Vom Roroima Zum Orinoco

Theodor Koch-Gruuml;nberg (18721924) was a noted German ethnologist and explorer whose work on the indigenous peoples of Brazil and Venezuela is still consulted today. His most important publication was this five-volume account of his expedition of 19111913 from the sandstone mountains bordering Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana through uncharted territory westwards to the Orinoco. Volume 2 contains the myths and legends Koch-Gruuml;nberg recorded among the Pemon Indians, who were speakers of Taulipagrave;ng (Taurepan) and Arekunagrave; (Arecuna). These two important Cariban languages are closely related, and are still spoken by several thousand people in the Roroima mountains. Koch-Gruuml;nberg's consultants were Mouml;seuigrave;pu, a young Arecuna shaman, and Mayuluaigrave;pu the son of a famous Taurepan story-teller. Mayuluaigrave;pu was fluent in Portuguese and provided the author with explanations of the stories, of which 50 are recorded in German versions and eleven in the original language with German glosses.