It was a peaceful meeting. The Guarani Indians, were suffering an oppressive feminine overpopulation, so they willingly offered to the newcomers their daughters, sisters and widows as a welcome gift. Family bonds were established and the Spaniards, who were honored as demigods by the Guaranies, took advantage of this status with great enjoyment. According to reports of the then-living Father Paniagua, at that time, the majority of the Spaniards kept between 30 to 50 Guarani women. The Governor Domingo Martinez de Irala (1539 - 1556) had 70 women and later permitted his daughters as well to marry only those officers who stood out. The surname "Ira-la", that up to this date abounds, could go back to the descendents of that time. This peaceful and pleasant co-existence between the Spaniards and Guaranies was the basis for the Paraguayan renowned hospitality which was then established and that continues even today... |