Many times we believe that great discoveries come as a result of great effort, titanic battles, and bittersweet history. The story of Prometheus can be a perfect example because today’s story is a legend about fire in humanity. However, The Owner of Fire is a story that is far removed from the tragedies of ancient Greece. It is actually a story about laughter.
Three birds and a caiman
According to Francesc Ll. Cardona, author of Mitología, Historias y Leyendas de Venezuela (“Mythology, Stories and Legends of Venezuela”), tells the legend that the caiman king, Babá, and his wife the frog lived in the state of Amazonas, near the source of the Orinoco River, one of the largest rivers in South America. They lived in a cave where the other animals were forbidden to enter under penalty of death, because they jealously guarded a secret in the king’s throat.
Orinoco River, Amazonas State. Venezuela [Pedro Gutiérrez, Wikimedia Commons, CC 2.0]
On one occasion, the partridge entered without realizing it, and found burning leaves and caterpillars. When she tasted the insects and noticed the flavor, much better than when she ate them raw, she cautiously walked out, excited by the discovery and certain that “the fire from heaven” had been on earth.
Outside, she met the hummingbird and the bobo bird, the name by which the brown boobies are known in Venezuela, and she told them about the experience. The three of them were so curious to discover the secret that the booby bird entered the cave that night taking advantage of his dark feathers.
The frog arrived soon after with several caterpillars, and Babá, the caiman, opened his mouth to release tongues of fire that cooked the insects. They both ate before going to sleep, and the booby bird went out excited, telling the details to the two birds. Eager to do the same, they decided to steal the king’s fire.
The next day, when the other animals rested on the banks of the Orinoco along with Babá and the frog, the booby bird and the partridge did several pirouettes in the air, making everyone laugh except the king, so the booby bird took a clay ball and threw it at the queen. This got stuck in her mouth, and the king laughed at the scene.
Taking advantage of the fact that he opened his mouth, the hummingbird passed through Babá’s jaws, stealing a small flame, setting a tree on fire when he passed by. Some versions say that it was by accident, and others that it was on purpose, but the truth is that it burned to ashes. Before diving into the waters forever with his wife, the king warned them that the fire could do much harm in the wrong hands.
No matter how hard they tried, the other animals did not know how to use fire like the king, but man did. Since then the hummingbird, the partridge, and the booby bird have become guardians of humanity for their gift.
Always laughter
Many times we have heard that stress is a silent killer and that it can worsen any illness, but that laughter is its most effective remedy. And it is not a fairy tale or myth.
Among the benefits of laughter, the Mayo Clinic explains that it improves the immune system, relieves pain, increases personal satisfaction, improves our mood, and self-esteem. When my father (RIP) started his cancer treatment, one of the recommendations he was given was to watch Mr. Bean movies to keep himself in a good mood, and for many months he was in perfect shape.
According to this legend, laughter was precisely what gave humanity access to fire, and while it is true that it has done a lot of damage in malicious hands, it has also been part of happy moments. My family is proof of that.
A forest fire [Pixabay]
Every weekend, at the family home, we all got together for a barbecue worthy of a battalion; not in vain we are 20 grandchildren of my grandmother, along with distant relatives and friends. It is a custom that began with my maternal grandfather (RIP), and every time there was a barbecue outside, with the uncles carrying coal, cooking, and looking for the chairs and tables, the aunts making countless shish kebabs, I remember the laughter, the jokes, everyone running around making jokes, talking with a smile on their face. Fire can get a bad rap sometimes, but for me it has always been synonymous with family, home, and laughter.
Today maybe not all of us cousins, all my grandmother’s children, be under one roof. The clan has grown quite a bit, but my grandmother’s house was not too small for us. Every time there is a barbecue in that patio under the mango tree, even if it is not as often as before, I know that there is a burning fire that keeps us all united regardless of time and space, a fire surrounded by smiles, music, games, and laughter. Always laughter.
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