Author Archives: Miguel Garcia

Kitimbwe Tamosolo

I had lunch with a good friend on Sunday. During the lunch, he told me three legends. Here is the first:

“Kitimbwe Tamosolo was known to be a liar in the village. He used to say that he never used to poop. He would feast a lot but would never poop and everyone would stand back in awe and marvel at him. What he actually used to do was, he would go very far into the forest and there he dug a hole and then he would poop, covering up his excrement. Sometimes he would stitch his butt cheeks just so he would not poop. One day he went to poop in the forest and forget to cover the hole had pooped in, when he was done. And then eventually his poop made its away through the hole and followed behind him, into the village without his knowledge. When he got to the village center his poop started singing, “Kitimbwe Tamosolo Kitimbwe, you say you never poop but you do” to gather attention from the villagers. When everybody saw this they started laughing at Kitimbwe, he was so embarrassed he ran away.”

Collector Analysis:

My friend recalls hearing this legend from his grandmother, who helped raise him. He said that while his mother would scold him for lying, his grandmother would take a more humorous approach by telling this story. She told the same story to all of his older siblings which means that this legend was an integral part of his childhood. My friend understood that the moral of the story was to not tell a lie but what he takes away from the story now is the importance of not hiding your true self. He believes this legend is meant to provoke the question, “Who am I? And, should I be ashamed of myself?”

Out of all the legends I have collected this was by far the most eccentric. I enjoyed the humorous approach this legend undertook. The legend of Kitimbwe Tamosolo makes me wonder how open-minded the Congolese people are considering they are comfortable sharing a story about poop. I could not imagine anyone in my family sitting me down and sharing this story nor have I ever heard a story similar to this. That being said, I believe the legend does an incredible job of warning against lying which makes this legend meaningful, useful, and thought provoking.

The Hindu Creation Story

My friend and I were working on homework in Trojan Hall. I asked him if he knew of any Indian folklore. The first legend he gave me was “The Birth of Ganesha”, the second was “Vishnu and Nardar”, here is the third:

S: “This is perhaps the most well-known Hindu belief for the creation of the world…

There was no heaven, earth, or space in-between. The world was a large, dark vast ocean that licked the edges of Night. In the ocean, a giant cobra floats asleep in the water. In the endless coils of the cobra is Lord Vishnu. Vishnu watches over the serpent. Everything is peaceful, silent, and Lord Vishnu is undisturbed. From the depths of the sea, Vishnu begins to hear the noise ‘om’ which awakens him. As the dawn begins to break, a lotus opens releasing Vishnu and the serpent, Brahma.

Vishnu commands the snake, ‘its time to start, create the world.’

In that instant, the wind picks up the water and Vishnu vanishes. However, the serpent remained in the lotus floating and tossing in the sea. He lifts up his arms and calms the wind and sea, then Brahma splits the lotus into three pieces. One was the heavens, the second was the earth, and the third was the skies. The earth was bare, Vishnu created all vegetation. To every flower and tree he gave a way for them to feel. Then he created animals. Brahma gives every living thing the power to have sensations and feelings, and from then on that is the world.”

Collector Analysis:

The creation story is a part of the Rigveda, which explains why he knows it so well. His grandfather was the first to ever tell him the creation myth. My friend said that his grandfather keeps his family grounded in Hindu traditions so it is only appropriate that his grandfather is charged with telling the creation story.

I really enjoyed hearing the creation story from my friend because his voice was full of passion and genuine interest the entire time. The Hindu way of explaining the world’s creation is so peaceful and tranquil when compared to other cultures. I find it interesting that the Christian creation myth places the snake into a negative connotation while the Hindu creation myth elevates the snake and places it on an equal level with the gods.

Vishnu and Nardar

My friend and I were working on homework in Trojan Hall. I asked him if he knew of any Indian folklore. The first legend he gave me was “The Birth of Ganesha”, this was the second:

S: “The next story is about lord Vishnu. Nardar, the most devout hindu around because he is partially a sage and partially divine, goes to Vishnu and says, ‘Arent I your most devout disciple?’

Vishnu responds, ‘Youre one of the greatest.’

Nardar took offense and said, ‘Who could possibly be greater?’

Vishnu transports Nardar and himself to a small farm in India and disguises themselves as refugees. They see the farmer. The farmer receives them with open arms, bathing and feeding them. The farmer then decides to go finish his work for the day, Vishnu and Nardar accompany him.

After the vistit, Nardar ask, ‘What makes the farmer more special than me?’

Vishnu watches the farmer farm, and responds, ‘Watch’

Throughout the entire time, the farmer is singing prayers to Vishnu as he works. They all return to the farmer’s home, where the farmer’s wife cooks chapathi. Vishnu and Nardar eat all the food, leaving the family to starve.

The farmer’s child ask, ‘Why are you letting these people steal our food?’

The farmer responds, ‘Within every guest you have, god exist. So you must treat every person like god.’

