Rolling Heads And Other Tales To Tell Sample Of Stories

It was 1501. The ship yard of Moguer, Spain buzzed with stories of sailors returning from their adventures with Christopher Columbus in his historic discovery of a New World. Excited sailors and towns people vied for the best story.
“If it’s adventure you’re wanting join us on our next voyage,” challenged a sailor.

“Who wants to spend days rocking on the seas just to see half naked strangers and perhaps get shot through with one of their spears?” responded a listener.

“Not, me. I’ll settle for my pint of ale and a fine lady right here,” said another.

“What about the pearls and gold? There’re worth more than any woman!” countered the sailor.

Young Vasco Núñez de Balboa listened to the easy-going banter. He was known to be a risk-taker.

“Ey, Balboa. What do ya think? Are ya up to the adventure?” Someone challenged him.

“Sure, why not? Just let me know when the next ships’ leaving.” Balboa responded. He was never one to pass up a challenge.

Vasco Balboa was born in Castile, Spain in 1475, the son of a poor noble man. Since Spain didn’t have much going for him, why not try his luck across the sea? Perhaps in this new land he would find fame as well as adventure. . . . . . . (skips to ending)

Don Pedro’s governorship proved to be disastrous. Hundreds of Spaniards who had sailed with him, still dressed in their fancy, silk clothing, died of disease and starvation; thousands of Indians were robbed, enslaved, and massacred. . . . . It’s no wonder that Don Pedro became known as ‘Pedro the Cruel’.

From a carefree adventurer, Balboa had developed into a skillful general and a first-rate administrator. His leadership and judgment were responsible for the establishment of the Spanish crown in unexplored territory. Still, Balboa’s foes seem to have had the last word. Their treachery . . . . even caused his death. Certainly, in their day they were the winners, but history remembers little of them. Whereas the name of Balboa is remembered everywhere, the names of Pedro Arias de Ávila and Martin Fernandez de Enciso are rarely mentioned.

Myths about villainous decapitated heads are common among many indigenous American cultures. Tales of monstrous rolling heads are often associated with an evil spirit or ogre and have been told and retold among the Kuna tribes for generations. Following are three tales taken from the Kuna people of Panama. Listen to these stories and as you listen, draw pictures of the events as you imagine them happening. When the stories are finished, redraw your illustrations to look like a mola-style design by making a more finished, geometrical version of your pictures. After you finish your designs, color your drawings in bright colors, and mount them on construction paper. If you prefer, you may cut out your design patterns and paste the cutouts on a contrasting background.

What could be more terrifying than being pursued by a monstrous decapitated head? In this legend a brave woman is chased by a rolling head with long hair and monstrous animal paws.

Long ago in the land of the Kuna people lived a woman and her infant son. One morning she went to prepare a meal for herself and her child.

“Oh dear. What shall we do little one? All we have to eat are a few crumbs and some nuts,” she said. She knew that she could find fruit and nourishing plants in the jungle surrounding her home, but it wasn’t safe. The jungle was under the spell of an evil spirit who terrorized the people by appearing in the form of a monstrous rolling head. . . . .