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Chunchotambo (1 Viewer)

Björn Bergenholtz

Björn Bergenholtz

(former alias "Calalp")
Sweden
• Tschudi's Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus (ocellatus) chunchotambo VON TSCHUDI 1844 (here), as "D. [Dendrocolaptes] Chunchotambo" ... all in Latin, with no explanation (from what I can tell) ;)

However see von Tschudi again (1845-46), here, with an out-spoken explanation:
Wir haben diese Species zur Erinnerung unseres langen, eben so mühevollen als gefährlichen Aufenthaltes auf dem Gebiete des Stammes der Chunchos, D. Chunchotambo genannt.
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... which I would say is a combination (portmanteau word?) of the Chuncho (Chunchos Indians/people) + the River (Río) Tambo (a tributary, ending up in the Río Ucayali).

I assume this dangerous and toilsome trip was (at least in parts) travelled by River. The River Tambo is mentioned in the very Introduction by von Tschudi in this Work (see pp. XIII), as well as, for examples; here.

Compare with today's HBW Alive Key:

chunchotambo
Chunchotambo region, Peru (named after the Chuncho Amerindian peoples of Junín).
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Björn

PS. If there´s another bird with the same name (aimed for the "region") is unknown to me. I didn´t even know (and I still do not know) that there is/was a Region by this name in Peru! There could be, or not ...

PPS. Just for the fun of it; the name of the River is originating in the local (Quicha) word Tampu, also according to von Tschudi himself (here, see foot-note, p.13)
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Calalp said:
I assume this dangerous and toilsome trip was (at least in parts) travelled by River. The River Tambo is mentioned in the very Introduction by von Tshudi in this Work (see pp. XIII), as well as, for examples;
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Tshudi the english pronunciation for Johann Jakob von Tschudi? ;) No idea and just a guess what about Distrito de El Tambo?
 
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Others have tried to find it ... both Vaurie and Zimmer:
CHUNCHOTAMBO, "territory of the Chuncho Tribe" (Tschudi), not located, but probably in Chuncho Territory

[Charles Vaurie, 1972, here, p.12]​
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Until found on a contemporary map alt. in a ditto travel-log, or a text on Peruvian Geography (pin-pointing it), I think I´ll stick to my combined interpretation ... ;)

Björn

PS. I haven´t got closer than; here alt. here; "Chunchetambo [sic]. Montaña de Vitoc im Innern Perùs".
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Interesting, intriguing suggestion, Paul!

I guess the key part (as far as I understand that is, not understanding much German, helped only by Google Translate) is found on page three (top part) of von Tschudi's letter:
Seit ungefähr 60 Jahren ist die Montaña bewohnt & schon früher wurden unzählige Versuche gemacht diese Chunchos zu bekehren aber vergeblich, sie schlugen beinahe alle Missionare todt; einmal nur näherten sie sich freundschaftlich der Montaña, wo zur Zeit der Spanier eine Festung war, freilich nur mit 2 Kanonen & 15 Mann, wurden aber dort mißhandelt & scheinen ewige Rache allen Nachbaren geschworen zu haben.
[...]
Der Nationalcharacter dieser Barbaren ist Feigheit mit Blutgier & Grausamkeit verbunden. Der Hauptsiz [Hauptsitz?] der Chunchos ist in Chanchamayo, Pampo del Sacramento & das Gebieth zwischen Aynamayo & Chanchamayo; wo sie immerfort jagen .
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That is if the "Blutgier" (blood thirsty) Chuncho(s) would use an Incan Tambo, of course?

Or maybe that´s only von Tschudi's word, his way of saying that he, at that point, was at the "Chunco-roadstop/fortress/village/place"?

This could, maybe, explain why he dated the letter (in German): "Chunchetambo" [in der Tambo die Chunhces? "Aus den Urwäldern Perùs"], "Montaña de Vitoc im Innern Perùs July 1939" ... ?

Who knows?

