Let’s Illustrate: Bringing Bolivian Oral Legends to Life on Wikipedia

Imagine a water serpent with traits of a Latin American dragon, gliding through rivers and lakes to protect one of humanity’s most precious resources. This is the Jichi, the Bolivian mythological creature that disappears when humans fail to manage water wisely.

In Bolivia, myths and legends are part of the school curriculum. Both the western and eastern regions of the country share their own stories, passed down orally from generation to generation. From childhood, we learn these narratives, filled with messages and lessons that help us understand each culture’s worldview. However, their primarily oral nature makes it difficult to faithfully record them in spaces like Wikipedia.

Acknowledging this feature of oral tradition, we identified illustration as a natural ally—one that enriches and accompanies each story. Our first challenge was to identify legends from eastern Bolivia—covering the departments of Santa Cruz, Pando, and Beni—with reliable sources and sufficient information.

But… how do we approach this task?

The editorial illustration workshop with legends from eastern Bolivia allowed us to work with Graphic Design students at the University for Development and Innovation (UDI). In coordination with professor Sofía Mallo and program director Daniel Uria, we organized two workshop sessions. During the first session, participants read the legends, discussed them, and identified their protagonists. This space for debate and analysis was invaluable, as it opened the way for interpretations that were later translated into illustrations.

For the images to carry meaning, it is essential to understand the cosmovision of the peoples who give life to these stories. A cosmovision is the way we understand the universe, life, and our role within it, both individually and collectively. It includes norms, practices of care, and forms of respect that guide daily life, but also more abstract notions such as the concept of time.

Long before the spread of the colonial principles Ama Sua (don’t steal), Ama Llulla (don’t lie), and Ama Qhilla (don’t be lazy), it was the peoples themselves who transmitted what we might now call rules of coexistence through their legends. These stories help us understand how others live, what is expected in collective life, what is expected of each individual, and the logical consequences when life, water, or the earth are not respected.

The origin myth of the Uru-Chipayas, for example, tells that the chullpas were the first inhabitants of the earth. A natural phenomenon nearly wiped them out, so they chose to live underwater. Those who best adapted to the changes brought by the sun became the Chipaya people.

Similarly, legends such as that of the Tío de la Mina (Uncle of the Mine) or the Chancho Verde (Green Pig) reflect the fears and supernatural explanations people chose to believe in order to endure life. It was the Green Pig, for instance, that caused miners’ illnesses, because facing the explicit risks of the working conditions would have made life unbearable.

Until recently, no Bolivian legend on Wikipedia included an illustration. Today there are eight enriched articles where we can learn about the Jichi, the eastern version of the elf, the connection with the Pombero, what the silbaco is, and the consequences of its tragic whistle.

Now, as you read this article, we continue reviewing Bolivian legends on Wikipedia. We are supplementing information and advancing toward a more ambitious second stage of this initiative. This new version will include myths and legends from across the country, which you will soon be able to discover. Follow on our social media channels to learn more about this and other projects.