C A b r ú v r ó j E  The Warriors Who Come from Behind the Sun
by Dagmar Reinhard

Saúl Morales Mora is a modern Brunka,and works at the Boruca Academic Lyceum as an art and history teacher. He explained that the name given to the annual Festival celebrated in the village during late December, represents neither the message nor the beliefs of the indigenous Brunka.
"We are CabrúVróje, we are not little devils,” Saul explained. “The dance of the devils is a post-colonial invention,” he said and showed us a book by the Swiss scientist Henri Pittier Fabrega: “Materials for the Study of the Brunka Language.”
It is a collection of hundreds of Brunka Words from the period 1892 to 1896, where there is no mention of rituals or dances. Brunka language was the result of the merging of several tribal dialects such as Coctus, Babudaberes, Quepuas, Turucacas, and Borucacas.

When the evangelization started in 1629, Sibú was replaced by Jehovah, ancient rituals and customs disappeared along with the language, and even the indigenous names vanished. According to Brunka cosmovision, their global beliefs about religion, morality, philosophy, and politics, are incorporated in the “Akashic Records” (where everything is and nothing escapes). The mentioned records are an energetic imprint of every thought, action, emotion, and experience that has ever occurred in time and space.

Every December 30th, the warriors who come from behind the sun are reborn, (explanation given by Mrs. Angela Gonzalez, deceased Boruca master weaver) to commemorate the ancient rituals and customs with their colorful masks and dances.

INFo: Saúl Morales Mora (naÚcvtaR´RÚ = small rivers son) cobottacat@gmail.com