Gather round, and I will tell you the tragic story of Badaku, the great volcano spirit of the Canary Islands.
Long, long ago my grandfather was told by his grandfather the story that I tell you now. In the archipelago of Spain rested the Canary Islands and on them the great Cumbre Vieja volcano. This was no simple volcano, but the heart of an earth spirit known as Badaku.
Time passed quickly for Badaku as he warmed the islands and watched the world change around him. But as all things do, Badaku became lonely. Time slowed then as he gazed up from his volcano. Day after day he watched as the beautiful sun passed over him. Smiling down on him for only a moment before it moved away.
Badaku tried yelling at the great sun spirit so she might hear him and stop. But he was not loud enough. He cried so loudly the earth shook with his effort but even this did not slow the beautiful sun down. One day after centuries of fruitless attempts were made. Badaku fashioned a lasso. Then with all his might he threw that lasso at the sun and wrapped it around her.
He pulled and pulled until the sun fell into his volcano with him. The world grew dark for Badaku did not know what the sun provided, only that her beauty was something he desired. Held in his volcano Badaku spoke with the sun but she would not respond. He kept her there with him for many months. These months are known to us as the dark days.
The people of the land prayed and prayed for the great sun to be returned. Because they did not know where she had gone. Crops were dying, and the warmth of the land was gone. But more than anything they missed the light she cast down on the land. Their prayers were answered by the great sky spirit.
He flew down into Badaku's volcano and freed the sun, sending her back into the sky. Then he too left Badaku's volcano. Anger unlike anything the people had ever seen surged within Badaku. He roared and with him roared the volcano. Each day he screamed at the passing sun and his volcano became more and more heated with his rage.
Then on September 19th Badaku left his volcano, and with his departure, no one was there to stop the eruption that followed him. But great spirits are not meant to walk the earth like man, and Badaku forgot why he left his great volcano. Now he hunts for the woman he thinks is his great sun, and many have died because of his one-sided love.
Should you ever meet a man, who thinks you are as beautiful as the sun, be warned it could be Badaku come to steal you away!