Legend of the immortelle

The legend of the immortelle

After one of those drizzles that come from the sky in the summer afternoon, at the foot of the Kinich Kakmó hill, a local was walking when he heard a little voice that said in a sweet way: "Are you Balám?" Stunned, he looked around thinking it was an illusion; but the question was repeated and to his amazement, the voice came from the wild grass flower called immortelle.

Whether out of curiosity or suspension, he replied: "Who are you that calls me by a name that is not mine?" To which the voice replied: "So, you are not my Balam, nor do you know me, but if you listen to me I will tell you my story and who I am ...".

The little voice told him: "I was a priestess of the Itzamaltul temple, daughter of a principal; I had taken the vow of chastity that my condition demanded, which meant that my love would be for my god and not for a mortal. During a ballgame ceremony I met a brave warrior named Balam ... we fell in love, but one way or another this reached my father's ears, until he surprised us in one of our love encounters. 

As a punishment, he imposed on me to be sacrificed at the feet of the red god "Kinich", and on him, to witness the sacrifice at the foot of his steps. 

That tragic day arrived, I remember that they painted and dressed me, like those who die at the foot of the god; like a dream I remember that I was taken and

placed in the temple of the god Kinich, before the desperate gaze of my Balam to fulfill his sentence ... suddenly I felt a deep pain as my chest was torn, but my still beating heart was snatched from the hands of the high priest and rolling down the steps of the temple came to the feet of my beloved Balam, who heard from me: Take me, I am yours, he ran away with me in his hands to hide, so anyone could prevent him and in the light of a full moon night he brought me to bury at the foot of this temple. 

He offered to come back for me, I have waited for him many full moons but my Balam has not came ".

The local was excited when he heard the story, he brought his lips close to kiss the little flower and on her inside he saw a drop shining ... Was it from the previous rain? or would it be one last tear that immortelle shed for his Balam? ... Who knows? 

Paulina Chiquete & Jose Lara