The Kururu (toad) in the Guarani and Paraguayan Culture. Anuros. Amphibians Vertebrates Animal Kingdom. Wildlife. Fauna. Zoology.

For David Galeano Olivera

1. INTRODUCTIÓN

A while ago, Prof. Andrea Weiler, biologist; researcher and teacher of the Biology Career of the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences of the National University of Asunción (Paraguay) where I also teach in the Chair of Anthropology; She told me about a research work on the batrachians, in which she was involved with other researchers; And it was then that she proposed me to write about the frogs in the Guarani and Paraguayan tradition; that is to say, to refer to the popular, unscientific conception that people have of these peculiar, mysterious and magical animals. This adventure began there, which I will now explain.
Sapo, according to the Espasa dictionary, is the common name of numerous species of anuran amphibians of the buffoon family. They have a plump body, bulging eyes, short limbs, and warty skin with mucous and granular glands, which secrete acrid and irritating substances, often poisonous. They live in the warm-temperate zones of the world. Some varieties of toad are: the common toad, whose scientific name is Bufo bufo, and is one that gathers in groups around the water during the mating season. It is the largest European species. Then there is the running toad, whose scientific name is Bufo calamita, and it is small, olive in color and with a light stripe on the back. Lives in western Europe. Finally, there is the midwife toad, whose scientific name is Alytes obstetricans, and is characterized by the fact that the male carries the eggs between the hind legs until the tadpoles hatch. Lives in southwestern Europe.
The toad has the name of kururu in Guarani. Investigating in two Guarani-Spanish dictionaries, one from Trinidad and the other from Villamayor; about the toad, they say: "Kururu: Toad. Anuran amphibian, buffoon family. It has a gland that secretes a very dangerous poison for human blood." Villamayor adds that they live 25 years and more, and that if an animal tries to bite a toad, the skin gives off a substance that gives the sensation of stinging in the mouth, which causes the attacker to quickly let go of the prey. They feed preferentially on insects and worms. In both dictionaries two varieties are mentioned, which are not actually kururu (toad) but ju'i (frog), despite their respective names beginning in kururu. Thus, the kururu pytâ (literally: red or red toad) which is a frog that is not a toad, but a large frog. It is edible, with very tasty meat. Then there is the kururu sa'yju (literally: yellow toad) which is a large frog that changes color. On the other hand, the Villamayor dictionary describes frogs in the following way: "Ju'i: frog. Anuran amphibian, from the Ránidos family. It lives in puddles, streams and damp places". Among the varieties of frog, mention is made of the ju'i hovy (literally: blue frog), known as a monkey frog with a vertical pupil, with prominent parathyroid glands. Hands and feet graspable, with their opposable thumbs. Slow-moving, it lives on vegetation and makes its nests in branches above the water. It adapts to dry environments and to avoid dehydration, it covers itself with a substance produced by its glands. Then there is the ju'i titi (literally: small frog): or small frog; and finally, the ju'i pakova (literally: banana or bananal frog): known as the calf frog. It is an arboreal species, which lives in the trunks of bananas, hence its name.
The current territory of Paraguay was the pre-Columbian seat of the Guarani Nation and of other native indigenous communities, not Guarani. Later, after the conquest and the colony, the current Republic of Paraguay was constituted, in the heart of South America. Likewise, this continental space was always populated by large forests and mountains with numerous varieties of animals, whether aquatic, terrestrial or aerial; Hence, the first indigenous - creator and owner of the Guarani Language - always lived in that natural context and therefore nominated in Guarani practically all zoological and botanical species and varieties; among them the toad (kururu) and the frog (ju'i). In the second instance -from the colony and to present-day Paraguay- the mestizo (son of the Spaniard and the Guarani woman) continued to live together in that same natural space, and also learned to appreciate, distinguish and nominate animals and plants more commonly in Guarani , as this is the everyday language of Paraguayan, until today. It should be noted that the nominations of the varieties were always related to some external or environmental characteristic of the animal: color (kururu pytâ), size (ju'i titi) or the place or site they inhabit (ju'i pakova).
From the above it can be deduced that the Guarani and later the rural Paraguayan learned to differentiate wild animals almost always dangerous or harmful (aguara = fox, jaguarete = tiger, guasu = deer, ka'i = monkey, mborevi = tapir, kapi'yva = capybara, etc) of the usually tame and useful domestic animals (jagua = dog, mbarakaja = cat, vaka = cow, kavaju = horse, ovecha = sheep, kavara = goat, kure = pig, ype = duck, etc. ). Likewise, he learned to recognize and live with some semi-domestic animals, such as the toad and the frog; and I say this because the dwellings -both Guarani and Paraguayan- settled in the proximity or coast of some river or stream, where these small animals always abounded; And that is how the relationship between amphibians and humans of the Guaranitic Region (Paraguay and areas of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Uruguay) began. Today those natural spaces (forests and mountains) have practically disappeared and Paraguayan society has become urban, however the characteristics and names of these animals and plants still remain in the retina and in the minds of grandparents and parents, who some once they came from the country to the city. Today, young people and children living in urban centers, for example, no longer know ju'i pakova or kururu pytâ. In any case, it would be necessary to show them some image or video about them so that they learn to recognize them; something that their grandparents and parents - "before" - observed daily in their environment and distinguished them with great ease.
The fact of having lived for a long time in a natural environment, allowed both the Guarani and the Paraguayan, to sharpen their power of observation. Many of the traditional phrases (beliefs, superstitions, uses, customs, legends, sayings, etc.) were and are always linked to plants, animals and minerals. In short, the inhabitants of this region were always sensitive and knowledgeable about their natural environment.

