Guaraní traditions of the destruction by fire or water

Record summary

Guaraní-speaking peoples preserve varied traditions concerning the destruction and renewal of worlds, including episodes involving flood, fire, darkness, or the collapse of an earlier human order. Mbyá-Guaraní accounts recorded by ethnographers often connect catastrophe with movement toward a perfected or imperishable land, while other Guaraní traditions emphasize different agents and sequences. This lead supports comparison of catastrophe, migration, and renewal rather than a single pan-Guaraní deluge account. Terminology, community identity, and publication context must be checked carefully.