Discover the story surrounding the Cuyana source near the city of Chachapoyas. Taken from the oral tradition, it is brought to us by Francisco Izquierdo Ríos.
Chachapoyas is a nice city and the women are magnificent. So much so that at the time of Tahuantinsuyo, they paid tribes to the Inca for superb young women. It is for this reason that all foreigners get married in Chachapoyas. Finally the legend says that it is because foreigners are given water from the Cuyana source (Source of Love) or that underground gardens captivate them.
The Cuyana source, is located near Chachapoyas, in the northeast, on the small hill of Luya-Urco. It is said that before there were two streams: the water of the first caused love, that of the other hate or forgetfulness.
His Indian name is Cuya-yacu. In quechua, cuya means to love, yacu water: it is therefore water or source of Love. Currently, her name is Yana Yacu (in Quechua, yana means black), which is black water, because the abundance of water makes the bottom of the source dark.
“The well of Yana Yacu
I’m going to ask to have it dried
Because it distracts
All those who will wash there.”
This is the letter from a sailor who sang a lot at Chachapoyas.
Tradition has it that Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo blessed the Cuyana spring when he came to Chachapoyas during a pastoral visit. On a rectangular stone next to the source, we see the drawings of a miter, a stick and the inscription of the year 1594. It is said that they were engraved by Santo Toribio himself.
