Literature and Culture

On this page, you will find myths, legends, oral traditions, riddles, jokes, even poetry -- anything that might have to do with either literature or cultural traditions. There are also links to some other sites that we think are particularly good. 

Stories, myths and legends

Waaka Michiq (Huanca Quechua original) / El joven pastor de vacas (Spanish version) / The Young Cowherd (English version). This is a story my mother told me several years ago. She narrated it in Wanka Quechua, and I recorded, transcribed and translated it.

Paka Qutra (Huanca Quechua original; Spanish and English translations to come shortly). This is a story collected in the course of fieldwork I did with Dr. Rodolfo Cerrón-Palomino in 1987.

Poems and songs. These have their Spanish translations side by side with the Quechua originals. English translations are not yet available for most of them.

Waynapaq Taki/Canto al Joven
Paqariypa Waqtampi/Al Lado del Alba
Paqu Kitikunapa Usutan/Sandalia de Indias
Puririsaq/Me Haré a la Mar
Wañurinmi/Han Muerto
Sembrando Identidad/Sowing Identity
El Despertar/The Awakening

Personal histories/autobiographies, with translations to Spanish and English.

Yalpatrakuy (Huanca Quechua original) / Remembranzas (Spanish version) / Memoirs (English version, yet to come). This is a thumbnail sketch of the life of Dr. Eliseo Salvatierra Jimenez, a native speaker of Huanca Quechua.

Andean Lives. Biography of Gregorio Condori Mamani, translated into English. The original (hard copy) version was produced as a single text in both Quechua and Spanish in 1979, but I do not know if that original has yet been produced on the World Wide Web.

Related Links

         Literatura quechua

         Precolumbian Cultures: Andean Quechua Culture

         Taller de Historia Oral Andina (Qhip Nayr Uñtasis Sarnaqapxañani)

         El Sito de Guaman Poma / The Guaman Poma Website

         Huarochirí a Peruvian Culture in Time

         Yuyachkani: Grupo Cultural

         Runasimi DE (in Quechua, Deutsch, English, Spanish and French)

         Perúcultural.org.pe: Centro Cultural Virtual

         Culture of the Andes 

         Catálogo Multimedia (IFEA)

         Ciberayllu

         Comunidad Andina