Aimiton Precious

Sepia illustration of Yacumama, the giant serpent guardian of the Amazon, emerging from stormy waters with glowing emerald eyes as villagers offer songs and gifts in reverence.

Yacumama: The Mother of Waters.

October 27, 2025

In the beginning times, when the world was younger and the rivers ran wild and untamed through the endless green expanse of the Amazon Basin, there existed a being of immense power and ancient wisdom. The indigenous peoples who made their lives along those waterways, such as the Shipibo-Conibo and the Quechua, and countless other river tribes knew her name.

Parchment-style illustration of the Mapinguari confronting a hunter in the Amazon rainforest.

South American Folktales

Mapinguari: The Forest Guardian

Near Tefé, on the muddy banks of the Amazon River where the jungle pressed close and the water ran dark with secrets, there lived a man consumed by his passion for hunting. Day after day, he ventured into the green cathedral of the forest, his rifle slung over his shoulder,

Ekeko: The Andean God of Abundance

High in the windswept plains of the Andean Altiplano, where the air

A painting of Inkarri, the legendary Inca king, sleeping beneath the Andes mountains as villagers offer gifts of maize and coca under a golden glow

Inkarri: The Sleeping King

In the age when the empire of the Inca stood tall and

Sepia-toned folktale illustration on aged rice parchment showing a circle of Charrúa warriors gathered around a glowing campfire on the Uruguayan pampas at night. Wind bends the tall grasses beneath a vast, star-filled sky, and the firelight suggests the presence of an unseen guardian. “OldFolktales.com” is inscribed at the bottom right.

The Charrúa Fire Keeper: A Sacred Guardian Spirit Tale from Uruguay

January 8, 2026

South American Folktales

In the windswept grasslands of what is now Uruguay, long before borders carved up the land, the Charrúa people lived as fierce warriors and skilled hunters. They were a proud nation, known throughout the region for their courage in battle and their intimate knowledge of the pampas, those endless plains

Sepia-toned folktale illustration on aged rice parchment showing an elderly Guaraní man standing beneath a broad ceibo tree at twilight. Wind ripples through tall grass and forest leaves, evoking unseen voices in the air beneath a fading orange and purple sky. “OldFolktales.com” is inscribed at the bottom right.

The Wind That Carries Names: A Guaraní Tale from Paraguay

January 8, 2026

South American Folktales

In the vast green heartland of South America, where Paraguay stretches beneath endless skies, the Guaraní people have listened to the wind for countless generations. But they do not merely hear the rustling of leaves or the whisper of air through grass. No, the Guaraní hear something far more profound,

Sepia-toned folktale illustration on aged rice parchment depicting moonlit Jesuit mission ruins deep in the Paraguayan jungle. Crumbling vine-covered stone walls surround a roofless chapel where shadowy figures kneel in prayer. Faint golden lights drift through the scene, and “OldFolktales.com” is inscribed at the bottom right.

The Ghost of the Jesuit Ruins: A Paraguayan Tale of Sacred Ground

January 8, 2026

South American Folktales

In the heart of Paraguay, where the jungle whispers secrets older than memory, there stand the crumbling remains of what were once magnificent Jesuit missions. These ruins, overgrown with vines and weathered by centuries of tropical rain, hold more than just stones and memories they harbor spirits that refuse to

Sepia-toned folktale illustration on aged rice parchment showing a large frog with shimmering skin croaking atop a lily pad in a twilight Paraguayan marsh. Two lost children cautiously follow its path through reeds and shallow water, surrounded by dark, endless wetlands. “OldFolktales.com” is inscribed at the bottom right.

The Talking Frog of the Marsh: A Guaraní Tale from Paraguay

January 8, 2026

South American Folktales

In the vast wetlands of Paraguay, where the earth and water meet in an eternal embrace and the marshes stretch as far as the eye can see, there exists a boundary known to all who live close to the land. It is not a boundary marked by fences or stones,

Sepia-toned illustration on aged parchment showing a ghostly woman in a vivid red shawl standing at the edge of a Paraguayan river at twilight. Her arm is raised in warning as she gazes toward a lone fisherman in a small wooden boat drifting on dark, swirling water. The riverbank is lined with reeds and shadowy vegetation, and the sky above fades into heavy twilight clouds. "OldFolktales.com" is inscribed at the bottom right.

