León Cadogan
Encyclopedia
León Cadogan was a Paraguayan ethnologist who made significant contributions to the study of Guaraní language
and culture
.
a few years after his Irish-ancestry
Australia
n parents, John Cadogan and Rose Stone, came to Paraguay
as part of a group of a few hundred people who migrated there in 1893 and 1894. Led by the mercurial and stridently racist William Lane
, the group created New Australia
(near the town of Coronel Oviedo
), a utopia
n colony espousing socialism
and teetotalism
but tainted with the overtly xenophobic ethnocentrism
that had already produced an official White Australia policy
in their homeland. The New Australia colony soon collapsed in dissension, and its members obtained freehold land instead.
A fire in his parents' home in 1904 forced the Cadogan family to leave the colony. They settled in Villarrica
, a town with a German-speaking population substantial enough to warrant a newspaper, Villarrica-Actual, that publishes in Spanish
and German
. Attending that city's German-language school, León, who had previously learned English
, Spanish
, and Guaraní
, learned German
as well.
He was 18 when he began working as a clerk for the cold-storage facilities of Swift & Co.'s slaughterhouse in the Zevallos Cué barrio of Asunción
. Through a friendship struck up with the Frenchman
Emile Lelieur, he learned French and gained the opportunity to read classic authors, to learn elementary mathematics and the use of logarithm
s.
In 1919 he moved to Buenos Aires
, and two years later his restless spirit led him to the jungles of Caaguazú
, where he worked harvesting yerba maté
. Absorbed by the rugged and primitive environment, he became interested in the life of the Guaraní people. Cadogan studied, published and became an authority on Mbyá Guaraní
, Ava-Guaraní, Pai-tavytera, and Ache-guayaki
— various Guaraní tribes living in the forests of western Paraguay.
Cadogan was accepted as a member of the Mbya-Guaraní and initiated under the spiritual name of "Tupa Kuchubi Veve" ("One who flies like a whirlwind"). The Mbya-Guarani had a secret, esoteric religious language unknown to the world until his initiation. Following the traditions of the group, he kept this name secret until his death.
Cadogan published several studies of the language, religion and culture of the Guaraní, becoming a recognized authority of this group. One of his most famous works is Ayvu Rapyta
, a collection of religious traditions of the Mbya-Guarani. His works were published in academic publications in Paraguay
, Uruguay
, Mexico
, Argentina
, Brazil
, Austria
, France
and the USA. In 1949 President Felipe Molas López
appointed him "Protector of Indians", but he later lost favour with the thuggish dictator Alfredo Stroessner
who tortured him to the point that he suffered a heart attack.
Cadogan died in 1973 after forty years dedicated to the Guaraní cause and denunciation of the systemic persecution and abuse they had been subjected to. His library was donated to the Catholic University of Asunción
. Pursuant to municipal ordinance 9513/76, a street near his home was named after him. Paraguayans consider him as one of the 100 most important people of the millennium. Léon Cadogan's son Rogerio Cadogan currently heads the Fundación Léon Cadogan, an organization that continues to advance the goals of Paraguay's Guaraní people.
Guaraní language
Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...
and culture
Guaraní mythology
The Guaraní people live in south-central part of South America, especially in Paraguay and parts of the surrounding areas of Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia.-Overview:There exist no written records of the ancient myths and legends associated with the Guaraní people...
.
Childhood and studies
León Cadogan was born in AsunciónAsunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
a few years after his Irish-ancestry
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n parents, John Cadogan and Rose Stone, came to Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
as part of a group of a few hundred people who migrated there in 1893 and 1894. Led by the mercurial and stridently racist William Lane
William Lane
William Lane was a journalist, advocate of Australian labour politics and a utopian.-Early life:Lane was born in Bristol, England, eldest son of James Lane,from Ireland a Protestant Master Gardener , and his English wife Caroline, née Hall...
, the group created New Australia
New Australia
New Australia was a utopian socialist settlement in Paraguay founded by the Australian New Australian Movement. The colony was officially founded on 28 September 1893 as Colonia Nueva Australia and comprised 238 adults and children.-History:...
(near the town of Coronel Oviedo
Coronel Oviedo
Coronel Oviedo is a city in Paraguay. It is the capital of the Caaguazú Department, about 150 kilometers east of Asunción.The city has a population of about 52,400 and is the hometown of president Nicanor Duarte Frutos. Coronel Oviedo is an important transit point, as it lies halfway between...
), a utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
n colony espousing socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and teetotalism
Teetotalism
Teetotalism refers to either the practice of or the promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. A person who practices teetotalism is called a teetotaler or is simply said to be teetotal...
but tainted with the overtly xenophobic ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is the tendency to believe that one's ethnic or cultural group is centrally important, and that all other groups are measured in relation to one's own. The ethnocentric individual will judge other groups relative to his or her own particular ethnic group or culture, especially with...
that had already produced an official White Australia policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
in their homeland. The New Australia colony soon collapsed in dissension, and its members obtained freehold land instead.
A fire in his parents' home in 1904 forced the Cadogan family to leave the colony. They settled in Villarrica
Villarrica, Paraguay
Villarrica is a city located in the middle of the Oriental Region of the Paraguayan territory, is capital of the Guairá Department. It was founded by the Spanish Captain Ruy Diaz de Melgarejo on May 14, 1570 in the old Guaira, today in Brazilian territory....
