Llama
Legends: The Incas never invented the
wheel, so they had no wheeled vehicles. They did not have horses or cows.
High in the Andes, the llama was a most important animal. The llama was
used for transportation. It provided the Incas with wool and
food. So it's understandable that many Incan legends and myths
were about llamas.
Flood Story
(loosely based on an Incan myth)
At one time, people became very evil. They were so
busy doing evil deeds that they neglected the gods. Only those in the high
Andes mountains were honest and true.
One day, two brothers who lived in the high Andes
mountains noticed their llamas were acting strangely. They asked the
llamas why they were staring up at the sky. The llamas answered that they
were told by the stars that a great flood was coming. The brothers
believed the llamas. They moved their families and flocks into a cave they
found on the highest mountain.
It began to rain. The rain continued for four
months and four days. At last the rain stopped. The water receded. The
brothers and their families repopulated the earth.
The llamas were most grateful to the stars for
warning them about the flood. That is why llamas prefer to live on the
mountain tops, safe from floods, and near their friends, the stars.
A little about llamas:
The llama is a member of the camel family. The llama
is about four feet tall and four feet long and can weigh 300 pounds. They
can travel long distances without needing water. They can carry light
loads of not over 100 pounds. They can easily travel 6 miles a day over
lumpy bumpy ground. On flat ground, the llama can run faster than a horse.
Llamas are herd creatures. They need to be with other
llamas to be happy. Most llamas have big personalities. They are very
loving and gentle. They do not like to be stared at. But then, who does?
If you ever meet a llama, be sure and follow this simple rule of llama
etiquette - don't stare - otherwise the llama might spit in your face.
