The legend of Mandioca (Portuguese for manioc, cassava) is a Brazilian story of indigenous origin.
Legend[]
With a contagious joy, Mani was a little child highly esteemed by the Tupi tribe where she lived. She was the granddaughter of the chief and her mother's pregnancy was a cause of sadness for the chief of the tribe. That was because she had become pregnant and was not married to a brave warrior, as he wished.
One morning, Mani was found dead by her mother. She had simply died in her sleep and, even lifeless, had a smiling face. Saddened by the loss, her mother buried Mani inside her oca and her tears moistened the earth.
A few days later, in that same place, a plant was born, different from all the ones she knew, which she started to take care of. Noticing that the earth was getting cracked, she dug in hopes that she could dig up her daughter alive. However, in place of her daughter she found a root, the Mandioca, which was named after the junction of the name Mani and the word "oca".