The Montuvio by J. Orión Llaguno was originally published in 1926 and offers a vivid portrayal of the montuvio, an iconic figure of Ecuador’s rural landscape. Through a blend of prose and verse, Llaguno explores the customs, lifestyle, and character of the montuvio, likening him to the guajiro of Cuba and the llanero of Venezuela. This evocative piece reflects Llaguno’s deep connection to the culture and identity of the Ecuadorian countryside, capturing the spirit of its people and their ties to the land. My translation is followed by a glossary, an Afterword, and the original Spanish version.
The Montuvio
Translated by Richard Gabela, October 24, 2024.
The montuvio is to us what the guajiro is in Cuba or the llanero in Venezuela: a figure whose character and customs contain elements of the Arab, Andalusian, and even barbarian.
The montuvio is freedom-loving, generous, quarrelsome, and quite prone to alcohol. He is also highly superstitious, believing in devils, goblins, and witches.
Their houses are typically raised on pillars of durable wood, with floors made from split guadúa cane planks and roofs covered in bijao leaves, cane, or toquilla.
The montuvio is exceptionally agile and strong, a skilled swimmer, and an excellent horseman, effortlessly taming even the wildest colts. He charges at the bravest bull, ropes it, and holds it fast at his horse’s tail. Fearless of wild beasts, he sleeps in jungles where tigers abound, and when necessary, dives into rivers among caimans. In his fragile canoe, he crosses the mightiest rivers and climbs the tallest trees with the agility of a squirrel. He knows the medicinal properties of many herbs and cures himself from the bites of the vipers that thrive in the forests. He is also an adept hunter, and hunting and fishing are his favorite pastimes.
Plantains, yucca, and rice form the basis of his diet.
The montuvio’s attire includes a colorful shirt, sturdy cashmere trousers, and a jipijapa hat. He keeps a sharp machete at his waist and only wears shoes when visiting the city.
In the city, his lively and determined demeanor loses its natural ease. He walks stiffly, as if stepping on eggshells, with his cursed shoes making him “see stars at noon.” He casts a wary eye at soldiers and trembles at the sight of barracks and police. Yet despite this, he observes everything carefully, and once out of the city, he breathes freely, curses his hardships, and regains his natural cheerfulness, chattering like a parrot.
Once home, he recounts everything he has seen or heard, embellishing his tales with incredible details that his companions listen to in admiration. A lover of poetry, the montuvio improvises verses easily, inspired by the beauty of the jungles, rivers, pampas, and forests filled with palms, birds, and flowers.
He sings of his loves, sorrows, or joys at the top of his voice when he is alone, or to the sound of a guitar when among friends.
His dances are lively, and during his frequent bouts of drunkenness, he spends all he has; his festivities almost always end in fights, leaving some wounded and occasionally resulting in death.
But the montuvio is most interesting when he is in love. He chooses his best horse and adorns it with luxury. He dresses all in white, ties a pink silk scarf around his neck—knowing it symbolizes love—straps on silver spurs (even if borrowed), sharpens his machete, lights a cigar, and, mounting his fiery steed, sets off like a modern-day Don Quixote to meet his Dulcinea. She, with her beautiful Andalusian eyes, dresses with utmost simplicity and cleanliness, retaining her natural charms, unlike the powdered and painted beauties of the city who pluck their eyebrows and polish their faces.
Upon arrival, he greets the old folks (as he calls the girl’s parents), gives a handshake to her; he sits in a hammock like that of a deer, because he has never read that tyrant called Carreño; and while he talks about cows, horses, land clearing, and harvests, he strikes the ground with his walking stick. At a saint’s feast, he discreetly hands the girl a letter, written by the sacristan or the steward of a neighboring hacienda. Mounting his horse, he prances off so she can see him through the cracks in the cane walls. He rides into the woods and begins to sing of his love, jealousy, hope, and the disdain of his beloved:
“With this letter it makes five,
Dear girl, that I’ve sent to keep our love alive;
Toss it in the river, if you will,
But in your heart, keep me still.”
As he says this, a friend replies from the middle of the jungle, teasing him:
“Never eat the seeds that hide
In ripe guava’s sweet inside;
A poor man courts in vain
When beauty’s love he hopes to gain.”
Such is the montuvio—unless he toils as a peon on a hacienda, where he becomes a miserable slave, scraping by on the pittance his master pays. Often, he dies sad and burdened with debts, unless he escapes to reclaim his freedom.
By Jerónimo Orión Llaguno Márquez, native of Los Ríos, 1926
Glossary
- bijao: Large tropical leaves often used for roofing or wrapping food.
- Carreño, for Manuel Antonio Carreño (1812-1874): A Venezuelan diplomat and writer whose Manual of Urbanity and Good Manners (1853) became the definitive guide for social behavior throughout Latin America. Here ironically called “tyrannical” to contrast with the montuvio’s natural manners.
- guadúa: A type of bamboo native to Latin America, used for construction.
- guajiro: A rural peasant, typically from Cuba.
- hacienda: A large estate or plantation, common in Latin American countries.
- jipijapa: A type of hat made from toquilla, also known as a Panama hat.
- llanero: A cowboy or cattle herder from the plains of Venezuela.
- montuvio: A rural person from the coastal region of Ecuador, known for their distinctive lifestyle and traditions.
- peon: A laborer or worker, typically on a plantation or estate.
- toquilla: A palm fiber used to make traditional hats, such as the Panama hat.
- yucca: A starchy root vegetable, also known as cassava or manioc.
Afterword
by Richard Gabela.
The piece titled El Montuvio (1926) by Jerónimo Orión Llaguno Márquez offers a vivid and evocative portrayal of the montuvio, a figure from rural Ecuadorian culture who embodies a rich blend of freedom, strength, and folklore. The montuvio is depicted as a romanticized and complex character, one who is as much a part of Ecuador’s natural landscape as the rivers, forests, and jungles that he calls home.
Key Themes and Interpretation:
- Cultural Identity and Comparisons: The montuvio is compared to similar rural archetypes from other Latin American countries: the guajiro from Cuba and the llanero from Venezuela. This comparison emphasizes the universality of rural figures in Latin American culture while highlighting the specific traits that make the montuvio unique. Llaguno describes him as a mixture of Arab, Andalusian, and barbarian elements, suggesting a heritage that is both noble and untamed, refined yet wild. This duality serves as the foundation for understanding the montuvio as a cultural symbol of Ecuador.
- Romanticization of the Montuvio Lifestyle: The montuvio is portrayed as an embodiment of freedom. His generous spirit and love for independence are essential to his identity. However, his freedom comes with a rough, quarrelsome edge—he drinks heavily and is superstitious, believing in myths like devils, goblins, and witches. Llaguno emphasizes the simplicity and rusticity of the montuvio’s life, from the design of his house to his diet, which is primarily composed of plantains, yucca, and rice. His clothing is simple yet functional, and he always carries a machete, a symbol of his readiness to face challenges, both physical and social.
- Connection to Nature: One of the most significant aspects of the montuvio’s identity is his intimate connection with nature. The description of his agility, his skill in swimming, horseback riding, and hunting, and his fearlessness in confronting wild animals like tigers and caimans, presents him as a man deeply in tune with the natural world. Llaguno emphasizes the montuvio’s self-sufficiency, especially in how he uses his knowledge of medicinal plants to heal himself from snake bites. This natural wisdom, combined with his physical prowess, portrays the montuvio as a figure who thrives in the untamed environment of rural Ecuador.
- Contrast Between City and Countryside: A central element in the text is the contrast between the montuvio’s natural ease in the countryside and his discomfort in the city. In the countryside, the montuvio is agile, confident, and at home. But in the city, he becomes stiff, clumsy, and nervous, particularly around soldiers and police, who represent authority and control. This contrast underscores the theme of freedom versus oppression, with the city representing constraints and social order, while the countryside embodies liberty and natural existence. The image of the montuvio “seeing stars at noon” because of his unfamiliar shoes humorously reflects his displacement in the urban environment.
