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Mermaid Tales
The rivers of tropical Bolivia are full of creatures: anaconda, stingrays, piranha and caiman lurk below. What else? People in the village of Salvatierra talk about a race of water people who thrive in hidden caves in the river. They are mermaids, white-skinned and rubbery, and they can only survive for short periods of time out of the water . Some of these mermaid women will beckon to land men, drawing them into their watery world forever. This is a not uncommon explanation for the disappearance of a husband or son. To the east of Salvatierra, in the Jesuit missions of the Chiquitanía, the mermaids represent sinfulness and the peril of violating the interdicts of the Church. The story goes that during Lent, women were prohibited from washing in the river by the missionaries. However, they heard the call of the mermaids at the riverside, and they were drawn to the water in spite of the warnings. The priests punished the women who violated the rule, and they would not let them forget their sin. They had the artisans carve mermaids into the base on the pulpit in San Miguel, a constant reminder of the sin of succumbing to earthly temptation.Perhaps mermaids are only myths, inspired by the freshwater dolphins who travel up the rivers every year during rainy season. From December to April, the rivers swell with the seasonal thunderstorms that shed water on the forests for days on end, and the dolphins explore the smaller rivers and streams. Whatever the explanation may be, the legend of the mermaids beckons us to gaze into the watery depths of the wilderness rivers and wonder what lies beneath. Available for purchase:
The Black River near Salvatierra during rainy season.Below the surface is another world, of anaconda, piranha, dolphins, stingrays, caiman, and maybe mermaids.
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