the Guaraní and Tupí | The origin of Mate: tea of hospitality
- Myth Puzzle
- Aug 17, 2020
- 2 min read
Mate is a bitter drink made from the leaf of Yerba mate. It was originally consumed by the Guaraní and Tupí, which are indigenous South American tribes. Today, mate is the national drink of Argentina, and it's popular among other Latin American countries such as Paraguay and Chile. Although mate tea is bitter, people prefer to drink it without sugar.
Once upon a time, a Guaraní tribe from the jungle began migrating to another place. Among them, an old man decided to stay because he was too old to keep up the pace. His kind daughter, Yarí, decided to stay as well to take care of her father. Together they built a humble shelter in the jungle.
One day, a visitor came to the shelter. Yarí and her father tried their best to offer hospitality to the mysterious visitor despite living a poor life. The daughter cooked the tastiest and precious meat that they had. She then offered them to the visitor.
What Yarí and her father didn't know was that the visitor was sent by a god. Touched by the generosity of the hosts, the visitor decided to reward them. One of his gifts was a herb in the jungle and Yarí was responsible for protecting it.
Under the tender care of Yarí, the herb grew into a plant— and it's now known as Yerba Mate. The herb's leaves can be made into a bitter yet exquisite infusion, which is called mate. After
drinking mate, Yarí’s father became healthier and gained more strength. Instead of keeping the tea to themselves, however, the father and daughter offered mate to other visitors to their shelter.
Eventually, the plantation of Yerba Mate spread across Latin American countries. Yarí became a symbol of virtue, and mate because of a symbol of hospitality.
Hospitality
Today, people from Argentina and Paraguay still offer mate to visitors to show their hospitality. In fact, Argentinians prefer mate over tea. The Argentinian hosts often offer visitors the bitter drink of mate while they sit down to enjoy long conversations. It is difficult to tell where the legend of Mate came from.
Reward from god
The legend of the origin of mate relates how an act of kindness led to the reward from god. The myths motivate native Americans to continue to become kind to others. One can never know whether the next person they serve is actually a god.
Reference:
Legends, myths and folklore of the Yerba Mate tree in Paraguay and South America. (2019, June 17). Retrieved July 02, 2020, from https://www.earthstoriez.com/legend-mate/
Maté (drink). (2020, June 25). Retrieved July 03, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mat%C3%A9_%28drink%29
Picture Source: Pinterest
Comments