His son goes to bed hungry. The following day, Vishnu and Nardar go and attempt to help the farmer with his work. Vishnu says to Nardar, ‘If you want to prove you’re my most devout disciple, carry these jugs of water up the mountain.’

Nardar, being a sage, has a difficult time with the physical task and stumbles to the top. Vishnu awaits for him at the top to congratulate him. Vishnu ask, ‘During that entire time, did you even think of me?’

Nardar responds, ‘No I did not.’

Vishnu points to the farmer, ‘Can you hear him praying to me while he labors.’ and Nardar realizes he is not the greatest disciple.”

Collector Analysis:

My friend described the myth of “Vishnu and Nardar” as his favorite because it helps him stay sociable and amiable. He first heard it from his grandmother, who was trying to teach him the importance of maintaining ties to his Hindu heritage. He expressed how the myth acts as a way for him to maintain his cultural identity, but also acts as a warning against arrogance.

The myth of “Vishnu and Nardar” was probably the most meaningful of the three myths my friend shared with me. Growing up Roman Catholic, the stories I heard warning against arrogance were significantly different and deciphering the hidden message in each story was difficult. Still, the Hindu approach to teaching a lesson seems more personal to me and the message clearer.

The Birth of Ganesha

My friend and I were working on homework in Trojan Hall. I asked him if he knew of any Indian folklore:

S: “The first story is about the son of our main deity. The three main deities are Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. Shiva’s wife, Parvati, went to live on Mount Kailas after the wedding. She lived with the ganas (sages), or other males aside from her husband. Parvati soon got lonely and she decides she wants a child. However, since Parvati does not have Shiva’s attention she decides that she will spawn a child from her own body. She makes a statue of her future son out of sandal wood that she takes from her own body. She request help from Nandi, a gana. Nandi waits outside as a lookout while Parvati is creating her child. However, Shiva appears outside and Nandi greets him and does not try to stop him. Shiva enters the home where he catches Parvati. Shiva is immediately outraged; however, the sandalwood is enchanted and so the child comes to life. Shiva responds unfavorably, and decides to kill the son the next day. The following day, Parvati brings her son to Shiva. Shiva throws a trident at the son and in the process, beheads him. As Shiva witnesses Parvati’s grief, he takes the head of a baby elephant and places it on the son’s body. The elephant head and the son’s body become one. That is the story of the birth of Ganesha.”

Collector Analysis:

My friend has been hearing this myth since he was a child and remembers it mainly as a bedtime story. He says that “The Birth of Ganesha” is a classic story that is often told from generation to generation in the Hindu community. He first learned the myth from his mother, but he mentions that his mother learned the myth from her mother. According to my friend, this particular myth acts as a cultural beacon to convey how family and culture is shared through the generations.

I find it interesting how “The Birth of Ganesha” was used as a bedtime story in my friend’s household. While I am sure the myth has an underlying and deeper meaning, much of the popularity of the myth comes from its simplicity and quick resolution at the end. My friend didn’t give me information beyond the legend, so after rereading the myth I can’t help but wonder about the symbolism of the elephant head. Overall, “The Birth of Ganesha” was my favorite of the three Hindu legends I collected.

Legend of the Cucuy

I recently spent the day with my aunt. While we had lunch, she recounted a legend from her childhood in El Salvador:

E: “El cucuy es una criatura q vive debajo de la cama q se lleva a los niños q se portan mal, se dice que vive en armarios también. Nadie sabe la aparencia real del cucuy, pero muchos dicen q tiene las orejas como las de los murciélagos y los dientes afilados. Cuando los niños se portan mal, los padres le dicen a sus hijos que el cucuy llegará y los comerá. De niño a menudo se escucha a los los padres cantar una canción de cuna q dice: “Duermete mi niño, duérmete ya/Que viene el Coco y te comerá.” Practicamente es una historia q los padres inventaban para hacer q sus hijos se portaran bien, inculcándoles temor se ser castigados por un ser sobrenatural sino lo hacían”

E: “The Cucuy is a creature who lives under beds and kidnaps misbehaved children, it is said that he lives in closets as well. Nobody knows the Cucuy’s real appearance, but many say he has the ears of a bat and sharpened teeth. When children misbehave, their parents tell them that the cucuy is going to come and eat them. As a child, the parents are often heard singing a lullaby that says, “Sleep, my child, go to sleep, and the Cucuy will come and eat you.” It is practically a story that the parents invented to make their children behave well, instilling fear of being punished by a supernatural being if the children didn’t behave.”

Collector Analysis:

My aunt heard this story from her mother, who would sing the lullaby to her. However, the legend of the Cucuy was not a very memorable legend for my aunt. She couldn’t give as many details as she could for the legend of la Sihuanaba. The Cucuy is just the Salvadorean version of the boogieman. The legend helps parents ensure their children behave. The one thing I found fascinating was the Cucuy’s shared characteristics with a bat. In El Salvador, bats are a common occurrence. Just like in Los Angeles possums run free at night, in El Salvador bats own the night.