2. DEVELOPMENT

In the Paraguayan tradition, the kururu or toad is the most recurrent (in relation to the ju'i or frog) in different daily circumstances; in other words, the toad is mentioned or more remembered in countless events. In some cases, the kururu inspires fear or is used to inspire fear, so when a creature misbehaves or does not want to sleep, it is often said: "Cháke, kururu oúta ndéve. = Be careful, the toad will come to you." At other times, the kururu was funny, or served or serves to cause laughter from its unaesthetic appearance. In this regard there is a ñe'ênga (popular saying) that states: "Nde muleteer mold vai kururu ñembo'y = Unmold man like a standing toad. Likewise, when the creatures stick their tongues out at a friend or an adult, they are immediately called "kururu" or "toad" and it is usually added "only toads stick out their tongues", that attitude (stick out the tongue) is considered as a An act of rudeness, because children should not stick their tongues out at anyone, only toads do that. they are rude.

2.1. The Kururu among the Guarani
León Cadogan - a deep connoisseur of the traditions of the Guarani - compiled in his work Ayvu Rapyta the myth of the kururu or toad, who was - in the beginning of humanity - the provider of fire, the first element provided to the inhabitants of the earth. Indeed, Ñande Ru Tenonde (Our First Father) sent his son Papa Mirî to earth and he considered that the first need was fire and for that purpose he asked his messenger, his son: toad, to catch the greater amount of fire. He did so and deposited the fire in a segment of aju'yjoa (a flabby variety of laurel, used until today by the Mbya Guarani to produce fire by spreading). In another version of this myth, Kururu tried to deceive Papa Mirî, wanting to save a bit of charcoal for his own use, for which reason he was turned into a batrachian, as we know him today. Specifically, from this myth the value that the kururu has for the Guarani is deduced, since it was one of the first animals of all creation, responsible - nothing more and nothing less - for the provision of fire to the earth. Because of the above, it is that the toad enjoys great respect among the Guarani.
2.2. The toad in another indigenous community, not Guarani, that inhabits Paraguay.
Among the Totobiegosodes (Ayoreos) there is a legend that deals with Ahoâi, the son of the clouds; in whose plot some mischievous children had a habit of making fun of Ahoâi, a meek cloud. They shot her with sticks, a fact that one day greatly annoyed Ahoâi, who turned into a huge black cloud and began to rain for days and weeks, until it covered the entire earth. The mischievous children drowned and turned into toads, and despite this, they continued to tempt themselves in the language of the toads.

2.3. Kururu and diseases
In Paraguayan popular culture, there are two conditions that supposedly and specifically "can be cured" with the kururu or toad: erysipelas and cancer.

2.3.1. Isipula (Erysipelas): This condition is caused by a mite bite. The Paraguayan cures isipula by scrubbing the belly of a live toad against the affected leg, using up-down or bottom-up movements. According to tradition, the toad absorbs the fever and the patient is cured. However, for the cure to be truly effective, the toad or toads used must be buried in the direction of the sun.

2.3.2. Cancer: For some time now, a kind of syrup or preparation, known by the name of kururu broth or toad soup, became very popular in Paraguay. Indeed, a family from the City of Coronel Oviedo was the pioneer in this practice; later joined by a nun from an Asuncena religious congregation. Basically, this "remedy" is prepared by boiling toads with some other ingredient that we do not know. The resulting boil is a crystalline, transparent liquid that must be administered to people suffering from cancer in any of its presentations. Many people who have tried this medicine say it is effective.