Björn
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Björn and Paul, I agree with your findings and attachments about the Inca fortresses or waystations, and have adjusted the Key entry of chunchotambo accordingly. The Chunchos may have been bloodthirsty, but the Inca were even more so when necessary, and, of course, they were much more organised. So much for civilisation. Many thanks.
 
You´re welcome James! But don´t thank me. I didn´t even know there was such a thing, I´d never heard of any Incan Tambos before Paul mentioned them yesterday. The credit is all his.

I just awoke the question, pointed out my interpretation, and argued, babbled, reasoned on ... I'm still not convinced of exactly which "Tambo" von Tschudi was referring to.

In my mind it could be either one.
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I'm still not very clear about it either...
FWIW, Tschudi provided his own description/definition of "Tambo", in his Peru: Reiseskizzen aus den Jahren 1838-1842 (zweiter Band, 1846, p.18: [here]), which was:
Die Tambos **) sind Herbergen, in denen die Reisenden Obdach und zuweilen auch etwas zu essen vorsinden. Selbst in Lima sind sie nicht viel besser als im Gebirge; dort wird dem Reisenden ein Zimmer mit einem Tisch, einem Stuhle und einer leeren Bettstelle angewiesen, da vorausgesetzt wird, daß jeder seine Matratze mitbringe. [...]
__________
[...]
**) Tambo verdorben vom Quichuaworte Tampu.
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Thus it seems the word was used generically for (basic) hostels at the time he travelled Peru.
 
Laurent, see my Post #1, in PPS, same link ... but you sure provided a better explanation, in this particular hostel-context ;)

However it´s still one of the (few) reasons why I cannot make up my mind ...
 
"Hostel" as a translation for "tambo" sounds good to me.

I've been doing a bit more poking around -- the "Ch'unchu" are (or were) an ethnic group who lived in the forests east of Cusco, according to the Wikipedia article of that name. And the Tambopata National Reserve has accomodations named "Chuncho Lodge"; it's in the Amazon forest east of Cusco. So I would provisionally locate Chunchotambo in that part of the world.
 
Paul Clapham said:
"Hostel" as a translation for "tambo" sounds good to me.

I've been doing a bit more poking around -- the "Ch'unchu" are (or were) an ethnic group who lived in the forests east of Cusco, according to the Wikipedia article of that name. And the Tambopata National Reserve has accomodations named "Chuncho Lodge"; it's in the Amazon forest east of Cusco. So I would provisionally locate Chunchotambo in that part of the world.
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Not necessarily restrictited to Cusco if we read here:

Based on both ancient and contemporary dictionaries, the term ch'unchu also means an uncivilized person or a person from the jungle: "Savage, heretic, inhabitant of the jungle" (Cusihuaman 1976a:46). "Jungle, uncivilized, living in the jungle. Not civilized" (Lira 1982:69). "A province or the Andes of War" (Gonzalez Holguin [1608] 1989:121). Thus ch'unchu refers to the lower world (hurin), the jungle, and the ideas of non-Inca culture, past ancestors, death, and interment.
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In his letter, Tschudi wrote "Chunchetambo, Montaña de Vitoc". [Vitoc] is the southernmost district of the Peruvian province of Chanchamayo, as well as the main town of this district.

[Here], about a snail, he wrote "Bei Chunchotambo zwischen Chanchamayo und Aynamayo" (= Near Chunchotambo between Chanchamayo und Aynamayo).
Chanchamayo is the name of a Peruvian river, town (aka La Merced), district, and Province. [Wikipedia] says us that the Chanchamayo River "originates in the Huaytapallana mountain range where it is named Tulumayu", then "flows along the town La Merced which is also called Chanchamayo", then joins Rio Paucartambo to form Rio Perene. The town and district of Chanchamayo are located somewhat N of Vitoc. Note that "-mayo" means river, thus it is far from certain that Tschudi would have felt it necessary to write, eg., "Chanchamayo-Fluss", had he had the river in mind.
Aynamayo, so far as I can find, is only a river; it is a tributary of the Rio Tulumayo (= Chanchamayo, see above), that flows into it from the SW, less than 1 km S of the town of Vitoc.
[On a map].
 
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