A Journal of Writings - SABES

THE GUARANA LEGEND - A BRAZILIAN STORY MARIA ASSIS
Maria Assis
Brazil is a large country divided into five regions. Each region has its own customs and
culture. There are many folktales, myths, legends and fables associated with each region.
There is a plant that is very popular in Brazil and from it they produce soda similar to
Coca-Cola. This drink is Guarana.
Long before Guarana became a soft drink, the Indian tribes of the Amazon gathered seeds
from the Guarana plant. The Indians say this powder can cure many diseases .and because
the Guarana powder became such a powerful medicine for them; they have a myth about its
origin.
A long time ago in a Brazilian jungle there lived an Indian couple. They belonged to the
Maues Tribe. They had no children thus they had great unhappiness. One day they asked
the Indian god Tupa to give them children as a present to complete their happiness. Tupa
brought them a beautiful boy. Their son grew up and became one of the best young men in
the tribe. The boy soon learned almost everything about the Amazon jungle. However,
there was just one thing he had never learned. He never learned about Jurupari, the evil
spirit who lurks in the heart of the jungle. One day the boy went to gather fruits in the
forest and Jurupari decided that his time for vengeance had arrived. He transformed
himself into a snake and bit the boy; killing him instantly. The whole tribe and the
neighboring tribes were very sad. The great Indian god Tupa was deeply saddened, too. At
this moment, thunder echoed in the sky. Only the boy’s mother was able to understand the
message. She said that the god Tupa has sent a message that he wants to comfort us for the
loss of such a wonderful son. He says we should plant my son’s eyes in the jungle soil and
there they well grow and become a miraculous plant which will heal many of our ills.
The Indians obeyed the mother’s voice and planted the boy’s eyes. There grew the
Guarana, whose seeds are black with a white area around them, which reminds one of a
human eye.
The Amazon people still use the powder of the guarana plant as a medicine. It is considered
one of the best plants in the Amazon jungle.
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