2.4. The kururu and the page (magic)
As well as voodoo magic and Brazilian macumba, in Paraguay a form of sorcery or magic known by the name of page is practiced. Dionisio González Torres in his book Folklore del Paraguay cites the "ingredients" used by the pajeséro or witch; Thus, and by way of example: cemetery soil, candles, hundreds of different colors, needles and pins, and also leather or kururu or toad skin. In fact, it is worth noting that the root "kuru" suggests -in indigenous Guarani- the idea of ​​something magical, with supernatural power or portentous virtue. Thus, the amulets, relics or talismans in Guarani are called kurundu. On the other hand, the indigenous people throw leaves of the tree known as kurupa'y (Piptadenia macrocarpa Benth; P. communis; P. rigid. Legumes mimosáceas) in the fire that presides over their religious rituals, causing hallucinations. Dionisio González Torres in his book Catalog of Medicinal Plants used in Paraguay says that Kurupa'y is rich in tannin, up to 25%. From its seeds, bufotenin or bufonine has been isolated. This indole-derived drug is the 5-hydroxy-N.N.-dimethyl-tryptamine component that is also found -a striking and interesting coincidence- in the glandular secretions of toads of the genus Bufo.

2.5. Kururu and popular sayings (ñe'ênga)
Among the ñe'ênga (popular sayings), for example, there are several that refer to the kururu or toad, namely:
2.5.1.- Kururu ra'ýnte oñembyasy, because isy naikámai (The tadpole is afflicted, because its mother does not have a tit)
2.5.2.- Ju'i opurahéi jave, okýta (when the frog sings it is because it will rain)
2.5.3.- Amangýpe kururu osêva (the toad usually comes out in the rain)
2.5.4.- Aguapyhápevoi aju he'i kururu oñeme'êrô chupe apyka oguapy hagua (Sitting vine says the toad when they invite him to sit down)
2.5.6.- Amanova'erâ che kapríchope, he'i kururu ohasárô rustic (On my whim I will die, says the toad when crossing the road)
2.5.7.- This is what burns me he'i kururu ohechárô tractor (This is what the toad says burns me when he watches the tractor move towards him)
2.5.8.- This is life he'i kururu ohórô airplane-pe (This is life says the toad when he travels by plane)
2.5.9.- This burns me he'i kururu ohasárô hi'ári rupi kamiö (This is what the toad says burns me when a truck crosses over him)
2.5.10.- Igusto korócho, he'i kururu pirépe oñehe'ÿiva'ekue (What a pleasure! Says who scratches himself with the leather of a toad)
2.5.11.- Iporâva ndaipo'ái he'i kururu osêrô rutape (Beautiful creatures like me have no luck, says the toad when entering a route)
2.5.12.- Kóvape ajokáta che rye he'i kururu ohechárô kamiô ilu rendy oúvo (With these I will burst my belly, says the toad when in the distance he sees a truck coming with the lights on, thinking that it is insects)
2.5.13.- Jahápy ñambope he'i kururu osêrô rutape (Let's crush, says the toad when he goes out on the road)
2.5.14.- Mitâ'i ipo'áva che, he'i kururu osêrô rutape (I'm a lucky boy, says the toad when he goes out on the road)
2.5.15.- Nde jajúra! he'i kururu ha ha'e ndaijajúrai (By your neck! says the toad despite not having a neck)
2.5.16.- Kóva ivai he'i imemby kururúva (This one is ugly, it says who had a toad son)
2.5.17.- Kururu rekakáicha hû (It is as black as toad excrement)
2.5.18.- Kururúicha hopepi ruru (As the toad has swollen eyelids)
2.5.19.- Typychápe kururúicha oñemosê (He was thrown as the toad is expelled with the broom)
2.5.20.- Kuña ryeguy ro'ysâ kururu (Woman who has a cold belly similar to a toad)
2.5.21.- Mitâ rye chigua kururu petáka (Pot-bellied child similar to the retacon toad)
These ñe'ênga (popular sayings) are products of the constant and punctilious observation that the Paraguayan makes of the entire figure of the toad, its defects, virtues and customs. After mentioning these ñe'ênga it is absolutely clear that the Paraguayan feels a special attraction towards this animal, devoting it a strange, almost unusual attention.

2.6. The kururu and the nicknames or brand names.
On the other hand, the Paraguayan's fondness for the Kururu is demonstrated in the different nicknames, nicknames or brand names that he gives to practically all his peers. In Paraguay it is difficult to find a person who does not have a nickname, nickname or brand name and a large number of them are related to the toad. Like this:
2.6.1.- Kururu - It is said who is short, fat and with a short neck.
2.6.2.- Kururu pelóta - It is said to someone who does not have a slim figure and is short.
2.6.3.- Kururu pire - It is said to those who have grainy and rough facial skin, similar to the leather of a toad. This nickname was applied to one of the darkest torturers who "stood out" during the stronista dictatorship. The mere mention of that nickname caused panic in people.
2.6.4.- Kururu rekaka - It is said to the person with brown skin or dark and short skin.
2.6.5.- Toad Songbook - It is the nickname of the great Paraguayan artist César De Brix (musician, composer and singer), now deceased.
2.7. Kururu and food.
The name kururu for similarity is applied to bread or biscuit dipped in water and slightly sweetened with sugar or honey. In the same way, it is said of the biscuit or bread dipped in some broth or soup. Likewise, this name applies to bread or biscuits dipped in milk, coffee or cooked. In the three cases mentioned, the bread or biscuit swells up, resembling the toad.

