The Jasy Jateré is an elflike childish figure with blonde hair and blue eyes. He likes to eat wild honey and is sometimes said to carry a golden staff. “Jasy jateré” means “piece of the moon,” perhaps referring to his bright aura or fair complexion. Girala Yampey states it may be a shortened version of “Jasy-apytere” meaning “what was once in the interior of the moon.” He is said to eat a lot of wild honey – in the above ad for Paraguayan phone company COPACO the Pombero asks the Jasy Jateré what he’s been up to and what he’s going to do later and the Jasy Jateré´s answer is always “I’m eating honey.” The Jasy Jateré also loves children and wanders around in during siesta looking for children to play with. He bewitches them with games leading them deep into the “monte” (woods) where he eventually abandons them. Although children usually survive encounters with the Jasy Jateré they may be temporarily dazed and even comatose.

El Jasy Jateré es una figura similar a un duendecillo con cabello rubio y ojos azules. Le gusta comer miel del monte y en algunas versiones lleva un bastón de oro. “Jasy Jateré” significa “pedazo de la luna, ” quizás en referencia a su aura luminoso. Según Girala Yampey el nombre puede ser una versión corta de “Jasy apytere” lo cual significa “lo que antes era el interior de la luna.” Se dice que le gusta mucho comer miel silvestre – en este aviso para la empresa telefónica COPACO el Pombero le pregunta al Jasy Jateré que anda haciendo y que hará más tarde y su respuesta siempre es “como miel.” Al Jasy Jateré también le encanta los niños. Deambula durante la siesta en busca de niños con quien jugar. Les embruja con sus juegos adentrándose con ellos al monte donde eventualmente les abandona. Aunque niños normalmente sobreviven encuentros con el Jasy Jateré les deja atontados y en algunos casos en estado de coma.

Perhaps the Jasy Jateré is simply an invention by Guaraní mothers to get their children to sleep during siesta-time. True or not, his story has been passed down through the generations and is in wide use throughout Paraguay every day from one to three pm. If you are a blonde foreigner be prepared to potentially scare small campo (country) children and elicit at least a couple joking comments from adults. This myth runs so strong in the countryside that childhood memories and fears of the Jasy Jateré can be triggered in Paraguayan adults. A Paraguayan friend was once working at a school during siesta when she saw a short figure with long blond hair and a cane walking around. She and two co-workers were so scared they started throwing grapefruits at him as he wandered away. Later they were informed by a townsperson that he was an old German man who was not all there and tended to wander into open buildings.

Quizás el Jasy Jateré es sólo un invento de madres Guaraní para conseguir que sus hijos tomen la siesta. Sea cierto o no, su historia ha sido pasado de generación en generación y está en uso en todo el país desde las una hasta las tres de la tarde. Si sos un extranjero rubio hay que estar preparado para potencialmente asustar a niños del campo y provocar algunos comentarios jocosos entre adultos. Este mito es tan fuerte en el campo que memorias y miedos de niñez pueden volver a la superficie en la adultez. Una amiga paraguaya estuvo trabajando en una escuela durante la siesta cuando le vió a una figura petiza con el pelo largo y rubio, encojido y andando con bastón por el predio. Ella y dos compañeros de trabajo se asustaron tanto que le tiraron pomelos para ahuyentarlo. Después alguien en el pueblo les explicó que era un viejito alemán quien había perdido la cordura y solía devagar por los edificios abiertos.

In this first edition of Meet the Mitos we are going to discuss a very timely mito: “Karaí Octubre” “Karaí” means man or sir and is pronounced kah (from karma) rah (a cheerleader’s ra! ra! ra!) í (E from Egypt). Obviously Octubre means October.

A majority of Paraguayans are farmers, in many cases practicing subsistence farming. October is a very difficult month for farmers, especially for those who have failed to plan ahead. Food stores from the last harvest are depleted but the rainy (growing) season has only just begun. It is at this point when Karaí Octubre may pay a visit. He is a mysterious campesino wearing tattered clothes, wide brim straw hat and carrying a whip made of ysypo fibers. Karaí Octubre enters houses and verifies whether families have properly planned for the upcoming month. Those who have not are punished – he may whip them or simply diminish their stores even further by spilling the contents of containers and causing food to spoil. Some also say his disapproval results in a yearlong curse over the family and its crops.

In order to keep the Karaí Octubre at bay a large feast is prepared on the first day of October. Traditionally the main dish is jopará. I have used this word before in the context of language. Jopará is the mixture of Spanish and Guaraní most people in Paraguay speak. Jopará is also the name of a typical Paraguayan slow-cooked dish of beans (porotos) and locro (hominy, not to be confused with a separate dish also named “locro”). This show of abundance is meant to impress the Karaí Octubre and convince him the family in question has adequately prepared for the coming month. If economic conditions do not permit a large feast it is acceptable to simply make a pot of jopará.

