The European Who Became King of the Amazonian Headhunters
The first Caucasian not killed by the Jibaros tribes became the king of thousands
Ildefonso Graña Cortizo, better known as Alfonso Graña, was the first white man to meet the infamous headhunting Jibaros tribes and live. Not only was he not killed immediately, but he ended up as the king of the Jibaro (or Jivaro) peoples. For 12 years, he ruled over 5000 subjects and a huge swathe of the Amazon equivalent in size to half of Spain.
The remarkable story of King Alfonso I of the Amazon has been largely forgotten.
Alfonso’s background and history
Alfonso Graña was born in northern Galicia (Spain) in 1878. At the end of the 19th century, the mountainous regions were blighted by high levels of poverty and disease, prompting many to emigrate to the Americas. Like many others, Graña and his family moved to Ibero-America, the Spanish speaking region of the Americas that comprised most of South and Central America.
His father was a tailor and the always well-dressed family were nicknamed ‘Los Chulos’ — ‘the pretties’. Being a tailor was not for Graña, although he remained impeccably dressed throughout his life. Something that in itself would prove to be quite an achievement.
