Legend of Tunupa volcano
Legend found on our partner site http://asbl-anj.org)
A long time ago, the volcanoes of the altiplano were giant entities which could move, meet and have long discussions. In this desert area, at 4000 meters of altitude above sea level, there was one female volcano called Tunupa. In the neighborhood, all the other volcanoes loved her.
Tunupa was pregnant and gave birth to a baby volcano of which she could not tell who was the father. The male volcanoes who all wanted to be recognized as the father of the baby, fought all the night and the child volcano was stolen from his mother and hidden in Colchani.
To punish them, the angry Gods removed from the volcanoes the ability to move, speak and meet.
Since that day, Tunupa who had fed and cherished her child with
all her heart could not seek him any more. Volcan Tunupa Like the others, the poor female volcano in pain was permanently fixed to
the ground. She did not know that near the village of Colchani, there was a small volcano very similar to her who was feeling sad
and lonely.
Tunupa cried a lot, and her white milk and her salty tears started to spread over the arid ground ... So was born the Salar of Uyuni.