Maní (Amazonian legend)

The Amazonian legend of Maní is related to the cult of Manioc, the native staple food that sprang from her grave.

[3] Sometime later a crack opened on the earth and the people of the tribe found a fruit that resembled the white skin tone of the dead child's body.

So, from this day on, they began using the root as their staple food and called it "mandioca", which in Tupy language means "house (oca, in Tupi–Guarani) of Mandi= Maní".

After that, one of the female Indians of the tribe, while wandering through the forest, encountered a beautiful young hunter who was no other than the manioc metamorphosed.

The Indians opened the grave and instead of finding the body of the child, discovered a root which they called Mani-oka (House of Mani).

[3] Another version given by Carlos Teschauer says that the child born from the union of the chief's daughter and the white warrior not only lived long, but also taught his tribe many things.