When we talk about folklore, we usually think of mythical creatures with saci-pererĂŞ, caipora and cuca. But did you know that not all animals in our folklore are pure invention? So it is! A creature from our folklore that is heavily inspired by reality is the bird known as the Blue Jackdaw.
The legend of the blue jay, very popular in the south of the country, tells the story of a bird that was blessed by God to spread a tree across the state of Paraná. So get to know the details of this legend from our folklore and add this knowledge to your repertoire!
Origin of the blue jay
The legend of the blue jay originates from the state of Paraná, where this myth emerged to explain the importance of this bird for agriculture in the region, as it is primarily responsible for disseminating the seed of one of the most important crops in Paraná: the pinhão , from which the araucaria grows.
In addition, another reason that helps explain why a folk legend about this jackdaw has emerged is its color. According to renowned North American botanist David Lee, only 10% of plants and 4% of animals have the color blue in their bodies and/or constitutions, as reported in his work “The Difficulty of Being Blue”. Blue”, in free translation). This makes these living beings rare and, consequently, a matter of curiosity.
Many people believe that because there is a legend involved in its name, the blue jay doesn't really exist. But it does exist, its scientific name is Cyanocorax caeruleus. Therefore, the legend of the blue jay did not arise before the animal, but because of it.
Despite having mystical explanations, the behavior of the blue jay has nothing spiritual: it only feeds on pine nuts, which it deposits on the ground when it finishes its pecking. And from there, the araucarias are born. Now understand all about the folk legend of this animal.
Legend of the Blue Jackdaw
Legend has it that before it turned blue, this rook was a common rook, dark in color and similar to all the others. But one day she asked God to give her something that would make her different, even if, in return, she had to offer something, as she was available to do whatever was necessary.
That night, the jackdaw first came across a pine nut, which is the fruit and seed of a tree called araucaria. The jackdaw started to eat the pine nut, but gave up soon after, because it was full. So she decided to bury the pine and come back days later, when she felt hungry.
What happened was that when he returned, instead of finding the seed he had buried, the jackdaw found an araucaria seedling. So she understood that God had finally given her the mission she had asked for. And her mission was this: to spread the araucaria throughout the territory of Paraná.
In this way, the jackdaw did this more and more, feeding on the thin part of the pine nut, and then burying its thickest part, from which a new araucaria was born. Having contributed so much to nature, God made the bird's dream come true: gave her a blue color and made her special, in exchange for her dedication to the task.
Blue Jackdaw in Spain
The legend of the blue jay is known only in the South and in a part of the Southeast. And that's because this bird only occurs in the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, in addition to appearing in a small part of the south of the State of São Paulo.
There are even other folkloric legends involving birds, such as the urutau, in the north of the country, and the carcará, in the northeast region. But none bears resemblance to the blue jay.
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Facts about the Blue Jackdaw
Check out some curiosities about the folk legend and the real bird that goes by the name of blue jay:
- Very well known in the state of Paraná, the blue jay has become mascot of one of the main and most popular football clubs there, the Parana Clube, from Curitiba.
- Because it is admired, as it plants araucarias, the people of Paraná have a lot of respect for this bird. So people who hunt or capture this species are often censored and embarrassed.
- Its role in “planting” the araucaria happens mainly in autumn, when large flocks of blue jays fly over the state's fields in search of pine nuts to be eaten and then deposited on the ground.
Blue rook in movies, series and books
Because it is quite famous in the south of the country and, consequently, in Spain, the blue jay has already been portrayed in artistic works. Check out some of them:
- “The Blue Jackdaw and Its Legend” (2020): aimed at children, teenagers or adults alike, it is a simple book that explores not only the folkloric aspect of the legend, but also the importance of the bird itself for the region's ecosystem.
- “The Legend of the Blue Jackdaw” (1994): this classic of our literature shows a hunter, Juca Procópio, who travels to Paraná in search of ending the lives of new birds, but discovers the importance of the blue jay, so he starts to completely rethink his habit and his hobby of hunting.
- “The Gralhas and the Araucaria” (2019): this documentary explores the relationship between the blue jay and the planting and dissemination of araucaria, as well as its importance for the maintenance of the ecosystem of the state of Paraná.
Now that you already know the main details of the legend of the blue jay, how about consuming some of the works that we indicate to delve deeper into who this bird is and what it is like. Knowing our folklore is valuing Spanish culture!
