Discover Brazilian indigenous mythology – Blog

The legends, myths and folklore of a country is always a strong way of identifying traits and roots of that society and population. So, when we pay attention to the stories that Brazil has to offer, we can understand a little more about the culture of our country. THE brazilian indigenous mythology presents relevant meanings about the formation of the country.

When we talk about myth, the vast majority of people immediately think of Greece or Rome. However, every place has its independent stories with different moral and social lessons. Therefore, it is important to observe what are the traits of our own mythology, because this is how we have greater access to the cultural and social origins of the country.

The influence of Brazilian indigenous mythology on the people

When we think about the origin of Brazil, we immediately remember the story of Pedro Álvares Cabral’s discovery. However, before the arrival of the Portuguese, the country was already inhabited by Indians such as the Tupi-Guarani people. Soon, their tribes also passed on their own characteristics, doubts and fears to the Brazilian people.

Just as the Greeks used myths in an attempt to get answers, the Indians did the same. Therefore, it is interesting to realize that by studying Brazilian indigenous mythology, we are able to understand and explain a lot about current behaviors. Even after so long, the influence is direct.

How does Brazilian indigenous mythology work?

The Brazilian Indians had a mind and a way of acting and thinking that were completely different from the Greeks, or any other peoples. However, it did not prevent him from presenting similar behaviors in his doubts. Because of this, both used the same techniques. One of the main methods was to seek the answers of choices and attitudes through their own myths.

In Brazil, the mythologies most passed down by generations are those of the Tupi-Guarani people. However, the country is very big and they had different peoples in completely different places and who had a different vision with different myths.

The main god of Brazilian indigenous mythology

Like other peoples, Brazilian Indians also used a lot of the figure of the gods in mythological narratives. For the Tupi-Guarani Indians there was a supreme god that they called Tupã.

This god was extremely powerful. Also called the “spirit of thunder”, it had its name originated from the rain. This is because the Indians were sure that they were able to hear Tupã’s voices during storms.

In addition, the god Tupã was also associated with the great creator of the universe. This is a common trait in world mythologies: associating what cannot be explained to a larger figure. The religions themselves use this artifice.

Other Gods of Brazilian Indigenous Mythology

Despite his importance and being the main Brazilian god, Tupã was not the only great character in Brazilian indigenous mythology. Once again resembling the Greeks, the Indians also used the gods to obtain symbolic representations. As is the case with the god Guaraci.

This god was the representation of the sun and would have helped Tupã in the creation of the universe and living beings. The night also had the symbology present in the goddess Jaci. While Guaraci was responsible for protecting beings throughout the day, Jaci was linked to love and reproduction.

These three were of course not the only gods of Brazilian indigenous mythology. Others of lesser importance also existed and continued to symbolize something. As in the case of the gods Sumá (goddess of agriculture), Polo (god of the winds) and Rudá (god of love).

The great Brazilian myths

The Brazilian indigenous mythology carried out the interaction of its characters in the form of a narrative, as did other peoples. From these interactions emerge important explanations and some myths.

The most famous is the creation myth that has the narrative explaining how Tupã would have created everything there was. In a second moment, the myth of the First Humans also appeared, where it was explained about the first men and their reproduction to give continuity to life.

Those are just two examples. Brazilian indigenous mythology is full of symbolic and unique traits. It is worth studying and understanding more about how the thinking of the first peoples of the country worked.

Taking advantage of the fact that you now know the brazilian indigenous mythologyunderstand more about myths, Greek mythology and other legends out there: