Page 7 - AHATA

Thursday 7 sepTember 2023 locAl
A10

Episode 47: Dragonfly (Orthemis ferruginea)

ORANJESTAD — Spirit or hangers during cold morn-
ghost of a goat, “Spirit`i ings when they barely have
Cabrito” in Papiamento is mobility, they can perform
the way Aruba has named intimidating movements
their Libel or Dragonfly. with the legs and abdo-
They belong to the order men that can deter the
Odonata, a carnivorous predator.
insect’s family encompass-
ing the dragonflies and the In Mexico as well as in Aru-
damselflies. The Odonata ba they are considered as
form a clade, which has a symbol of water purity,
existed since the Permian and their presence predicts
era. Dragonflies are gener- a good year of harvest. In
ally larger, and perch with Tahiti, dragonflies are relat-
their wings held out to the ed to gods and spirits that
sides; damselflies have bring fortune.
slender bodies, and hold
their wings over the body In various populations of
at rest. China, dragonflies symbol-
ize weakness and fragility,
Everything related to drag- but they are also consid-
onflies has always been sur- ered beneficial and favor- The superstitions of this
rounded by legends and able in rice fields. In ad- Cantabrian region say that
myths. The reality is that dition, they were used to these horses from hell are
they are harmless insects make mixtures with aph- men who, because of their
that have lived on earth for rodisiac powers. In Japan sins, lost their soul and were
200 million years, before di- they are considered a sym- forced to travel Cantabria
nosaurs and survived long bol of victory, happiness, for the rest of eternity.
after their extinction. strength and courage.
Dragonflies consume up to Legend has it that Emperor In our western world a quite
300 mosquitoes and other Yuryako Tenno was hunting popular legend relates that
flying insects a day, they on a plain, and a horse- the dragonflies were Fairies
are sometimes known as fly landed on his arm and that were forbidden to live
mosquito hawks. They are stung him. At that moment with humans and they were
skilled experts, no other a dragonfly appeared that not to have any contact
animal has the ability to got rid of the horsefly. In with them. Some of these
maneuver the dragonfly's honor of her, the emperor Fairies ignored this prohibi-
wings, and its wings are called the area Akitsu-no tion and the gods punished
bright and beautiful. (plain of the dragonfly) so them by converting them
While the Maya related the ancient name of Ja- in dragonflies. Time passed
them to the sun, other cul- pan emerged: Akitsu Shima and the prohibition of liv-
tures consider them sym- (The Dragonfly Islands). The ing with humans was abol-
bols of fertility since females samurai, ancient Japanese ished but when the pardon
can lay up to 100,000 eggs warriors, use dragonflies as reached the fairies that
at once. Males defend ter- an emblem of good luck, had been turned into drag-
ritories where the appropri- decorating their shields onflies they refused to re-
ate conditions are found and sabers with them. turn to their previous state
for laying the eggs and because they had already
where they are developed In Hindu mythology there become accustomed to
correctly. Normally, these is a legend that says that living with humans with-
territories usually coincide when people die their souls out hiding flying free on all
with areas that have sub- become dragonflies. sides. Here in Aruba drag-
merged aquatic vegeta- onflies where considered as
tion or areas that maintain In German mythology the healing and transformation
water levels or currents that dragonflies were associat- animals, shamans called
allow the oxygenation of ed with Freyja, goddess of upon in their rituals and as
the eggs. Territoriality is a love, wealth and eroticism sign of good omen.
behavior that will favor the to which they paid tribute
selection of the most com- on Fridays. But a decree To get to know more about
petitive males, which will of the Catholic Church of Aruba and its origins, its ani-
transmit their genes to the 775 A.D. said: “I relate this mals and culture, we highly
largest possible number of goddess to evil and along recommend you to book
females. with it I condemn the drag- your visit to our renowned
onflies.” From this story in cultural center where en-
The Odonatas have a Cantabrian mythology the counter sessions have
mechanism to reduce pre- dragonflies are called "Ca- been entertaining curious
dation on them like cam- ballitos del Diablo" who participants for decades.
ouflage, since they have arise on the magical night Mail us at etnianativa03@
colors, design patterns and of San Juan and fly at night gmail.com to confirm your
postures that make preda- in search of the four-leaf participation. Our facilities
tors go unnoticed. When clovers they eat to prevent and activities take place
they are attacked, on their mortals from finding them. close to high rise hotels.q