Written by Hana Mereraiha. Illustrations by Munro Te Whata. Muysc cubun translation & narration by Brenn Romero. English translation by Mariana Suarez. English narration by Lizzie Dunn.
This story was brought to you by our amazing partners at Latin America CAPE. Find the full 'Legendary Links; project and other language combos for this story here.
Muysc cubun | English |
Fanzac, gueza cha Hatupatu ahycac gaiaz aguene. As cha agotac nyscac aga — cha apquyquychie ynie puyca, apquyquychie fahac aguezaca cuhuminc aguene. | Once upon a time there was a young man called Hatupatu. He was a bit of a trickster—extremely talented with extraordinary abilities. |
Tānez aquye achiegue chichy asynan, Hatupatuz Tāne (quye chunsuaguia) aquihichuque sucas ana. Ys quyena Tanez hizcatoba uaca apquyquychiez cuhuminc abgasqua. | Hatupatu followed in the footsteps of Tāne (deity of the forests) as he moved through the god's majestic forests sharpening his art of casting spells. |
Muysca guisca ipquabe azonuca ocasac chiguquynan, Hatupatu supquaquyn cuhuc aguensan, apquyquynuc hizcatoba uaca apquyquychiez cuhuminc abgangaz abgasqua. Ys nohocan, Hatupatun apquyquychiez muysc pquyquychie quyhyc ai asucune amucanan nohocan, ys apquyquychiez aquybysucanuca cuhuc aguene. | According to all accounts, Hatupatu was somewhat of a sorcerer but he was still in pursuit of magical prowess. In spite of this, he knew he had talents beyond those of other mere mortals but those talents were latent. |
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Sua atan, Hatupatuz sueguana quyen biza agotac amnyz cuhuminc abganan, opqua quihichac chisgoc, Kurangaituku ahycac gaia muysca-sueguana-fuhucha abchibysuca. | One day Hatupatu was practicing his art of sneering birds in the great forest. Little did he know, he was being stalked by a terrifying bird-woman known as Kurangaituku. |
Kurangaituku, achinna muysca cuhuc aguequa, quycagataz muyscas amuynsuca. Asuesica ys abanucaz acoca hata asicague hata abusuca guehesc aguene. | Kurangaituku was a fearsome monstrosity who had a half human appearance. Her nails were gnarled and sharp as was her prominent beak, shaped in a curve. |
Ynacan Kurangaitukuz Hatupatuz abahaiac abgas ahycatac amny. | She ensnared Hatupatu and took him back to her cave. |
Hatupatus Kurangaitukusaz hycatac apquasquan, Hatupatuz Rehua (ocasac muyian quisca chunsuaguia) achuta mabie abchiby. | When they arrived at the cave, Hatupatu saw many of the children of Rēhua (the deity of enlightenment). |
Tānez pquyquychie tobiaz amhistyioa aquihichabozun zona guatquycac apquanan achuta mabiez hoc anny. Hatupatun ys chuta abchiby. | These were the children gifted to Tāne with a number of other species upon Tane’s arrival to the 12th heaven on his famous search for the baskets of knowledge. |
Tānez achuta aquyec amnynan nohocan, achuta atabe, sueguana tūī, chumne chysquyco mānuka, suaguaia nga grillo. Xis Tane chuta azonuca Kurangaituku abahaiac anga. | Tāne then brought these creatures back to his forest; among them the tūī bird, the green mānuka beetle, the cicada, and the cricket. All of them were held captive by Kurangaituku. |
Hatupatuz anac biza abchibyn bohoza, apquyquyz amuyne. Hycatan iannynga cuhuc aguenan nohocan, yca puynuca aianzinga cuhuc aga.
Hatupatu was overwhelmed to see all these creatures and tried at his first opportunity to escape the cave, only to fail.
Iez aquyne nga Hatupatuz ia Kurangaituku abahaiac angasquas apquac aga. | Some time passed and Hatupatu became accustomed to being the captive of Kurangaituku. |
Sua ataz sua ataz Hatupatu aquychyquy moque achquysc aguene. Ynacan, Hatupatuz sueguana-muysca-fuhucha sua puynuca quyia abchibys ys atyns, muysquyn amnypquasucas apquac aga. | Day in and day out his food consisted of mere morsels. He gradually became accustomed to the bird-woman’s habits and attuned to the sounds of nature. |
Kurangaitukuz ipquabe azonuca iahaco etinan sucaz amucan suca npuaca, Hatupatun Kurangaituku hata achiegue ocasac agusqua. As sueguena fuhuchan Tane aquye cuhuman biza sueguana apquanuca aty cuhuc chogue abtyioa apquyquychiez aguene. Apquyquychiez eba mec chyzyngac aguequa asac amuysqua nxie agaca oque hata mec chyzynga asac amuysqua. | Hatupatu marveled at the fact that she was a master of all sounds—her ability to echo the delicate sounds of all the birds of the great forest of Tāne belied the strength of her body and the grotesqueness of her wings. |
Kurangaituku nxie Hatupatu sua puynuca quyia abchibys apquac aga nga as cha apquyquy abquys Kurangaituku apquys azac aga. | Kurangaituku also became accustomed to Hatupatu’s habits and began to give him free reign in the cave. |
Kurangaituku supquaquyn gehespqua apquyquychie bohoza ipqua atabe sueguenac agusquanuca sueguanaz abquy, nga Kuranagaituku guisca cuhuc sueguanaz fuhucha muys chusc anasqua npquaca, Hatupatuz achiez agusqua. | Hatupatu was absolutely bemused by her skill and her sorcerer-ability to control the birds who would flock towards her. So mystified was he that he felt he should try to match those skills. Thus, he started to practice and plot his escape. |