- Love and Courtship: The montuvio is portrayed as an impassioned lover, and his courtship rituals are imbued with romanticism and ceremony. His attention to detail—dressing in white, wearing a pink scarf to symbolize love, and adorning his horse—shows a deep sense of pride and ritual in his pursuit of love. Llaguno draws parallels between the montuvio and Don Quixote, with the montuvio’s romantic endeavors reflecting a quest for an idealized love. The verse exchange between the montuvio and his friend in the jungle, where one speaks of unrequited love and the other teases him with a humorous response, adds a layer of playful camaraderie to the story of rural love.
- The Montuvio’s Duality: Despite his romanticized portrayal, the montuvio is not immune to hardship. If he works as a peon on a hacienda (a large estate), he becomes a “miserable slave,” a powerful statement about the exploitation of rural labor in Ecuador. His life in servitude is marked by debt and sadness, and the only escape from this drudgery is to regain his freedom by fleeing. This duality between the free, proud montuvio and the oppressed peon illustrates the complex social realities of rural life in Ecuador. It suggests that while the montuvio may embody an ideal of freedom, many are trapped in cycles of poverty and exploitation.
- Poetic Flourish and Cultural Reflection: The piece is both prose and verse, and it ends with a romantic flourish as the montuvio sings about his love, hopes, and jealousies in the middle of the jungle. The improvised verses reflect the montuvio’s deep connection to poetry and storytelling, a nod to the importance of oral traditions in rural Ecuadorian culture. The rhymed quatrains that Llaguno includes reveal the improvisational nature of montuvio poetry, which is deeply personal and rooted in the landscape that surrounds him.
Conclusion:
“El Montuvio” by Jerónimo Orión Llaguno Márquez is both a celebration of and a critical reflection on the montuvio as a cultural archetype in Ecuador. Through this character, Llaguno explores themes of freedom, nature, love, and social inequality, providing a nuanced portrayal of rural Ecuadorian life. The montuvio is both a hero of the land and a victim of systemic oppression, embodying the contradictions and complexities of life in rural Ecuador. Llaguno’s work is a tribute to the strength, resilience, and cultural richness of the montuvio, while also acknowledging the hardships that often accompany this way of life.
Original Spanish Version
El montuvio
El montuvio es entre nosotros lo que el guajiro en Cuba, lo que el llanero en Venezuela: un ser cuyo carácter y costumbres tienen algo de árabe, de andaluz y de bárbaro.
El montuvio es amante de su libertad, dadivoso, pendenciero, bastante inclinado a las bebidas alcohólicas y muy supersticioso, pues cree en diablos, duendes y brujas.
Sus casas son por lo general levantadas sobre pilares de madera incorruptible, pisos de caña guadúa picada y así reducida a tabla, y el techo cubierto con hojas de bijao, caña o toquilla.
Es el montuvio extremadamente ágil y robusto, buen nadador; jinete magnífico, monta el potro más cerril y lo doma con presteza; avanza a la carrera al toro más bravo, lo ata y lo sostiene a la cola de su caballo; no teme a las fieras, duerme en la selva donde abundan los tigres y cuando se ofrece, se arroja al agua en medio de los caimanes; en su frágil canoa atraviesa los ríos más caudalosos; trepa con la agilidad de una ardilla los más encumbrados árboles. Conoce las virtudes medicinales de muchas yerbas y él mismo se cura de las mordeduras de las víboras que abundan en los bosques. Es además un buen cazador y la caza y la pesca son su diversión favorita.
El plátano, la yuca y el arroz son su principal alimento.
