The Lempa River

Long ago, before the creation of the indigenous man on the American territory. In those days, a family with supernatural powers used to live in El Salvador. They were demigods of the mythology of Cuzcatlan! They lived in the Salvadorian rainforest. However, despite being a dense and deep jungle, the water was very scarce, and to collect some was needed to walk by long stretches of hostile territory. The worst part was they needed to carry it in clay pots. It was very heavy work that they had to do daily.

In those days, there was a family of demigods. It consisted of two elders and two young boys. These were grandchildren of the elder couple who were descendants of Tlaloc.

Daily, the grandfather was going to collect water for their chores. He knew where to discover it. However, he never revealed the secret of where he got it. Most of the time, his grandchildren accompanied him and sent them back with water without ever revealing, where, or what part of the jungle he got it. Nevertheless, the guys were tired of so much work that they decided to investigate how their grandfather got the water.

One morning, the oldest of the brothers decided to follow the trail of his mythical grandfather. The jungle was an extremely dense place. There were no rivers or lagoons, and less water as well. It didn’t seem like the cleverest idea in his life. It rained very little or nothing in the jungle back then. However, since he possessed supernatural powers, the young man transformed himself into a hummingbird and followed the old man through the jungle. His grandfather was going to take a bath, and it was an excellent opportunity, and he would not waste it.

When he arrived at the place his grandfather was; his surprise was unbelievable! From the trunk of the gigantic ceiba, a massive amount of water sprouted! Thus, the secret of the grandfather had been uncovered.

He flew for hours to inform his brother. They planned how to get the water without continuing the painful work of carrying water for miles for their grandmother. When they arrived, they planned a strategy and would require all the help they could gather. They resorted to all the jungle creatures and explained to obtain the water everyone should collaborate. The animals were amazed and decided to help. Therefore, they came to the huge giant ceiba and began to fall. It took them all day to cut it. However, they were tired and stopped. They decided to throw it the next day, cutting the missing part.

The next day, when they returned to the ceiba was intact, as if nothing had happened! Without cutting marks or damage, the ceiba was still standing and with the water jet intact.

They spent three days trying to cut the ceiba, and the tree was back the next day as if nothing! The brothers saw the tree was magical. However, it also received help from another being as well as its protection. The brothers suspected it was their grandfather and planned another strategy to tear down the powerful and imposing ceiba.

The following day they arrived with a great conviction to tear down the ceiba. Again, they were working to knock down the tree and tried to the same point when the tree was always magically regenerating.

Minutes later, the younger brother left his brother and the animals working with the ceiba. He transformed into a scorpion, and went searching for his grandfather, who had always protected that tree! The child found his grandfather and itched him with a powerful poison on his foot.

The old man jumped from the pain and stopped protecting the ceiba for a while. The eldest brother and the animals took advantage of this moment and knocked down the ceiba! When the ceiba fell, the roar was tremendous! Everyone ran because the great tree caused an earthquake, and the water of the ceiba began to sprout uncontrollably.

The ceiba trunk transformed into the Lempa River (figure 1). Its branches in its multiple tributaries during almost 500 km through the territories of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador until it reaches the Pacific Ocean. Also, the leaves and thorns of that ceiba transformed into fish, snakes, lizards, and other aquatic animals of the mighty Lempa River. And this is how this significant river was born!

Figure 1. The Lempa River.

Inspired by Edgardo Delgado’s version.

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