Legend has it that many years ago, a giant and evil serpent called Mbói lived in the Iguaçu River. It was so monstrous and selfish that it demanded an offering from all the people who lived around this river of "big water". The Guarani inhabitants had to sacrifice a beautiful maiden once a year as an offer. They had to throw her into the river so that the animal would not cast its terrible curses on them.
All the members of the tribes around were invited to this ceremony, because the river was so populated that it allowed several villages to develop.
And so it was that one year a long-haired native maiden called Naipí was chosen to be given as a sacrifice. At the same time, a young chief called Tarobá came to be the head of her tribe.
The brave young man, upon meeting Naipí, fell in love with her. And his love was so great that Tarobá rebelled against the elders of the tribe. Desperately, he tried to convince them not to sacrifice Naipí. However, all his efforts were in vain. The people's fear of the river monster was greater than Tarobá's sincere pleas.
So, to save Naipí on the night before the sacrifice, the young chief took Naipí to his canoe and they tried to escape down the river. At that moment, Mboi, who saw everything, became furious and split the riverbed with his back.
This is how the Falls were formed, where the lovers ended up trapped. As if that were not enough, the cruel snake decided to separate the couple forever. He turned Tarobá into a tree, which can still be seen at the top of this landscape today. Meanwhile, Naipi was transformed into a powerful cascade of the waterfalls.
The legend goes on to say that Mbói remains submerged in the Devil's Throat, ever watching to make sure that the lovers never meet again. They say that every time a rainbow appears on the horizon, it means that Tarobá and Naipí will reunite, at least as long as its collors remain in the l sky.
