The legend of the mountain

The elders say that long ago Nunash lived in these lands, a young woman of great beauty who cared for her people by the river.

Cuynac, a powerful being of the forest, wanted her for himself. To protect her from him, Nunash was wrapped in a deep sleep and lay down facing the Huallaga valley, her face turned to the sky.

That is the mountain that watches over Tingo María today: the Sleeping Beauty. The story has many versions. Some tell it as an impossible love, others as an escape. In all of them, Nunash is still there, asleep.

Nunash is still there, asleep, and the town grows at her feet.

Version gathered from oral accounts in Tingo María. If your family tells it differently, we would love to hear it.