Mapiripana
The Witch of ZascandilMuseum CourtyardThe Dog Men (Coprophagia)A Dangerous WhisperChoir of NovicesMapiripanaNencatacoa, God of DreamsCourtyard of Myths and OriginsBochica Teaching the MuiscaIdacansas in SugamuxiSelf-PortraitLuis Alberto Acuña at Casa Museo

MapiripanaLuis Alberto Acuña

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Inspired by a myth from La Vorágine (a novel by José Eustasio Rivera), this 1950s painting depicts Mapiripana , a river spirit who guards silence and nature’s purity. When a missionary attempts to capture her, she punishes him by birthing monstrous twins—a vampire and an owl. In his final feverish agony, he sees a blue butterfly, symbol of his soul’s escape and eternal remorse.