In the encyclopedia originally published in 2005, Manuel Rivero Glean and Gerardo Chávez, now deceased, actively compiled legends and traditions from Cuba’s magical melting pot.

The second edition of the “Catauro…”, which was presented at the Juan Marinello Cuban Institute for Cultural Research in this capital, was joined as co-author by Alex Padrón, who was the first editor of the work in 2005.

Science fiction writer Joss, author of the prologue of the present edition, described the work as an indispensable book for those who want to know the secret Cuba.

Creating a second edition comes from the need to disseminate it within the country and to the true creators of Cuban mythology; the first edition only had 1,000 copies and the others are not very accessible to the public in our country, Rivero explained to Prensa Latina.

The researcher added that the new edition fills this gap by being digital and interactive; readers will be able to send Cuban mythological legends that they know by mail and they will be incorporated into the following publications of the book.

Padrón stated that the revision of the work is not finished and will never be. Although he edited the book to make it more interactive and incorporated legends, not all of them reached his hands, so there are still many stories to be added.

Thanks to Chávez and Rivero, this book will go down in the annals of history as the first and, to date, only encyclopedic compendium of mythology in Cuba, from Taino mythology to the most contemporary, Padrón acknowledged.

This second edition is a gift to the public who can download it for free at the Juan Marinello Center.

jg/mem/mml/vnl