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Ys nohocan, Hatupatu, auec, Te Motu o Tinirau (Mokoia nxie ahyca guy), sienga cuhuc aguene. Sua atan Kurangaitukuz afuinioa ana bohoza, Hatupatuz hycatan aianynga bahaia nzac agaioa ipquabe abquys amny. | One day Kurangaituku left to go hunting and Hatupatu decided to put into action his strategy to escape his incarceration from the cave to return home to Te Motu o Tinirau (known also as Mokoia Island). |
Hatupatuz hycatana chonga aianza amucan suca san nohocan, apquyquychie hata cuhumac aguene ocas gue aguquy, apquyquychie choinc gaia quihichana apquyquy cuhumac abga npquaca. | Hatupatu was aware of the riskiness in attempting to escape but his sheer belief in his own abilities as a newly found master of his now well-formed craft spurred him on. |
Hatupatu hycatan aquihicha hata supqua bohoza aianan iez ami. | Hatupatu ran out of the cave. His escape was so swift that his footsteps caused the land to shudder. |
Ys nohocan, ipquabe apquyn abgaza. Sueguana Piwaiwaka etinanz yn apquyquyne nga Kurangaituku ahycaz abzi, | However he did not count on the shrill screech of one of the birds—the Piwaiwaka calling to Kurangaituku, |
'Aiane! Aiane! Hatupatuz aiane!'. | ‘Escaped! Escaped! Hatupatu has escaped!’ |
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Kurangaituku huc tyzuca asueguana achyzaz amnypquas Hatupatu sucas anas aiane. | Kurangaituku heard the call of her beloved pet and set about chasing Hatupatu. |
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Hatupatuz hycac apquas hizcatobaz abquys, | Hatupatu arrived at a rock and worked his magic saying, |
‘Hyca! Hyca! Hyquis azo!’. | ‘Rock! Rock! Open up!’. |
Hycaz etinans amis aquyhycas aiane nga Hatupatuz supquaguec hyca hui aza. | The rock rumbled, bursting open its door whereupon Hatupatu swiftly entered. |
Ys ypquana, Hatupatuz fac azas xie chitupqua yn aguequa hichyquy ahyca Whakarewarewaca ana. | After a short time Hatupatu reappeared and headed towards the hot springs of the Whakarewarewa. |
Kurangaitukuz Hatupatuz amisqua, asucas fihistan anyquy. Sueguanaz mec chyzynga Hatupatu abtequesucan, afihizca nxie Hatupatu chyza gyc azasqua. Ys cuhuc Hatupatu xis fihizca chogue amuyquy. | He was again being chased by the bird-woman, Kurangaituku, who was close in pursuit—so close he could feel her fiery breath rolling down his neck. |
Hatupatuz aquihicha asupquaguec abgaioa ahizcatobaz abquys amny. | Hatupatu began his art of a ritual charm for more speed, to be fleet of foot. |
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Ubina, Kurangaitukun afihizcaz aguezac agana bohoza sugaca muyhyxio ata nxiez guan azas aguezac aga. | Meanwhile, Kurangaituku’s breathlessness caused her to lose a feather, a black feather. |
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Nga Hatupatuz Tapuwaekura o Hatupatu (Hatupatu quihichoque) hycac gaia quypquana aquihichoquez abza. | Hatupatu also left behind a footprint at the place now named ‘Te Tapuwaekura o Hatupatu’ (The Footprint of Hatupatu). |
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Sa iez aquynzac, chas fuhuchas xiechitupquihiguaca nga xiechitupqua yn zoc fac zasca quypquac apqua. Nga Hatupatu, achihiza aquynez hata cuhuminc aguenec amuyiane guy, ys quypquaca guan azazas aguesnuc ahuihyzy. | It was not long before they both arrived at the hot bubbling springs and geysers—over which Hatupatu jumped demonstrating his physical skills and avoiding the dangerous hazards of those hot springs. |
Kurangaitukun, xie chitupqua yn aguequa hichyquy nga xiechitupqua yn zoc fac zasca yn aguequa quycas amioa uaca apquyquychiez agueza. | Such expertise in terms of navigating the lands of the hot springs and geysers was beyond Kurangaituku’s skill. |
Faoa bohoza opquaz atymygos achahane, nga chituz yn apquyquyne npquaca achihiza aquynez aguenza cuhuc aquynzac agas pihigua chitupquaca guan azas achahane. Ynacan hataca ubuca anmihystyza.
As her eyes became fogged with the steam and she was overcome by heat exhaustion, she fell into the bubbling hot pools never to be seen again.
Hatupatuz achihizaz Kurangaituku chihiza quyhyc ai abgas hizcatoba bohoza aquihicha hata asupquaguec abganan, sas quyhyn zona testz achahane. | The outsmarting of Kurangaituku through physical strength and ritual charm was the first test Hatupatu passed. |
Ngaban Kurangaituku hycatac anyquy, yn apquyquyz achieguec gaiac anyquy. Asyn, hyacat quyhyca fihistana sugaca muyhyxioz abchiby. | He then returned to the cave of Kurangaituku, to the place of his metamorphosis into enlightenment, where he saw a black feather lying at the gateway. |
Ynacan, asyn suza Hatupatu apquyquyn aquycac ahuscanyngaz abga. Yn muysquy nxie sas quyhyn zona testz —umza chiec abgaioa uaca pquyquychie— chogue achahane oque cuhuc, gacaz asan asan abquys, azisquyc abza nga, asucas Kurangaituku bahaia sueguana apquanuca anas, Tinirauca ahuscane | It is there that a burning desire engulfed his being to return to the place of his belonging. He gathered the feather, binding it to his head as a sign that he had passed his first test in life—an ability to transform darkness into light—and returned to the Island of Tinirau with the once enslaved birds of Kurangaituku following close behind. |
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