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Long before guaraná became a soft drink, the Indian tribes of the Amazon gathered seeds from the guaraná plant. They used the rough tongue of giant piracuru as a sanding tool to make a fine powder from the seeds. The Indians say this powder can cure many diseases. Because the guaraná powder became such a powerful medicine for them, they have a myth about its origin. 

Many years ago, deep in the Brazilian jungle, there lived two Indians - man and wife. They were the happiest couple in the tribe. They were beloved within their tribe and worked hard for the well-being of everyone. But they had one great unhappiness: they had no children. 

The great Indian god Tupã took pity on them and gave them a beautiful son. His gift made the couple even happier, more respected and more hard working than they had already been. Their son grew up and became one of the best young men in the tribe. He was among the strongest and cleverest, good with the bow and arrow and the tribe’s best tracker. He was admired by all because his heart was full of goodwill. When he wasn’t out learning the secrets of the jungle, he would assist his mother with her daily tasks. 

He helped his father fish and hunt, although he did not like to kill animals except when the tribe required food. The boy soon learned almost everything about the Amazon jungle. Members of his tribe swore that he could talk to the monkeys, sing with the forest birds and even trick the snakes. He knew all of the habits of the animals better than any other Indian boy in the tribe. 

There was just one thing he never learned. The boy never learned about Jurupari, the evil spirit who lurks in the heart of the jungle. In fact, he couldn’t learn much about Jurupari because the elders believed he was still too young to hear such terrible tales. 

The young Indian boy’s skill in the forest became so famous that even Jurupari himself heard about it. The evil spirit was furious seeing that such a young boy was so respected by men, animals and birds. So Jurupari decided to take his revenge. “I cannot allow a boy so perfect to exist”, he muttered, as he made his plans. 

The young boy adored picking exotic fruits, and he often went out alone to climb the tall trees and bring home a large basket for his mother. Jurupari saw his chance. He transformed himself into a snake and waited high up in a breadfruit tree on an afternoon when the boy when out to gather fruit. 

Since the young boy had no fear of snakes, he did not worry about the large serpent he saw as he climbed up the tree to pick the breadfruit. Jurupari struck out and sank his fangs into the boy’s arm. Paralysed by the powerful spirit poison, the boy fell dead from the tree. 

When the boy did not return at dusk, his usual hour, the men of the tribe organized a search. It was not long before they found his body below the giant breadfruit tree with the marks of a snake bite. At first the elders could not believe it, because they knew the boy was very wise about all of the snakes in the jungle and he never would have let himself be bitten. But, after they discusses it for a while, one of the elders concluded, “It had to be Jurupari. That was the only secret of the jungle he did not know. We never told him about it” 

"Mari.” they said, "we are so happy and grateful for having the Moon and the Sun, but we still need something more because, although there is no problem during the day, when night comes the monsters leave their caves and keep attacking us.”

The whole tribe, and the neighbouring tribes too, were very sad. The great Indian god Tupã was deeply saddened too. Great rolls of thunder were heard although there were no clouds in the sky at all. Only the boy’s mother was able to understand the message Tupã was sending to the whole tribe. “It is Tupã,” she said. “He wants to comfort us for the loss of such a wonderful son. He says we should plant his eyes in the jungle soil. They will grow and become a miraculous plant which will heal many of our ills.” 

It was done. The boy’s eyes were carefully planted in the jungle soil, and it did not take long for the new plant to sprout. 

The Indians called it “guaraná”, which means, in their language, “fruit like the eyes of the people”. The Amazon people still use the powder of the guaraná plant as a medicine. It is considered one of the best plants in the Amazon jungle.


*Extracted from Brazilian Legends series - Editora FTD - Steve and Maria Yolen