It was here, in the region of the Missiones, the legends say, that the Guarani gifted their sacred present from Tupa to the Missionaries who arrived from Europe to civilize them. This union led to the creation of the Gaucho culture and popularized the consumption of Mate from an indigenous drink to a culture that has been adopted across the globe. There are many stories that illustrate the origins of Mate, although the Mate goddess Caayari is one of the spirits, Tupa, the indigenous god, who presented Mate to the folk is the masculine spirit behind the drink. ….We look forward to sharing ths myths as we learn them..below are some images from the Guarani folklore….
A guarani warrior transforming into a Gaucho
Guarani legends explaning their history: the water entity comes to give a gift to the Guarani in the region which is today Santo Angelo (surrounded by a curved river)
This painting is from the city council in Palmeiras and illustrates how mate was eventually adopted into the culture of the settlers. Mate ceased to be purely a Guarani tradition with the birth of the Gaucho.
A surprise in this picture, the mate spirit is male, and not female as originally believed. This makes sense in the patriarchal Guarani culture. In the future we would like to find a way to foster more of a connection between Mate drinkers around the world and the original caretakers of this herb.
As we move closer to the origins of Mate, we are exploring the relation between the Guarani today and the drink that they presented to the world. The Guarani like many indigenous folk continue to be marginalized in a world that is rapidly changing.
Former Guarani Cacique Marcelo (tribe chief) in the village near San Miguel das Missoes
In the future we would like to find a way to foster more of a connection between Mate drinkers around the world and the original caretakers of this herb.
