The legend of the Tarumama either Turumama tells the story of a spectral woman who travels through rivers, streams and roads in search of her baby who was swept away by the river after giving birth.
Legend has it that Tarumama was a young and beautiful woman who attracted the attention of the rainbow, which is why one day while she was on a rock admiring the beauty of the landscape, the rainbow appeared before her and made her pregnant.
Time passed and the young woman was about to give birth. She felt pain that was so strong that she thought her insides would break because she was so strong. The woman went into the mountain until she reached the bank of the river, and while there she pushed. with all her strength and in the midst of agonizing pain she gave birth.
(Read Also: Legend of Legend of Sayona, the terror of the infidels)
Unfortunately, the pain of childbirth was so great that the woman fainted. When she finally woke up, she could see that her son was missing because the river had dragged him away, so she began desperately searching for him in the river.
From then on, the woman began to wander through the rivers in search of her little one, shouting and moaning “Ayyy… where will I find him… where will I find him”, little by little she transformed into a very ugly woman, her body became thinner, her hands and Her fingers took on a bony appearance, her hair became tangled and became a tangle, her breasts grew so long that she began to carry them on her shoulders, and her feet became hooves like those of mules.
The farmers of Nariño, especially in the pastures, tend to be especially afraid of this specter because they believe that the turumama could steal their children since it could confuse them with their son. They also tend to say that when the tarumama finds a lit stove it eats the charcoal and the ashes
Origin of the legend of the Tarumama
It is usually considered that La Tarumama is a legend that was born from the legend of la llorona, since this legend is widely spread throughout Latin America and different versions have been born from it, which is why Tarumama is considered one of the Colombian versions of La Llorona.
It should be noted that many of these legends are born as a way of generating a moral lesson through fear, in this case it could be considered as a way of generating fear of topics such as abortion, relationships before marriage, etc.
Other versions of the Tarumama legend
Another version of the legend relates that the Tarumama was a woman who was condemned to wander the world in this way by getting rid of her son since she had become pregnant before getting married.
What does the Tarumama look like?
The Turumama is described as a very ugly and wrinkled old woman, who instead of feet has mule hooves, her breasts are so large and elongated that she must carry them on her shoulders, her hair is tangled and tangled.
Where does the Tarumama appear?
The Tarumama usually makes appearances in rivers, streams, lakes and roads, especially in the department of Narino, Specially in Pasto and also in the cauca department.
Tributes and representations of the Tarumama
In several municipalities and towns in the departments of Nariño and Cauca floats are usually created for carnival of blacks and whites, one of the large floats that is made is that of the Tarumama in which she is represented as an old woman with a face dirty with mud (mud) and with elongated breasts.
(Also read: Legend of Mancarita or the gossip of the peasants)
In 2021 the director Andres Beltran premiere Movie “Tarumama” either “Cursed cry” based on the legend of the Turumama.
How to protect yourself from Tarumama?
Some often say that making a cross with machetes and resorting to prayers are the best defense against Tarumama.
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