This post is part of the Ecuador History 101 adventure series.
Pax excitedly smoothed the clay. [¡Esta figura va a quedar chévere!]
“This figurine is going to be awesome!” he exclaimed. Maya, ever patient, carefully shaped her own.
“Remember what Abuela Elena told us, Pax?” Maya reminded him. “January is the month for remembering the first people and the giants. And Abuela said she would tell us the myth of the Lovers of Sumpa.”
Pax paused, his hands still. [“¡De una!]”
“Right! I almost forgot! What’s the story?”
Maya smiled. “Abuela said, long ago, when the giants roamed the land, there lived two tribes on the island of Sumpa, now called Isla del Amor.”
Pax tilted his head. “Isla del Amor? Island of Love? [¿Por qué se llama así?]
Why is it called that?”
Maya continued, “[En esos tiempos, las tribus eran enemigas. Se peleaban todo el tiempo.]
In those times, the tribes were enemies. They fought all the time. But from the two tribes, a young man and a young woman fell deeply in love. Their love was forbidden, a dangerous secret.”
Pax gasped. [“¡Qué terrible!]
“How terrible! What did they do?” He held his Spondylus shell tightly.
“They met in secret, beneath the cover of night. Their love grew stronger with each stolen moment. But one day, they were discovered. The tribes were furious! They wanted to separate them forever,” Maya explained.
“[¡No puede ser! ¿Y luego?]
“No way! And then?” Pax asked, wide-eyed.
“Faced with the hatred of their tribes, the lovers made a choice. They climbed to the highest point of the island and, holding each other close, jumped into the ocean, choosing to be together in death rather than apart in life,” Maya said softly.
Pax stared at his Venus figurine. “Wow. [¡Qué historia!]
What a story!”
Maya nodded. “Abuela says their love was so powerful that it transformed the island. The fighting stopped. The tribes mourned their loss and realized the futility of their hatred. Sumpa became a place of peace and love, a reminder of the sacrifice the lovers made.”
[“¿Por eso le dicen Isla del Amor?]
“That’s why they call it Island of Love?” Pax asked.
“Exactly,” Maya replied, resuming her work on the figurine. “The myth teaches us that even in the face of hatred and division, love can be the strongest force. It can even change the world… or at least, an island.” She smiled.
Pax looked at his Spondylus shell, then back at his clay figure. Maybe, just maybe, he could put a little of that love into his own creation.
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