The Tale of the Rain and the Krampiô

Cleonice Pankararu, from the Indigenous village Cinta Vermelha-Judiba in Brazil, told this tale to Rita Simone Liberato in May 2008.

Krampiô

Once, a group of Pankararu had to flee from a drought. It was a time when drought was everywhere. There was not a single drop of water in the region. The sun splintered the skin of people and land. The Indigenous wandered across the land, almost dying of thirst and hunger. There was nothing green in sight. Having enough of it, the Oldest Man asked everybody to stop under the branches of an umbu cherry tree that was completely defoliated. There everybody stayed: women, children, and young people. Then the Oldest Man called some men, and they walked away from the rest of the group. Next, they took their Krampiôs (pipes) and smoked, blowing the smoke to the sky. The smoke of their Krampiô went higher, higher, and higher until it formed large clouds. The rain fell in great amounts and afterwards everybody was able to drink and eat at ease. Never again rain became scarce and all Pankararu returned to their village to cultivate the land and to live in                                                                  peaceful abundance.