Typescript Form for Miscue Analysis
Name: ________________________________________________
Book Title: Golden Tales: Myths, Legends, and Folk Legends from
Latin America (“Introduction,” “From the Lands of the Taino,” and
“How the Sea Was Born”)
Author: Lulu Delacre
“Introduction”
1. The Americas were inhabited by scores of different native tribes
1. _______
when the Spaniards arrived in 1492.
2. Each Indian tribe was a nation unto itself, with its own culture and
2. _______
language.
3. Among them were the hospitable Taino Indians, who had
3. _______
established themselves in the islands of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola
(which today contains the countries of the Dominican Republic and
Haiti), Cuba, Jamaica, and the Bahamas.
4. Also among them were the Zapotec Indians, who were master
4. _______
builders living in Mexico.
5. There were the Muisca Indians from Colombia, who were
renowned as goldsmiths, and there were the Inca, who had built a
great empire spanning Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.
5. _______
6. First in search of wealth for the royal treasury, and later with the
6. _______
hope of converting the native people to Christianity, the Spaniards
changed the face and character of the Americas in ways that are still
felt today.
7. Part of their legacy is the Spanish language, part is their Catholic
7. _______
religion, and part is their European culture, which has blended in
many degrees with each different native culture.
8. Today, Latin America possesses a wealth of both pre-Colombian
8. _______
myths from the different native tribes, and legends and folktales that
evolved after the Spanish arrival.
9. In the following pages you will find twelve golden myths, legends,
9. _______
and folktales filled with the beauty and magic that reflect this
fascinating and colorful history.
10. Give yourself up to the voyage of wonder.
10. _______
11. Starting in the Caribbean, then traveling southward to Bolivia,
11. _______
sample the lore that first originated with the Taino, the Zapotec, the
Muisca, and the Inca.
12. Then see how it changes as it blends with the Spanish culture, to
12. _______
become part of the Latin American literature we know today.
________________________________________________________
“From the Lands of the Taino”
13. The Taino Indians were the native people of Puerto Rico,
13. _______
Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica, and the Bahamas.
14. They were called “Taino” because several members of the tribe
14. _______
said that word to Columbus to indicate they were not aggressive like
other tribes from the nearby islands.
15. “Taino” means “good” or “noble” in Arahuaco, their native
15. _______
language.
16. The inhabitants of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola were the most
16. _______
advanced culturally among the Taino.
17. They were accomplished farmers who lived in permanent villages,
17. _______
and were governed by a chief or cacique.
18. It has been chronicled that there were more than 600,000 Taino in
the Caribbean around the time of Columbus’s arrival.
18. _______
19. However, they no longer exist, having perished due to forced
19. _______
labor, wars, and European diseases to which they were not immune.
20. Today, the presence of the Taino people can still be felt.
20. _______
21. Some of their words, commonly used in the Spanish language, are
21. _______
still spoken in areas where the Taino lived.
22. They are present in the carvings of wood, bone, and shell, in the
22. _______
stonework and pottery they left behind, and also in a number of food
crops which they introduced to the Europeans.
23. And as the Spaniards had freely intermixed with the Taino
23. _______
women, they left behind many mixed-race children.
24. But perhaps the Taino spirit is felt most in the welcoming nature
24. _______
of the Caribbean people.
________________________________________________________
“How the Sea Was Born”
25. In the mists of ancient times when the world was new and filled
with the earliest Taino gods, there was Yaya.
25. _______
26. Yaya was the essence, the origin of life, the creator.
26. _______
27. Yaya was the great spirit.
27. _______
28. He had a wife, and a son who was named Yayael.
28. _______
29. The three of them lived together in peace.
29. _______
30. Yayael was an obedient son who did everything he was told.
30. _______
31. But when the boy grew up, things changed.
31. _______
32. He had learned to think for himself and did not always agree with
32. _______
or even like what his father, the great spirit, told him.
33. In fact, Yayael became such a strong-willed boy that he stopped
33. _______
following Yaya’s commands altogether.
