theropen

[theropen]

Iara

Iaras, also called Uiara, Yara, or Mãe das Águras (Mother of the Water Bodies) are mermaids from the myths and legends of the Tupi and Guaraní people in Brazil. Their more common name was coined by Brazilian poet Gonçalves Diaz by combining the Tupi words ‘ig’, meaning water, and ‘Iara’, meaning lord or lady. 

Descriptions and Behaviors: 

Claimed to live in the Amazon river and a body of water called the Cama da Mãe D’água (Mother’s Water Bed) in Nova Olinda, these Merfolk are described as being very beautiful with green hair, brown or green eyes, light brown or copper skin, and the usual mermaid-type body that ended in a piscine tail. Some legends though say the tail is more like a freshwater dolphin or a manatee.

They would often be found sitting on a shoreline or a rock by the water, combing their hair or lazing about in the afternoon until they sensed a man was close by. Iaras would then sing and lure him to the water to be her husband for the rest of his life, catering for all his needs. 

The enchantment in an Iaras songs are so powerful that men have been known to leave everything behind for them or go insane if they manage to escape. Unfortunately, Iaras are immortal and so spend most of eternity alone in sadness, recollecting old and happy memories of their former human lovers. 

Some legends say the Iaras drown and even eat the men under their spells, and it is because of these stories that some indigenous people of Brazil and Colombia have blamed any death, disappearance, or misfortune near the vicinity of water or a forest on an Iara. It is also one of the reasons why some avoid traveling near water at night. 

Origin Story:

A human woman under the same name was said to have been the proginer of the Iaras. She was the prize of her tribe as the daughter of its spiritual leader and its best warrior. She was strong, courageous, kind, and beautiful, and as such overshadowed her two jealous brothers. 

Her brothers resolved to murdering her, but even they together were not strong enough to take Iara on, so they waited until she fell asleep. But as soon as they got near her, she surged herself awake and killed them in self-defense. Her father was unaware of her brothers’ actions and was deaf to Iaras justifications, so he led a hunt for her. They eventually found her and tossed her in the river to drown. Even in death the fish of the river couldn’t stop admiring her for her greatness in life, and so revitalized her into a mermaid. 

In other versions of the tale, her brothers survived and tossed her instead.  

Explaining the Myth:

Iaras are similar to other mythical female figures and creatures whose physical appearances reflect their dual nature. On one hand, they have qualities of perfect women desirable to any man, such as great beauty or wonderful singing voices. But on the other, these traits are just used to lead men away, and this darker side to them is always shown by the presence of physical aberrations, usually of the feet and legs. 

During the 1500s, the Tupi already had it’s own mermaid-like local legend, the beastly Ipupiara. But by the 1800s, European stories of Merfolk from colonizers transformed and re-shaped it from a man-eating sea monster to a beautiful seductress. Iara’s qualities as a strong and great huntress in her tragic story were believed to have derived from the revered Venezuelan goddess María Lionza. 

All in all, Iaras are the result of cultural hybridization between three other legends, two of which being local and one foreign.

Sources: 

Duende, Daniel. “Brazilian Myths and Haunts on the Lusosphere – Part 1 · Global Voices.” Global Voices, 15 Oct. 2008. (globalvoices.org/2008/10/15/brazilian-myths-and-haunts-1/)

“Iara (Mythology).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 May 2018.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iara_(mythology))

“Iara Mermaid in Mythology.” Siren - History of Sirens.(www.realmermaids.net/mermaid-legends/iara-mermaid/)

Porath, Jason. “Iara: Brazil's Lady of the Lake.” Rejected Princesses.(www.rejectedprincesses.com/princesses/iara)