Tradition / Region: Guarani Mythology, Bolivian Mythology
Alternate Names: Aguara-tunpa
Category: Fox
The Myth
Among the Ava Guaraní and Chané peoples there is a fox spirit known as Aguara, often called Aguara-tunpa, the Sacred Fox.
Aguara moves freely between the worlds of animals, spirits, and humans. Clever and restless, he is known for his tricks, sometimes helpful and sometimes harmful. He deceives people, steals what he wants, and often appears in human form, fathering children with women before slipping away again.
Yet his cunning is not always selfish. In some stories, Aguara brings useful things into the world. He is said to have stolen algarroba seeds from the viscacha and given them to humanity so they could grow and eat them. In another tale he captured Vulture and demanded rubber as ransom, and from this act rubber came into human hands.
Aguara’s rival is Tatu-tunpa, the sacred armadillo. The two clash repeatedly in story after story, their contests filled with tricks, ambushes, and revenge. In the end, Aguara is said to overcome his rival, killing him and proving once again that cunning can defeat strength.
People also say Aguara left his mark in the sky. The constellation of Scorpius is linked to him, and the bend of the scorpion’s tail is remembered as the curve of his farming enclosure, set among the stars.
Thus Aguara is remembered as a fox of many faces — trickster, bringer of gifts, rival of spirits, and wanderer between earth and sky.
Gallery
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Aguara. In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aguara.
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive