With contagious joy, Mani was a deeply cherished child of the Tupi people where she lived. She was the granddaughter of the cacique, and her mother’s pregnancy had brought sorrow to the village chief. That was because she had become pregnant without being married to a brave warrior, as he had wished.
The cacique demanded that his daughter reveal who the father of the child was, but the cunhã (young woman) insisted she did not know how she had become pregnant. Her father was greatly displeased by what he believed was her dishonesty.
Then one day, he had a dream that advised him to believe his daughter, for she remained pure and was telling him the truth. From that moment on, he accepted the pregnancy and became very happy with the arrival of his granddaughter.
One morning, Mani was found dead by her mother. She had simply passed away in her sleep, yet even lifeless, her face bore a peaceful smile.
Grief-stricken, her mother buried Mani inside their oca (traditional home), and her tears moistened the earth as if it were being gently watered.
Days later, in that very spot, a plant sprouted, unlike any she had ever seen and the mother began to care for it. Noticing that the earth was starting to crack, she dug in hopes of unearthing her daughter alive.
Instead, she found a root; mandioca (cassava), which received its name from the combination of Mani and oca.