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local Tuesday 12 december 2023
Aruba: the legend behind its name

(Oranjestad)—Most folkloric tales and The Cacique was pleased to hear of his
legends in Aruba revolve around our son’s findings. He decided to stay a cou-
indigenous ancestors, who came from ple days on the newly-discovered island
mainland Venezuela, and discovered the in search for salt. The next morning they
island and made it into their new home. ascended Hooiberg again and stayed
This particular legend tells the story of the to see if they could find nearby smoke,
birth of the Aruba name. indicating an inhabitant village. But they
found nothing. So they went back to
The legend follows the life of Arua, an in- their initial arrival settlement, now known
digenous Cacique originally from Aroa as Santo Largo in Savaneta. The next
in the Falcon state in Venezuela in the morning they hiked along the Spaans
year 50 AD. Arua had a son around the Lagoen near the Mangel Halto Beach
year 70 AD with his wife Shira, who they and reached the area of Bushiri. There,
named Corobori. When Corobori was old they boarded they kayaks and heading
enough, he joined his father on the usual to what we know now as Malmok, where
boat trip to the islands of Curacao and they found rocks of salt. After a couple
Bonaire to gather salt. days of exploring the island and gather-
ing some salt rocks, they left for Venezu-
On their way back to Mainland Venezu- ela, where they were reunited with their
ela, they were caught up in a heavy rain families.
storm—a side effect from a passing, but
far away, hurricane. Of course, because Throughout the year, they travelled back
of the lack of motors and sail, their boat and forth to Aruba, collecting salt. After
was left in the mercy of the heavy winds. a while they settled on the island, gen-
After a while, the storm started to pass, erations of families living along the coast.
and the clouds began to clear up. Fi- Corobori was the first indigenous inhabit-
nally able to see around them, the Caci- ant in our history to explore the entirety of
que spotted land approximately an hour the island.
away. So, they started to row in that di-
rection until they reached the coast. Arua, after decades as the leader of his
tribe, spent his last days on the island.
Once they arrived on what they thought Having reached 80 years old, he called
was Venezuela, they decided to stay the for his family on his death bed. In his ham-
night and fix their kayak. The next morn- mock, he said: “My children, many years
ing, the Cacique ordered his son and a have passed, and I’ve asked my warrior
few warriors to go find any sign of popu- to bring me back to the island so I can
lation in the area: "Corobori,” Arua said. laid to rest. The God of living has given
“Don't come back without news. It’s in me the gift of life to see my son, grand-
your hands how long we stay here till we children and great grandchildren. But
find our family. So, if you need to take a now he is calling me home. Corobori, my
week to gather information, we will wait torch is now passed to you. Guide our
for you." people, and be the leader you were al-
ways meant to become. If one day you
"Don't worry,” Corobori replied. “As leave my island, do not forget that it is
soon as we have any information, we also yours. This is my last wish: When I die,
will let you know." Armed with arrows bury me in our maize plantation.”
and spears, backpacks filled with food
and water containers, they set off. They And so when the Cacique passed away,
climbed several small hills, but no sign of his wishes were granted and he was laid
a village. They crossed different dry river- to rest in the area we now know as the
beds, but no sign of anything. When the Paradera Cemetery. Where he used to
sun finally descended, they found them- live, they built the Paradera Church.
selves near a fairly tall hill and decided
to climb it for a better view of a village. And that is the tale of what inspired the
This hill was called Pan Dushi or Orcuyo, Aruba name. In the generations that
which today we call Hooiberg. lived or travelled back and forth to the
island, there were many familiar names*,
The next morning, they could clearly see like Guadiriki, a warrior who was there
that they have landed on an island, but when the island got discovered and his
an unfamiliar one at that. When Corobori son, whom he called Huliba; Corobori
went back to where his father was wait- and his children, Corodori, Camacuri
ing, he told him the news: “Father Arua, and Turibana, Masiduri; and Malmok, the
you have just discovered an island, but it 13-year-old boy who alerted the Caci-
is not Curacao or Bonaire. Far in the south, que when the Caribes attacked.
we saw the big mountains of our home-
land Venezuela, which we could have Familiar names: all these names are fa-
never seen on the other island. This leads miliar to Arubans, as these are the names
us to believe we are on a new island. But of places and plants on the island.
that’s not all. When the sun came up,
we saw in the distance a glowing plain, Source: Un storia di e Indjan Arua (A story of
which we think may be salt.” the Indian Arua) by Adolf (Dufi) Kock