Dogs Are a Guide For the Dead to Arrive At Coropuna
Pets occupy an important place in our lives. Dogs are part of mine. I have had several like my “Zambo”, “Totó”, “Wawa” and my current “Wayki”.
One day a friend saw the piece of meat i had reserved for “Wawa” and asked who it was for. I said “for my little dog”. She added another piece and said: “give this piece in my name, so that she will help me cross the Jordan River. ” I asked “how?” She said that on the crossing, the dogs carry water in their ears to give us to drink on the way.
Last year while visiting the traditional Santurantikuy, I found a stand that sold handicrafts dogs like skeletons and the salesman told me that they were the ones who helped us get to heaven when we died.
A few days ago, in a conversation with friends from Apurimac, they told me about Coropuna and the dogs that help souls to reach the summit. I was interested in the legend and I asked them about it. They told me the following: “In Apurímac souls do not go to heaven, but to Coropuna, a volcano that has snow on its summit and is located in the mountains of Arequipa.
The souls make a long journey, crossing fields, mountains, rivers until they reach the Coropuna slopes accompanied by their dogs. On the way the animals take care of the souls of their masters, fighting with other dogs that prevent them from traveling. Hence, the importance of having dogs at home. Take care of them, love them, and give them a good life. ”
Souls come up with their black dogs and others with their white dogs. But it is only the black dogs that reach the top, that is why the white dogs beg blacks to care for, guide, and help their masters reach their destination.
They also say that the souls that in life have been bad and have committed sin will not reach the top, they will be left wandering, suffering and frightening people.
During the rise of the souls and their dogs to the Coropuna there are avalanches of snow. They say that when they are almost at the summit the avalanches can return them to the beginning, being the black dogs who play an important role, because they must help the good souls of their masters and as the white dogs ordered them.
I tell this tender story because it reminded me of my beloved pets and the nobility of all the animals. So to get to Coropuna, we must to take care of our pets and especially the black dogs that are the ones that take us, or to wait for our white dogs who know how to beg well so that they make us reach the summit of Coropuna.