It is easy to see how the mito of Karaí Octubre survives to this day as it provides a key lesson for survival as a farmer. Although it clearly originated in the countryside this tradition has migrated to urban areas as well. City folk may go to the mercado (market) or a restaurant to eat jopará on October 1st instead of preparing it at home. In this new setting the myth of Karaí Octubre has morphed slightly – many people believe it is the act of eating jopará itself (rather than having enough food to prepare it) that will protect from Karaí Octubre´s curse. Sometimes neighborhood groups organize parties complete with large quantities of jopará, music and entertainment. I suppose this would keep Karaí Octubre even further at bay since he does not seem like a social sort of guy!

In Paraguay you will often hear reference to a number of strange creatures roaming the country. The so-called “Mitos” (or “myths” in English) are invoked in a variety of settings. Parents may warn their children that the Jasy Jateré will come to get them if they aren´t home before dark. Both innocent mischief and serious crimes are sometimes attributed to the more aggresive myths. The myths are such a strong component of Paraguayan culture that there is even space to use them both ironically and commercially. There are t-shirts featuring the Kurupí as a pimp and the awesomely trollish logo for upscale ao´po´i clothing line Pombero.

En Paraguay se mencionan con frequencia unas criaturas extrañas devagando por el país. Se les invoka a los tal-llamados “Mitos” en una variedad de situaciones. Padres quizás adviertan a sus hijos que el Jasy Jateré vendrá a llevarles si no están de vuelta en casa antes del oscurecer. Ambos travesuras inocentes y crímenes serios suelen ser atribuidos a los mitos más agresivos. Estos mitos son un componente tan fuerte de la cultura paraguaya que hasta hay espacio para que sean usados irónicamente y comercialmente. Hay remeras con el Kurupí como proxeneta y el logo a la ves feo y genial de la marca de ao´po´i Pombero.

Many of the “mitos” originated in Paraguay’s indigenous communities (predominantly from the Guaraní indians). They have morphed over time, changing to suit the beliefs of the population as it mixed with the European colonists. Over the “Meet the Mitos” series I’ll review each “mito,” discussing the original backstory and the various ways it continues to exist in today’s popular culture. Aside from firsthand stories I am drawing upon two excellent books which are available in Paraguay: “Folklore del Paraguay” by Dionisio M. Gonzalez Torres published by Servi Libro and “Mitos y Leyendas Guaranies” by Girala Yampey and published by Editorial Manuel Ortiz Guerrero.

Muchos de los “Mitos” provienen de las comunidades indígenas del Paraguay (más que nada los Guaraníes). Han evolucionado con el pasar del tiempo, cambiando para reflejar las creencias de la población que se iba mesclando con los colonizadores europeos. A lo largo de la serie “Conoce a los Mitos” explicaré los orígenes de cada “Mito” además de examinar la variedad de formas que siguen en existencia en la actualidad. Usaré como referente historias que me han sido relatadas y dos libros excelentes a la venta en Paraguay: “Folklore del Paraguay” de Dionisio M. Gonzalez Torres publicado por Servi Libro y “Mitos y Leyendas Guaranies” de Girala Yampey y publicado por Editorial Manuel Ortiz Guerrero.

Do people actually believe in the “mitos”? This depends on where you are and who you ask. In the countryside many swear they are real. And for some non-believers there is always that small hint of doubt. Laughing about the Lobisón surrounded by the bright lights of Asunción is one thing … but on a dark night in the remote countryside some people may choose to be a little more respectful, just in case. All Paraguayans, myself included, have a distant family member or know someone who knows someone that suffered the wrath of the Pombero, deprived of cigars, or was gripped with fear at the ghostly presence of Mala Visión. If you have been told stories about the mitos by family or community members I encourage you to email them to me for inclusion in this series. Be sure to include your name (or pseudonym) and who you heard the story from!

La gente seriamente cree en los “mitos”? Depende de donde estás y a quien le preguntas. En el campo mucho estan seguros de la existencia de los “mitos.” Para algunos no-creyentes siempre existe el elemento de duda. Burlarse del Lobisón mientras uno está rodeado de las luces de Asunción es una cosa… pero durante una noche oscura en alguna parte remota del campo algunas personas prefieren ser más respetuosos, por si acaso. Todos los Paraguayos, yo inclusa, tienen algún familiar lejano, o conocen a alguien que conoce a alguien quien sufrió la ira del Pombero, privado de cigarros, o se paralizó del miedo al sentir la presencia fantasmal de la Mala Visión. Si te han contado historias sobre los mitos te animo a que los compartas conmigo en un email para incluirlas dentro de esta serie. ¡Asegúrate de incluir tu nombre (o pseudónimo) y quíen te contó la historia!