The Woman of the Red Shawl: A Guaraní Tale from Paraguay

January 8, 2026

South American Folktales

In the rural heartlands of Paraguay, where rivers wind like silver serpents through dense forests and the boundary between day and night feels like a threshold between worlds, there exists a warning passed down through generations. It is whispered by grandmothers to restless children, shared among travelers before journeys, and

sepia-toned folktale illustration. It captures the haunting beauty of a weathered stone shaped like a seated woman, perched on a hill above Lake Ypacaraí in Areguá, Paraguay. Thin streams of water run down its surface like tears, while dusk settles over the quiet landscape and clouds gather overhead. "OldFolktales.com

The Crying Stone of Areguá: A Guaraní Tale from Paraguay

January 8, 2026

South American Folktales

In the hills overlooking the town of Areguá, where Lake Ypacaraí stretches like a mirror reflecting the endless sky, there stands a stone unlike any other. Weathered by countless seasons, its surface marked by time and tears, this rock has become a sacred place a monument not built by human

Sepia-toned illustration on aged parchment showing a wounded Guaraní warrior resting at the base of a dying tree in a forest clearing. Pink and magenta blossoms erupt across the tree’s bare branches, symbolizing the moment of transformation into the first sacred Lapacho. The warrior holds a spear and wears traditional attire, with a visible wound on his side. The background features rolling hills, distant trees, and a softly clouded sky. "OldFolktales.com" is inscribed at the bottom right.

The Lapacho Tree: A Guaraní Tale from Paraguay

January 8, 2026

South American Folktales

In the time before memory, when the gods still walked visibly among the people and the boundary between earth and sky remained thin as morning mist, the Guaraní nation faced its darkest hour. War had swept across the land like wildfire, consuming villages, scattering families, and leaving behind trails of

Sepia-toned illustration on aged parchment showing a colossal deer with towering antlers and a faintly glowing silver-gold coat emerging from the dense Paraguayan forest at dusk. The stag stands silently among ancient trees as shafts of fading light filter through thick foliage, casting dappled shadows across the forest floor. "OldFolktales.com" is inscribed at the bottom right.

The Giant Deer of the Forest: A Guaraní Tale from Paraguay

January 8, 2026

South American Folktales

In the ancient forests of Paraguay, where the trees grew so thick that sunlight barely kissed the ground and the air hung heavy with the scent of earth and leaf, there lived a people who understood the language of the land. The Guaraní knew every bird’s call, every rustle in

Sepia-toned illustration on aged parchment showing a luminous female water spirit with pale glowing skin and long dark hair standing silently at the edge of the Arroyo Solís at dusk in rural Uruguay. She gazes over the gently flowing stream, which reflects golden evening light. The river is framed by tall reeds and dense vegetation, with rolling hills and trees in the background. "OldFolktales.com" is inscribed at the bottom right.

The Spirit of the Arroyo Solís: A Uruguayan Water Spirit Tale

January 7, 2026

South American Folktales

The Arroyo Solís flows through the Uruguayan countryside like a silver thread winding through green fabric, its waters cool and clear, fed by springs that rise from deep within the earth. The stream is not large or particularly remarkable to those who do not know its secrets. But to the

Sepia-toned illustration on aged parchment showing a massive black dog with a light-absorbing coat and glowing eyes standing silently in tall grass outside a rural estancia in Uruguay at night. The dog’s posture is alert and watchful. Moonlight stretches across the pampas, casting long shadows, while fence lines fade into the distance. A rustic farmhouse with a pitched roof and arched porch stands in the background. "OldFolktales.com" is inscribed at the bottom right.

The Black Dog of the Estancias: A Uruguayan Guardian Spirit Tale

January 7, 2026

South American Folktales

In the remote countryside of Uruguay, where vast estancias stretch across rolling grasslands and isolated homesteads dot the landscape like islands in an ocean of grass, there exists a creature that walks the boundary between protector and omen, between blessing and curse. The gauchos who work these lands speak of

1 2 3 … 11 Next

Aimiton Precious

Yacumama: The Mother of Waters.

Mapinguari: The Forest Guardian

Ekeko: The Andean God of Abundance

Inkarri: The Sleeping King

The Charrúa Fire Keeper: A Sacred Guardian Spirit Tale from Uruguay

The Wind That Carries Names: A Guaraní Tale from Paraguay

The Ghost of the Jesuit Ruins: A Paraguayan Tale of Sacred Ground

The Talking Frog of the Marsh: A Guaraní Tale from Paraguay

The Woman of the Red Shawl: A Guaraní Tale from Paraguay

The Crying Stone of Areguá: A Guaraní Tale from Paraguay

The Lapacho Tree: A Guaraní Tale from Paraguay

The Giant Deer of the Forest: A Guaraní Tale from Paraguay

The Spirit of the Arroyo Solís: A Uruguayan Water Spirit Tale

The Black Dog of the Estancias: A Uruguayan Guardian Spirit Tale

Recent Posts

Popular

El Silbón, The Whistler’s Curse: A Venezuelan Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Respect and Repentance

Yacumama: The Mother of Waters.

La Diablesse: Trinidad Folktale of the Devil Woman