Kaieteur, the Old Man's Fall
In the rainforest of Guyana, a river drops 226 metres in one plunge. Legend says an old chief paddled his canoe over the edge to save his people.
What was reported
Kaieteur Falls, on the Potaro River, is one of the most powerful single-drop waterfalls in the world, falling 226 metres into a gorge in the Guyanese rainforest. It was little known outside Guyana until a British geologist reached it in 1870.
Its name is often explained as 'old man's fall'. In one Patamona story, an old chief named Kai paddled his canoe over the falls as a sacrifice to the great spirit Makonaima, to save his people from their enemies.
Explanations offered
The legend has several versions, and the meaning of the name is debated. The falls are the heart of Kaieteur National Park, home to tiny golden frogs that live only in giant bromeliads.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Kaieteur Falls, Potaro-Siparuni, Guyana
- Witnesses
- Patamona tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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