Caves guardians
The pericúes, who inhabited from Cabo San Lucas to Todos Santos, passing through the south of San Bartolo and Isla Cerralvo (Jacques Cousteau), Espíritu Santo and San José, explained whale and world’s existence in a very unique way, a legend that was handed down through generations by word-of-mouth until it was documented by missionaries and authors.
The pericues told of a battle held in the home of Niparaja, master, creator of everything and maker of life, where the leaden skies and the clouds kept the hope alive. Niparajá lived with his wife, Anajicanndi, and their three children.
His eternal enemy, Waac Tuparán, wanted to destroy Niparaja. The hatred and pain that it produced did not let him sleep, it burned him like stone in the sun, like a buried thorn. There was only one way to cool the heat and relieve his pain – war.
The Lord of Life and the Lord of War had many battles. After the most vicious of them all, Niparajá stood victorious, but only a few inhabitants of heaven survived to sing of his courage.
The chronicles of Porter and Casante tell us that countless rituals were performed on the austral part of the Peninsula. These were performed to remember the exploits of the Lord of Life. The story went like this: “… at the end Niparajá defeated him, removed all the pitahayas, threw him out from sky and locked him in a cave. Then he created whales in the sea to frighten Waac Tuparán, who wasn´t going to be able to escape…and seven whales were created to be his guardians, thus the warlord, Waac Tuparán, would live forever imprisoned. “”
The Pericúes believed the existence and care of these wonderful animals was of vital importance, that they should not disappear from the phase of the earth, otherwise, who would guarantee to live in peace?
