The Legend of the Zapoteca

The Eléctrico family owes much to the Zapotec heritage of the valley people of Oaxaca. Our Maestro Mezcalero, Cirino, and his family speak the San Baltazar Guelavila dialect of the Zapotec language to this day, and it is taught in the local school. So, we like to celebrate the Zapotec culture that gave us our exquisite Eléctrico Mezcal.

We found this beautiful poem about the legend of the Zapotec people on the www.wordswithoutborders.org website and thought you might like to read it. It was originally written in one of the 60 or more Zapotec dialects, but its author’s name is lost, so if you know who wrote it, please let us know.

They say that the ancient Zapotecs came down from the clouds. The center of the sky was their home.

Very old men, very old women, and a great number of children came with them.

Upon arriving in this world, they found it a bit empty.

They saw nothing but brush, flowers with thorns, small wild animals, and some birds; although there was an abundance of fruit trees.

These people did not know how to speak. They only managed to utter simple cries.

They did not understand each other.

The Zapotecs began to work at what they knew how to do: gather and work the red clay; they sculpted large and small animals.

These animals came to life.

When the earth began to make beautiful sense, the Zapotecs looked and were entranced by the animals as they multiplied.

One morning, when the petals of the sun were opening, the Zapotecs went near a great, clean river; they started to build their houses of adobe and palm on the banks.

They were very happy on the day they finished their work because now they could sleep peacefully during the night; so they decided to cut down various fruits; and they spent the afternoon and evening eating them.

The people who came down from the clouds never forgot the day they tasted the fruits, which were so delicious.

They enjoyed many watermelons, cactus fruits, bananas, plums, mameys, sapodillas, guayabas. The fruits had hidden seeds inside, from which were born the words the Zapotecs spoke.

Now, those who know the language that the Zapotecs who came down from the clouds learned, understand their sweetness and their sublime music.

Anon.

Xtyozën yuad: thank you all.