The legend of Maria Lionza

Legend states that at the time of the conquest, a chief of the Arawak speaking Kaketíos indigenous, located on Sorte Mountain, in Yaracuy State, had relations with a white woman and from this union they had a beautiful daughter with clear eyes.

But according to the tradition and customs of the kaketíos, it is said that a girl with light eyes brings bad luck and destruction to the kaketia community. For this reason it was ordered to kill a person of these characteristics. The father, although he was chief, respected the customs of his community but did not have the courage to kill his own daughter but placed her in a hut, which was guarded by 22 warrior guardians, who always kept her inside the house.

The girl grew up, she was very beautiful and when the first menstruation came to her, she wanted to go out and purify herself into the river. He waited for the guardians to fall asleep and came out of hiding. She had never seen the sun, it was the first time and it was midday.

He went to the lagoon and it was here that for the first time he saw his face reflected in the still water of the lagoon.

Instead of seeing his eyes, what he looked at were two big caves. At that time, she was seen by the aquatic spirit, the anaconda serpent who swallowed it and disappeared immediately into the depths of the lagoon. However, tradition had to be fulfilled, the anaconda serpent became so enlarged that it overflowed the waters of the lagoon and caused a large flood, a kind of flood.