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                                                                                                           local Monday 27 May 2024

            Aruba: the legend behind its name



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