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Global Citizens

~ a blog for Tourists, Expats and Locals

Global Citizens

Tag Archives: ceibo

A drunken stick

12 Saturday May 2012

Posted by katti in blog

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

ceiba Speciosa, ceibo, jacarandas, Palo Borracho, Silk Floss tree, Why on earth

The Palo Borracho’s (drunken sticks) are all blooming now. This Ceiba Speciosa is a tropical tree native to South America and often seen in the streets of Buenos Aires. Just like the Jacarandas announce the beginning of spring, the Silk Floss tree, as it is also called, announces autumn. It is said that when the last pink flower drops, winter starts. Now we are evidently still in mid-autumn.

The trunk is bottle shaped and has conical prickles which store water for dry times. The flowers are about 10-15 cm in diameter and are whitish-pink.

Just like the national tree, the Ceibo, there is a legend to this one, which originated in the north around the rio Pilcomayo. There they call this tree the ‘woman’ or ‘mother who sticks to the earth’.

Once upon a time, in an antique tribe that lived in the forest, there was a very beautiful girl whom all the men were in love with and wanted her as their wife, but she was in love with a man who was a great warrior. When he had to go to war, he made her promise she would be faithful to him and wait for his return. She waited for many months, and when it looked like he was not to return, she went deep into the forest to die of grief.

Hunters found her there and wanted to bring her to the village, but when they lifted her, they noticed that out of her arms grew branches, her head was becoming a trunk and out of her fingers grew white flowers. The hunters ran to the village where they told the story, and when they went back a couple of days later to see her again, the girl was gone and she had completely changed into a tree. The white flowers had changed into pink. The legend says the white stand for her tears for her lost love, and they turned pink because of the blood of her lost warrior.

Ceibo, the national tree

30 Tuesday Nov 2010

Posted by katti in blog

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Anahi, ceibo, flowers, legend, national tree, national tree in Argentina, Why on earth

I always thought that the Ceibo (Erythrina Cristagalli) was an ugly tree. At some point my husband even wanted to pull down the one we have. Why on earth did the Argentines name this their national tree? I truly wondered. We were told that the flowers are spectacular, but last year (because of the drought I suppose) they were all but impressive. But then after a nice wet winter, the Ceibos were ready to show off with their clusters of carmine red flowers, and now I understand why this is the Argentine national tree. They look absolutely stunning!

The one we have is quite small, but they can grow up to 20m high. The clusters of flowers grow on the new green branches. Before it opens it looks like a cockscomb, and the color is of an amazing deep red. That is where it has got his Latin name from. (Ery-ter = red; crista galli = cockscomb).

Although this tree grows best close to a river or a lake, it is very popular in cities because of its red beauty in spring.  Generally the tree is not exploited, although in some provinces they use the bark for tanning leather and wood. The Indians produced rafts with this wood.

There is a legend about this tree, better known as the legend of Anahi.

Anahi was the only daughter of the chief of the Guarani. Guarani are an indigenous race, with their own language and script, that still live in the north west of Argentina, mainly in Missiones and Corrientes. They live in the area that used to be called Chaco.

When the Spanish came to conquer the land, the chief was killed while defending their land. His daughter Anahi then took over the lead and attacked the invaders causing many casualties among the enemies. She was the bravest of all. At some point she got caught by the Spaniards, and was tied to a pole. But with her natural skills she managed to escape, killing a soldier on her way. She ran away and hid in the trees, but quickly the Spaniards caught her again. She was sentenced to be burned at the stake to set an example to her people. She was tied to a tree with her feet in fire-wood, and when she caught fire, she started to sing. With a sweet voice she sang to the forest and to the land. With her song she shook the night away and the light of the new day extinguished the flames and made her beautiful brown body change into a bunch of red, hitherto unknown red flowers.

Since that moment the Guarani believe that the soul of Anahi lives on in the Ceibo fower.

On dec 2 in 1942, the Ceibo was declared the national tree of argentina (decree 138474/42)

This is a Guarani song about Anahi :

ANAHI

Canción Guaraní

Letra y Música: Osvaldo Sosa Cordero

Anahí,

ARPAS Las dolientes lloran arpegios Hoy

Que Para Ti hijo.

Anahí

Acaso recuerdan tu bravura INMENSA

guaraní reina.

Anahí

indiecita fea de la Voz tan dulce

COMO EL Aguaí.

Anahí, Anahí

raza tu no ha muerto, fueros SUS perduran

en la flor rubí.

Defendiendo altiva tu tribu Indómita

Prisionera fuiste;

condenada una Muerte, ya estaba tu Cuerpo

envuelto en la hoguera,

y en Las Llamas Lo Tanto Esteban Quemando

en roja corola Se Fue Transformando.

La noche Piadosa cubrió tu dolor

y El alba asombrada

Miró tu martirio Hecho ceibo en flor.

Anahí,

ARPAS Las dolientes lloran arpegios Hoy

Que Para Ti hijo.

Anahí

Acaso recuerdan tu bravura INMENSA

guaraní reina.

Anahí

indiecita fea de la Voz tan dulce

COMO EL Aguaí.

Anahí, Anahí

raza tu no ha muerto, fueros SUS perduran

en la flor rubí.

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