Inga Mythic Narrative
The Inga people carry forward a legacy of wonderful stories about their ancestors, the first people, and about the making of civilization in the Sibundoy Valley. These stories feature animals that act and speak like humans, and celestial bodies, such as the moon and sun, that interact with the first people and establish the proper ways of living.
We present here a sampling of these stories as sound files, with transcriptions of the Inga and translations into English.
First, you can listen to Salvador Tisoy's telling of "Conejomanda," "The Rabbit's Story," which features Rabbit as trickster, getting away with lots of trouble-making at the expense of his dull uncle, Bear.
Next, have a listen to Francisco Tandioy telling "Shulpsimanda," a story about the shulupsi bird, a mythical creature who came to marry into the Inga community and deliver a kind of paradise, where food could be gotten without effort, but was chased away by converned family members.
Here are the transcripts for these stories:
"Conejomanda Parlu"
"Shulpsimanda Parlu"