3. CONCLUSION

After this cultural journey in which we rescued some circumstances related to the kururu or toad, it is seen that said animal was always the center of attention of the Guarani and the Paraguayan. The kururu always attracted the attention of the people of this region, above various other animals; being also the undisputed protagonist of the daily work of the human being.
The kururu practically was and is present everywhere with the people of this place; thus, in religiosity, medicine, beliefs and popular customs; In other words, the toad is like a mythical omnipresent being, because it is on the shore of the stream or river, in the pasture, under the shade of a tree or among its branches, in the rain; on the street, road, paved or paved; in the room or under the bed of some Paraguayan; its "croaking" is as well known as the barking of the dog or the meowing of the cat, without being properly a domestic animal; since not even in school textbooks does it enjoy the reputation of a domestic animal.
However, that being with a plump body, bulging eyes, short limbs and warty skin provided with mucous and granular glands always attracted the attention of the Guarani and the Paraguayan. Sometimes inspiring fear, sometimes causing grace and sympathy, and sometimes giving good luck. At present, among the most sold ceramic pieces in Paraguay, is the pair of toads, which must occupy a preferential place in the garden or at home, in order to ensure good luck to their owners.
That is then the kururu or toad. peculiar, mysterious and magical animal that was sacrificed several times - or in other words, "gave its life or its hide" - in favor of the Guarani and the Paraguayan, since it always had several "uses" in various circumstances, some of them difficult and desperate.

KURURU KYRA (CHAMAME)

Words and Music: Jorge Román Gómez - El Kunumi (from Corrientes, Argentina)

OJITOS SALTONES, PANCITA GORDA
ANDA A LOS SALTOS EN EL YUYAL
NO TIENE COLA, VERDE ESPERANZA
AMA LA LLUVIA Y LA LIBERTAD

EN LOS JARDINES Y ENTRE LAS FLORES
EL CASCARUDO EMPIEZA A TEMBLAR
CHÁKE CHAMIGO, NO SOY COMIDA
LE PEGA UN GRITO EN LA OSCURIDAD

RESPETEN AL KURURU
AL HOMBRE QUIERE AYUDAR
LE GUSTA EL CHAMAME
A LOS SALTITOS SUELE BAILAR

VAI LE HIZO TUPÂ
PERO IGUAL LE HA DE QUERER
LENGUA LARGA ES EL KURURU
PERO SOLO PARA COMER

FAMA DE MALO TIENE EL PETISO
PERO NO SE METE CON LA YARARÁ
SE HACE EL DORMIDO, RESPIRA LENTO
BICHITO VIVO EL KURURU KYRA

TIENE SU CASA BAJO LAS PIEDRAS
EN ALGÚN CAÑITO O EN EL HUMEDAL
CUANDO SE ENOJA ES TRAICIONERO
CHÁKE TU OJO TE VA A ORINAR

(*) President (General Director) of ATENEO DE LENGUA Y CULTURA GUARANI. Professor, Graduate and Master of Guarani Language and Culture. University teacher. Bilingual writer. Public translator. E-mail: dgo@paraway.net.py



Other information about fauna in Aragón:

A small list of species in Aragon would be the following:

Vertebrates	Invertebrates
Mammals Red squirrel. Bear. Fox. Artiodactyl Ungulates Deer. Wild pig. Birds Classification of Birds Storks. Capercaillies. Reptiles Amphibians Urodelos.    Marbled Triton.    Webbed Triton.    Pyrenean triton. Anurans. Fishes	Metazoans Arthropods Myriapods Insects Arachnids Spiders Crustaceans Annelids Worm Molluscs Asquelmintos Platelmintos Celentereos Porifera Protozoa
images about the fauna in Aragon.    photographs on invertebrates.    beneficial animals for agriculture.



Also Aragon enjoys a diverse and varied Nature where passing by plants, animals, Geology, or landscapes we can arrive at a fantastic bestiary that lives in its monuments.

The information will not be complete without a stroll by its three provinces, with shutdown in some of its spectacular landscapes like Ordesa, the Moncayo, Monegros or by opposition the Ebro.

Also you can dedicarte to the intangible ones: from the legend compilation that also does to universal Aragon.