Mythologis
The Tupi-Guarani Mythology Book: The Land Without Evil, the Twin Heroes, and the Spirits of the Rainforest

Tupi-Guarani Mythology

The Tupi-Guarani Mythology Book: The Land Without Evil, the Twin Heroes, and the Spirits of the Rainforest

Namandu, the Twin Heroes, and the Land Without Evil

The mythology of the Tupi and Guarani peoples of the Amazon and the Atlantic forest: Namandu the creator who unfolded the world out of darkness, the twin heroes raised by jaguars, Tupa of the thunder, the fire-serpent Boitata, and the long search for the Land Without Evil.

150 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Inline citations to the chronicles and ethnographies
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01The Peoples of the Forest and the River
  2. 02Namandu: The Self-Unfolding Creator
  3. 03The Sacred Word and the Foundation of the World
  4. 04Tupa, the Thunder, and the Great Powers
  5. 05Guaraci and Jaci: The Sun and the Moon
  6. 06The Twin Heroes and the People of the Jaguar
  7. 07The Great Flood and the Remaking of the World
  8. 08Curupira, Caipora, and the Guardians of the Game
  9. 09Boitata, Iara, and the Spirits of Water and Fire
  10. 10Yvy Mara Ey: The Search for the Land Without Evil
  11. 11The Paje, the Sacred Songs, and the Living Tradition

About this book

About this Tupi-Guarani mythology guide

The mythology of the Tupi and Guarani: a creator who unfolds the world out of darkness, twin heroes raised by jaguars, and the long walk toward the Land Without Evil.

Before Brazil had its name, the Tupi and Guarani peoples filled its forests and coasts with a mythology of extraordinary beauty. In the Guarani telling, the world begins with Namandu, the true father, who unfolds himself out of the primordial darkness, and whose first act is to create the foundation of human speech, the sacred word, before there is anything else at all. Creation begins with language.

From there the great stories flow: Tupa of the thunder and the storm; the sun and the moon, Guaraci and Jaci; and the twin brothers, sons of the creator, who are raised among the jaguars that killed their mother and who set the world in order. And running through all of it is the longing that defines Guarani religion above any other people of the Americas: the search for Yvy mara ey, the Land Without Evil, a paradise on this earth that whole communities once walked for years to find.

This book gathers them, along with the forest spirits still named in Brazil today, the Curupira and the Boitata, drawn from the Jesuit chronicles and the great ethnographies, with every chapter citing its sources.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • Namandu, the creator who unfolds himself from the darkness and makes the first word
  • Why Guarani creation begins not with light or earth but with sacred speech
  • The twin heroes, sons of the creator, raised by the jaguars who killed their mother
  • Tupa of the thunder, and Guaraci and Jaci, the sun and the moon
  • Curupira and Boitata, the forest guardians still named in Brazil today
  • Yvy mara ey, the Land Without Evil, and the migrations in search of paradise

Tupi-Guarani mythology book at a glance

TraditionTupi-Guarani mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length150 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Keep exploring Tupi-Guarani mythology

Prefer to read before you buy? These free, fully sourced guides cover the same gods, myths and sources you will meet in the book.

Read the complete Tupi-Guarani mythology guide

Questions about the Tupi-Guarani mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Is this book respectful of the Guarani, a living people?

Yes. The Tupi and Guarani are living peoples, and the Guarani in particular still hold these beliefs and still speak of the Land Without Evil. The book treats their religion as the living, serious thing it is, relies on accounts they gave to be recorded, and is honest about the history of conquest and mission that nearly silenced it.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on the early Jesuit chronicles (Jose de Anchieta and Antonio Ruiz de Montoya), the foundational ethnography of Curt Nimuendaju, and Leon Cadogan's Ayvu Rapyta, the recorded sacred texts of the Mbya-Guarani, with references to the standard editions.

Is this the source of Brazilian folklore like the Curupira?

In large part, yes. Many of the forest spirits in modern Brazilian folklore, above all the Curupira and the Boitata, come straight from Tupi-Guarani belief, later blended with African and Portuguese elements. The book traces them back to their indigenous roots.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 150 pages depending on the final layout. Designed to be read in evenings or in one long sitting.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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