Appropriations or (re)translations of the Ayvu Rapyta

Abstract

The mythical texts collected by León Cadogan and published under the title of Ayvu Rapyta —"the foundation of language"—, is probably the most cited work of Guarani ethnology. Pierre Clastres translated them into French, from which they were translated into Portuguese and even back into Spanish. Bartoméu Melià, heir and guardian of Cadogan's heritage, later accused Clastres and other translators of plagiarism. In this article we analyze the nature and scope of these appropriations and translations of Guarani myths, concluding that the different versions of his texts are, to some extent, retranslations of Cadogan’s Spanish version. The context of the production of Ayvy Rapyta is then forgotten, which causes misinterpretations and reaffirms its importance in the translation of verbal art.