Ruperta, a female version created in Spanish of the German male name Rupert. According to the site of names conmishijos.com (in Spanish), it has its origin in
which became Rudperth, latinized as Rupertus.
The same website indicates that this name was hardly used in Spain, during the Middle Ages. But in Venezuela it was quite popular until the beginning of the 20th century, so much so that the name remained as a reference of the Caracas of yesteryears. But this fact has part of its explanation in the next two stories.
Pedro Elías Gutiérrez was an important musician, director of the Caracas Marcial Band for many years and was a composer. "Alma Llanera" ( link to the song) tune that is considered as a second national anthem in Venezuela is its most famous composition, although there are others well known.
But this musician wrote a very dramatic song, which has the title "Las Madreselvas" (the Honeysuckle), very cheesy and dark.
En estas soledades que me recuerdan, que me recuerdan
Los tristes juramentos que oí de ella, que oí de ella
Cubrirán mi sepulcro las madreselvas, las madreselvas
Que me dieron coronas para sus sienes.Cuando la muerte ponga fin a mi dolor
Y con ella en la tumba helada sueñe
Allí vendrán a gemir, sombra y silencio a buscar
Las palomas que me oyeron por su ausencia sollozar
In these solitudes that remind me, that remind me
The sad oaths I heard from her, that I heard from her
Honeysuckle, honeysuckle will cover my grave
That they gave me crowns for their temples.When death puts an end to my pain
And with her in the icy grave dream
There they will come to moan, shadow and silence to seek
The pigeons that heard me sobbing by their absence
Francisco Delfín Pacheco, who was a "cañonero" musician and was part of the band, who made music to dance and have fun, thought that the lyrics were too dark and decided to write his own lyrics, a parody. And he dedicated it to a girlfriend, who we do not know if it was real or fictitious that was called Ruperta.
En esta plaza López que me recuerda
Los días en que esperaba a mi Ruperta
Eran en aquellos días que me traía
Mis caldos en botella, papas cubiertasTodas las noches la esperaba en aquel sitio
Me traía una perola bien repleta
Papita frita y frijol Plátano asado y arroz
Me ponía la barriga como un mismo tamborónEl gusto de la sopa, de los rellenos y del asado
Las ruedas de cebolla, los macarrones y ese guisado
Vivía tan tranquilo, tan consentido y tan mimado
Que era dicha completa con mi Ruperta
Pero un cochero sinvergüenza y envidioso
Se llevó a mi Ruperta tan querida
Yo se lo juro, mamá
Que se la vuelvo a quitar
Porque yo sin mi Ruperta
No puedo un momento estar
In this square Lopez that reminds me
The days when I waited for my Ruperta
It was in those days that she brought me
My broths in the bottle, covered potatoesEvery night I was waiting for her in that place
She brought me a well-filled boil
Fried potato and bean, Roasted banana and rice
It made my belly looks like a big drumThe taste of soup, fillings and roasts
The onion wheels, the macaroni and that stew
I lived so calm and so spoiled
That it was complete happiness with my RupertaBut a shameless and envious coachman
He took my beloved Ruperta
I swear to you, mom
I'll gain her again
Because without my Ruperta
I can not live nor a moment
This second version was the one that was successful and became an icon of Caracas music.
With the modernization that was experiencing the country and particularly Caracas, as a product of oil exploitation, began the transculturization and rejection of the own culture, history, and customs.
Aquiles Nazoa, one of our greatest poets, was a severe critic of that fact and whenever he could he attacked it from the different media in which he worked.
The rejection that especially youth felt for their traditions and customs also included some names that sounded "too Creole" for the taste of that generation. And to highlight and criticize that attitude, the Caracas poet wrote his poem dedicated to a girl who also shared the name of Ruperta.
Fatalismo
Ruperta, la muchacha que en el Llano
fue durante algún tiempo novia mía,
y que a la capital se vino un día
presa de un paludismo soberanoya es una girl de tipo americano
que sabe inglés y mecanografía
y que marcharse a Nueva York ansía
porque detesta lo venezolano.Como esos que en el cine gritan: Yuupi!,
tiene un novio Ruperta, y éste en “Rupy”
le transformó su nombre de llanera…Y es que en mi patria —raro fatalismo—
lo que destruir no pudo el paludismo
lo corrompió la plaga petrolera.
Fatalism
Ruperta, the girl from the plains
who was for a while my girlfriend,
and that to the capital came one day
suffering from severe malariaShe is already an American type girl
who knows English and typing
and that craves going to New York
because she detests the Venezuelan.Like those who in the movies shout: Juupy!
Ruperta has a boyfriend,
and this one transformed her llanera name into "Rupy"And it is so in my country -a strange fatalism-
what malaria could not destroy
became corrupted by the oil plague.
As it has been a constant in my life, to fight against the current, I have been a defender and promoter of Caracas culture, which is why I have devoted a lifetime to cañonera music, which is the typical music of this city. I accompanied my father in his effort to rescue the Sainete criollo, which is the theatrical form of this capital and I am a lover of all the foods and customs of Caracas.
Two years ago, a female member who did not have a name came to this home. Besides looking very Creole and that one could associate with the plains, as in the case of the Ruperta of Aquiles, she came especially to feed us, as did the Pacheco's Ruperta. So her name could not be another one. Thus our laying hen (An Isa Brown chicken)was named Ruperta and since then she has offered us food, but not with the variety given by the other one in square López, but only and exclusively: eggs, one egg per day!.
Additionally, I let you here the version recorded by my group Los Cañoneros of the same song "La Ruperta". Hope you enjoy it!
@ylich