste este pueblo, de los Quiteños.
Ya muriendo ha llegado a Montalvo. La viruela le había cogido pues y dicen que llegó ya cuando estaba muriendo. He was dying when he arrived at Montalvo.
Se fue y llego a Montalvo y ahí el dueño (de la viruela) le cojió. Cuando la fiebre le cogió salieron ampollas, ampollas.
Como en Montalvo no había ninguna medicina dicen que ese Viracocha Borbor murió ahí mismo.
Despues de matarle ese viruela siguió buscando gente para contagiar.
Awallaktawna por maldad...?
No no no fiebre cojiendo asi cojiendo mismo.
(Por ejemplo) Si hubiésemos mirado para allá y vemos que el viene con su bastón, cargado su bolso acá.
Con su bastón viene. Viene. Viene el. Y cuando viene así y nos mira ya le coge a nuestros cuerpos.
El llegaba por los caminos. Sabía viajar. Ahora que hay las vacunas se terminó la viruela.
Y una mitad se salvaron escondiendo. Mitad se an escondido. Esa sobra (de la gente) viven. Dicen que se escondieron.
Se fueron si hacer sonidos. En silencio. Cociendo la garganta de sus pollos. A media noche acostados en la canoa ann annn con el dueño de la viruela aplastando sus pechos.
Río abajo en la canoa se fueron escondiendo.
Shuka ña pay ukumandallata shi rira yakuy tupuu urmasha zambulisha tupuu urmasha zhambulisha paktariska chitaga manashi apishkachu paytaga
Quien Dicen que se fueron para abajo. Hacia el este. Hacia abajo. A asentarse en la bocana del Río Bujio. Se fueron así calladitos abandonando sus perros y gallinas dis que fueron.
Eso es lo que nos sabían contar. Nuestros antepasados fueron de los que sobraron.
Ya después hasta ahí no más fueron llevados (por la enfermedad porque) sacaron la vacuna. Con eso ahora no se oye de la viruela en ningún lado. O ustedes han escuchado algo?
Spanish translation
LLactamachari pasawrawnga ña. Ña chaybi pay ñashi llactamandachari win wanusha ambirisha sirikpiga payga ñambitashi maskak ara. Runashina.
Ima ag ara ya kallariga! Llactamandashi shamushka nukanchi Montalvo llaktamanda. Kasna ñambita risha yakupatamanda "wio!"
Rikukpiga sombrero churariska kaymaga, bulsawawa aparishka. Mochilaybiga payba karacha shaun
Chitashi tuksin payga apichun nishaga. Chi karachatashi shitan. Payba amu shi ag ara. Supay. Ahh. Supay.
Kasna bara shaun. Bara. Awamaga raway shina pintashka. Sapimaga shinki, shiki.
Yanata pullulluu kichanawn wañunawn Rawayta pulluluu kichanawun wanunawn. Kasna. Chi shawn payba bara ishpatukuna
Chaznami yaya ñucanchita kwintagara wakashaaaa kuintak ara
Chayibimi ñukanchi rukugunaga chingarisha anun
Shu rukuga mana kachashka (chi unguira)?
Mana, mana! Kay awallaktamandashi apasha rishka.
Mashti chima randichisha kawsak.
Borbor. Borbor wirakucha nik anaura. Borbor pay shutita.
Kallaritimpuga awallakta Borbor wiragucha niskashi piruanuma randichik purik ara. Chiga ña.. Chaybi apishka shamuk
Shinakpi pay pushaka chi amuta? Amu chi, chi awallaktamanda apamuska kai... Llactamanda, kai Quitugunamanda
Wañuk paktashka Montalvoy. Kuti virguela apishka wañuukshi paktaraya.
Riraya. Paktariya. Montalvuy amuta chi runata apishka
Chiga ña Montalvuy mana ima rimidio tiapiga chi wiraguchaga Borbor borbor chaybishi wañura
Chayta wanuchiska washaga payga runata mashkaun chi viruela apingawa
Awallaktawna
Mana mana mana. Kalintura apiun chazna ashpallatashi.
Ña. Ñukanchichari chayma rikunchimaya rikukpiga payga barawawaan, kaima bulsawa, aparishka. Barawawaan shamun.
Shamun. Shamun payga. Chasna shamushaga chiga ña chi rikushkaga nukanchita aychama chasnashi apipasan.0:02:54.300,0:03:02.500
Chasnashi payga paktagara ñambitaga rigara. Kunanga vacunaguna tiasha viruelaga tukurishka an.
Chawpiga mitikusha kishpinawka? A aw. Mitikushka. Chawpiga mitikuskawna Puchuga kasanawn. Mitikunawrashi
Manashi uyachisha rinashagara. Chunn Atallatawas kungata shirasha. Canuay chaupi tuta payguna ann annshi.
Chaywan pariushi paina llushig anawra mitikushaga uraita. Urayta canuay rik anawra ...mitikusha
Shuka ña pay ukumandallata shi rira yakuy tupuu urmasha zambulisha tupuu urmasha zhambulisha paktariska chitaga manashi apishkachu paytaga
Chigunaga uraitashi rinauraya. Sapima. Uraima. Bukyu punguma tiariskawna. omm. Chashna chunlla allcutas ichusha, atallatas ichusha rina shagara.
Chita ñukanchita kuintak ag anaura. Chiwa puchuu ñukanchi yayaguna saguirishka an.
Ña washa, chillata apashkawna, vacunata llushichiscawna. Chiwan kunanga mana viruela maybi uyarikchan uyachanguichichu?
Analysis
Not available.
bottom of page