, a town with a German-speaking population substantial enough to warrant a newspaper, Villarrica-Actual, that publishes in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. Attending that city's German-language school, León, who had previously learned English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and Guaraní
Guaraní languages
The Guaraní languages are a group of half a dozen or so languages in the Tupí–Guaraní language family. The best known language in this family is Guaraní, the national language of Paraguay.The Guaraní languages are:...
, learned German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
as well.
He was 18 when he began working as a clerk for the cold-storage facilities of Swift & Co.'s slaughterhouse in the Zevallos Cué barrio of Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
. Through a friendship struck up with the Frenchman
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Emile Lelieur, he learned French and gained the opportunity to read classic authors, to learn elementary mathematics and the use of logarithm
Logarithm
The logarithm of a number is the exponent by which another fixed value, the base, has to be raised to produce that number. For example, the logarithm of 1000 to base 10 is 3, because 1000 is 10 to the power 3: More generally, if x = by, then y is the logarithm of x to base b, and is written...
s.
In 1919 he moved to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, and two years later his restless spirit led him to the jungles of Caaguazú
Caaguazú
Caaguazú may refer to:*Caaguazú Department, Paraguay*Caaguazú District, Paraguay...
, where he worked harvesting yerba maté
Yerba mate
Maté, yerba maté or erva maté , Ilex paraguariensis, is a species of holly native to subtropical South America in northeastern Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay...
. Absorbed by the rugged and primitive environment, he became interested in the life of the Guaraní people. Cadogan studied, published and became an authority on Mbyá Guaraní
Mbyá Guaraní
Mbyá Guaraní is a Tupi–Guaraní language spoken 16,050 Brazilians, 3,000 Argentines, and 8,000 Paraguayans. It is 75% lexically similar to Paraguayan Guaraní.Mbyá Guaraní is one of a number of "Guaraní dialects" now generally classified as distinct languages....
, Ava-Guaraní, Pai-tavytera, and Ache-guayaki
Aché
The Aché Indians are a traditional hunter-gatherer tribe living in Paraguay. They are called "Guayakí" by Guaraní-speaking neighbors and in early anthropological accounts...
— various Guaraní tribes living in the forests of western Paraguay.
Cadogan was accepted as a member of the Mbya-Guaraní and initiated under the spiritual name of "Tupa Kuchubi Veve" ("One who flies like a whirlwind"). The Mbya-Guarani had a secret, esoteric religious language unknown to the world until his initiation. Following the traditions of the group, he kept this name secret until his death.
Cadogan published several studies of the language, religion and culture of the Guaraní, becoming a recognized authority of this group. One of his most famous works is Ayvu Rapyta
Ayvu Rapyta
Ayvu Rapyta is a book written in the Mbya Guarani language and compiled by Paraguayan anthropologist León Cadogan. Cadogan records the myths and religious tradition of the Mbyá Guaraní of the Guairá Department of Paraguay as told him by, among others, Cacique Pablo Vera.The book's full title is...
, a collection of religious traditions of the Mbya-Guarani. His works were published in academic publications in Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the USA. In 1949 President Felipe Molas López
Felipe Molas López
Felipe Benigno Molas López was President of Paraguay from February 27, 1949 - September 10, 1949, when he resigned.- Childhood and Studies :Born in 1901. Once he completed high school, he pursued Dentistry in Paris...
appointed him "Protector of Indians", but he later lost favour with the thuggish dictator Alfredo Stroessner
Alfredo Stroessner
Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda, whose name is also spelled Strössner or Strößner , was a Paraguayan military officer and dictator from 1954 to 1989...
who tortured him to the point that he suffered a heart attack.
Cadogan died in 1973 after forty years dedicated to the Guaraní cause and denunciation of the systemic persecution and abuse they had been subjected to. His library was donated to the Catholic University of Asunción
Universidad Católica Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
The Universidad Católica Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is a private university of Catholic obedience in Paraguay. It has 8 teaching facility centers.-External links:*...
. Pursuant to municipal ordinance 9513/76, a street near his home was named after him. Paraguayans consider him as one of the 100 most important people of the millennium. Léon Cadogan's son Rogerio Cadogan currently heads the Fundación Léon Cadogan, an organization that continues to advance the goals of Paraguay's Guaraní people.
Major publications
- Ayvu RapytaAyvu RapytaAyvu Rapyta is a book written in the Mbya Guarani language and compiled by Paraguayan anthropologist León Cadogan. Cadogan records the myths and religious tradition of the Mbyá Guaraní of the Guairá Department of Paraguay as told him by, among others, Cacique Pablo Vera.The book's full title is...
, Textos miticos de los Mbya-Guarani del Guaira (Boletim No. 227 - Antropologia, No. 5. University of São Paulo, 1959)
- Diccionario Mbya-Guarani Castellano (Biblioteca Paraguaya de Antropologia - Vol. XVII, Fundacion "Leon Cadogan" Ceaduc Cepac. Asunción, 1992)
- Nuevas observaciones acerca del origen de los Guayaki. (Jornadas Internacionales de Arqueologia y Etnografia, Buenos Aires, 1960)
Sources
- "The Indians of Paraguay." Branislav Súsnik and Miguel Chase-Sardi
- "One Hundred Paraguayans of the Twentieth Century." Fascicules collectibles last minute