34. He did what he pleased when he pleased.
34. _______
35. He talked back to his father, and showed such great disrespect that
35. _______
his father lashed out in anger.
36. “Leave home at once!” the wounded god told his son.
36. _______
37. “And do not return for four moons.”
37. _______
38. So it was done.
38. _______
39. Yayael left, and after four months he returned home.
39. _______
40. But this was not enough time to heal Yaya’s deep torment, and he
40. _______
killed his turbulent-spirited son.
41. With great anguish and sorrow, Yaya collected Yayael’s bones
41. _______
and carefully placed them inside a hollow pumpkin gourd.
42. Next, he hung the gourd high from the roof of his bohío, his hut.
42. _______
43. And that is where they remained.
43. _______
________________________________________________________
44. As time passed, Yaya longed to see his son again.
44. _______
45. So one day, with his wife by his side, he took down the gourd, and
45. _______
they peeked inside.
46. To their amazement, the bones had disappeared!
46. _______
47. Instead, swimming inside the bowl were many fish of all shapes,
47. _______
sizes, and colors.
48. There were big fish, small fish, thin fish, fat fish, silver fish, gold
48. _______
fish, and rainbow-colored fish, too.
49. At first they didn’t know what to make of this.
49. _______
50. They gave it a great deal of thought, and as the fish were fresh and
50. _______
plentiful, they decided to eat them.
51. But for every fish they ate – another grew back in its place!
51. _______
52. Nearby, in the stillness of the air, a piercing scream was heard.
52. _______
53. Then a second scream followed, then a third, then a fourth.
53. _______
54. Mother Earth, Itiba Cahubaba, had given birth to four identical
54. _______
babies, four divine children.
55. Itiba’s firstborn was a rough-skinned baby, so she named him
55. _______
Deminán Caracaracol.
56. Deminán was very curious and fearless.
56. _______
57. As he was a natural leader, his brothers followed him everywhere.
57. _______
58. Ever since he was a small boy, Deminán heard stories about Yaya,
58. _______
and he was determined to learn more about the powerful spirit.
59. Once he saw Yaya leave his bohío.
59. _______
60. He followed him to his vegetable garden.
60. _______
61. In this garden, Yaya tended his corn and his yucca.
61. _______
________________________________________________________
62. Deminán noticed he did this every morning.
62. _______
63. So early one day, he and his brothers waited close by.
63. _______
64. As soon as Yaya had gone to care for his corn and yucca,
64. _______
Deminán Caracaracol swiftly led his brothers to the hut and snuck
inside.
65. There, hanging high from the roof, they discovered the magic
65. _______
gourd.
66. When they took it down, they saw fish of all shapes, sizes, and
66. _______
colors still swimming inside.
67. The fish looked so delicious, they could not resist eating them.
67. _______
68. And just as they were about to finish their delicious meal,
68. _______
Deminán felt the approaching presence of Yaya.
69. Fearing punishment, the children quickly tried to hang the gourd
back in its place.
69. _______
70. But the gourd slipped and crashed to the ground, breaking into
70. _______
many, many pieces.
71. Suddenly, a torrent of water gushed from the broken gourd.
71. _______
72. It spilled over the earth, and covered it with rivers, lakes, oceans,
72. _______
and seas.
73. With the crashing waves and flowing streams came swimming and
73. _______
rushing fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
74. There were big fish, small fish, thin fish, fat fish, silver fish, gold
74. _______
fish, and fish of all colors of the rainbow.
75. There was water and fish in infinite quantities.
75. _______
76. And this is how, from Yayael’s bones, the sea was born.
76. _______
77. It is said that the Taino Indians would hang a basket containing a
77. _______
man’s skull from one of the bohío’s posts.
78. This was done around the times the days grew a little shorter and
78. _______
the sun was not as hot.
79. They did so to have a bountiful fishing season, and to remember
their slain hero’s bones from which the sea was born.
79. _______