Dachapiboraté Yusõri
Killer of Dachapiboraté:
A man named *Dachapiboraté was killed by his sister’s husband.
Dachapiboraté’s wife’s brother said: “I’m going to go to see my sister and her family.”
They say the rain wouldn’t ‘bite’ their garden. So he left and went to his sister’s village, but it’s said his sister’s husband had a forked stick that is used for witchcraft called *gase.
When he arrived he said: “We are not doing well in our town for the rain won’t ‘bite’ us.”
And when he reached his sister’s place Dachapiboraté said: “Your brother’s here!” And then he said: “Bring some squash for your brother.”
But her brother said: “No, don’t bring squash, bring the fruit called *doridie that you prepare and I will suck the mealy part that comes off it’s leaves.”
And then the killer left and went to see his countrymen. But it’s said, he hid himself and came out on the other side of his house.
His children saw him, and they said to their grandmother: “Grandma, it’s father. He’s inside the house.”
But their grandmother asked the boy: “Is your father hiding from us?”
He was inside the house with his companions, planning how to kill Dachapiboraté. He said: “I’ll kill that witch doctor Dachapiboraté who eats from his garden.”
They say they talked and he told them how he would do it: “I’ll light a pipe for him, and grab him while he’s smoking.”
So when Dachapiboraté smoked his pipe, his brother-in-law grabbed him and they killed him as he was smoking. And then they left, and it’s said, they were going to go to the fruitful garden that Dachapiboraté had made. Then a wise person among them said: “Bring the food he was boiling, and we’ll see if Dachapiboraté uses his witchcraft against us and tries to kill us.”
It happened just as the wise man said, Dachapiboraté did pursue them and, though they didn’t see him, an eerie noise followed behind them. But just as he was reaching them, Dachapiboraté turned back when he reached the edge of the healthy green garden he had made.
Oidabiade – Campo Loro, Paraguay – 1988.
Transcribed and translated to English by: Maxine Morarie.