El vestido del montuvio está compuesto de una camisa siempre de color, además un buen pantalón de casimir, y cubre su cabeza con un sombrero de jipijapa. El poncho no le falta ni tampoco el afilado machete pendiente del cinto. Lo que los zapatos no los usa sino para salir a las ciudades.
En estas, su carácter vivo y decidido pierde toda su naturalidad: se le ve ir por las calles medio encogido y pisando como sobre huevos, pues los malditos zapatos le hacen ver estrellas al mediodía; mira con desconfianza a los militares, y los cuarteles y la policía le inspiran terror; pero, a pesar de esto, él lo ve todo y lo examina con atención, y una vez que sale de la ciudad, respira con toda libertad como quien deja una prisión, echa a maldecir para sus capotes cuanto tanto le han hecho sufrir y recobrando el natural desparpajo charla como una cotorra.
Llegado a su casa, habla de cuanto ha visto u oído: todo lo explica a su modo, todo lo exagera y lleno de cordillería o cosas inverosímiles, que escuchan con admiración sus compañeros. Amante de la poesía, el montuvio improvisa con suma facilidad, inspirado por la belleza de sus selvas, sus ríos, sus pampas y sus bosques poblados de palmas, aves y flores.
Canta a todo pecho sus amores, sus pesares o sus alegrías cuando va solo, o al son de una guitarra, si está en unión de sus amigos.
Sus bailes son muy animados, y en medio de sus frecuentes borracheras despilfarra cuanto tiene; y concluye sus diversiones casi siempre con una riña, de la que resultan no pocos heridos y algún muerto.
Pero cuando es más interesante el montuvio es cuando está enamorado. Entonces escoge su mejor caballo y lo adereza con lujo. Él, por su parte, se viste de punta en blanco, se coloca corbata al cuello, a modo de corbata, un pañuelo de seda rosado, porque sabe que este color significa amor; se calza sus espuelas de plata, si no las tiene, las pide prestadas a un amigo; afila e incita al natural machete, enciende un cigarro y montando en su fogoso corcel se encamina de nuevo Quijote a la manada de su Dulcinea, embriagado de hermosos ojos andaluces, vestida con suma sencillez y limpieza, sin desmedro de sus encantos naturales y sin esas pinturas y polvos en la cara, porque esas que tan desfiguran a nuestras adoradas tormentos que viven en las ciudades deslipidando las cejas y lustrándose la nuca.
Llega, saluda a los viejos (así llama a los papás de la chica), da un apretón de mano a esta; se sienta en una hamaca como la de la gama, porque él no ha leído nunca a ese tirano llamado Carreró; y mientras habla de vacas y caballos, de desmontes y cosechas, golpea el suelo con el bejuco que empuña de lado de la mano ni cuando por casualidad y ofició el día de la fiesta del santo patrono de su pueblo. Por fin se despide, no sin entregar al disimulo una cartita a la niña, carta que ha hecho escribir con el sacristán de la parroquia o con el mayordomo de la hacienda vecina. Monta en su caballo, lo hace caracolear para que lo vea ella, que se oculta pudibunda tras las paredes de caña, pero que lo está espiando por las rendijas, dispara su caballo con dirección al cercano monte, desde donde comienza a entonar sus cantares amorosos: sus cuitas, sus celos, sus esperanzas y los desdenes de su adorada:
“Con esta carta van cinco,
niña que yo te escribí;
échala, si quieres al río,
más no te olvides de mí.”
Así, dice, mientras en medio de la selva le contesta un amigo para hacerle reír:
“De la guayaba madura
nunca comas la pepita:
el hombre que fuere pobre
no busque mujer bonita.”
Tal es nuestro montuvio mientras no se hace peón de alguna hacienda, pues ya en este estado es un miserable esclavo que solo trabaja para lo que manda el hombre, porque no le alcanza para más el escaso salario que le da su patrón; muere triste y lleno de deudas, a no ser que recobre su libertad por medio de la fuga.
Jerónimo Orión Llaguno Márquez, riosense, 1926