The Legend of El Dorado, Bochica Foundation of Santa Fe

In Bogota there are the myths or Muisca Chibcha culture in its religious theogony: Chiminichagua, the myth of creation Suhe (the sun) and Chia (the moon), the two chiefs creators and Sogamoso Ramiriqui; Bachué, the mother chibcha town and goddess of fertility; Bochica, the god of civilization; Huitaca the rebel goddess; Nencatacoa, the god of artists; Chaquan, the god of athletes; Chibchacum, Atlas Bacatá chibcha and patron; Cuchavira, the rainbow deity; Tomaghata, the chief tailed; Goranchacha, the prophet Idacansás the magician chibcha, and others. In the world of Colombian legends are numerous beliefs about supernatural beings or creatures scare in the fields and villages, headless monks, hermits angry, walking skeletons, hairy hands, mysterious women that stretch toward the infinite, mysterious shadows , traces of hell, witches, goblins, the Mohan, black dog, Mandingo or Mareco, the Sombrerón, Figure or legs, ghosts, numerous colonial legends, spirits and aquatic wildlife that spread terror to travelers. We highlight in Bogota, the deer of gold, the water espeluco, meicuchuca and the serpent and the devil, in the Common Bridge The Legend of El Dorado "... The king and the priests told the people that the lagoon was sacred, and that Zoe had placed do there, for all to see as proof of his power.

The lagoon was to become a sanctuary, which made annual pilgrimages to the entire nation. There is great religious festivals celebrated, and everyone, rich and poor, nobles and commoners, brought offerings were thrown into the water. The King himself led the ceremony. Sitting on his throne, was driven into the lake by the subjects, who took turns shouldering the heavy structure where the throne was placed, and so walked the many miles he had from the palace to the lagoon. All the people went behind the king, singing hymns in endless procession of thousands and hundreds of thousands. At the lakeside, the crowd spilled over the banks and came to form a living wall around the sacred waters. Hacíanse great fires, which consumed penetrating aroma resinous plants, floating in the air like a cloud of incense. Horns and trumpets sounded, and the dilated area sacred chants. Stripped of his robes, the king was anointed the body with a vegetable oil extracted from certain plants growing on the plain. After repeatedly rolled in a bed covered with a thick layer of dust of gold.

They will adhere to the body, united by the oil with which he was anointed to rise so that the prince looked like a living statue of gold, which glittered in the sunlight. To not see it, it was a grave sin that human eyes will rest on the golden king, the people turned their backs to the king and the lagoon. Prince was approaching the waters where he expected a raft made of reeds growing around the lake. On the raft had a lot of pendants, bracelets, earrings, breastplates and idols of gold, there were also large numbers of emeralds, who came from nearby mines to the land of the Chibcha, and that they acquired by traffic or in their wars with confining people. The king went up alone on the raft and paddled slowly offshore. At the center of the lagoon, was throwing one at a time, offerings of gold and precious stones at the bottom of the water. Meanwhile the people of the shore, always with their backs to the water, threw back his own offering consistent also in gold and precious stones. When all the offerings were thrown into the lake, the king was submerged under water, and leaving them dust that covered his body, then returned to the raft.

The place where the king was plunged marked by a bright yellow stain, which shone like waves of molten gold. After paddling back to shore. Meanwhile, the fires burned gloriously fragrant smoke, like a cloud of incense, stole the sunlight, and the echoes reverberated deafened by the sound of chanting, the horns and trumpets. After the ceremony, the king and vassals were given to joy, and the national drink, which was a ferment of corn, then ran in torrents. After two or three days a universal revelry, the king was extended by his subjects to the palace. It was not so orderly and dignified return as it had been the march to the lake. The ceremony took place, as stated above, once a year. These events occurred centuries before America was discovered, and when Europeans still knew nothing of their existence. The Spanish were the first Europeans to come to the shores of South America. The first indigenous people they found was vague news of the great nation chibcha, who lived hundreds of miles to the south.

There was talk of it as a prosperous empire, whose inhabitants were rich, wise and skilled in the arts of peace and war. There they learned that newcomers Chibcha king covered his body with gold dust and then plunged into the waters of a sacred lake, which also threw gold and jewels there that his subjects did the same. From there came the name of El Dorado. As the news were very vague as to where the empire was located chibcha did not know the Spanish and other Europeans who have heard of Mystic Lake and Golden King, in what precise direction they should go to find those people so rich and that lagoon where would be a priceless treasure, accumulated there over the centuries. Many and daring explorers set off in all directions, through intricate forests, over towering mountain ranges, along rivers and endless valleys, pushing through with the arms between savage and hostile tribes, in search of land of El Dorado, that is the nature of man run over by any danger and put the chest to the most arduous enterprises thirst for gold when the guide.

The empire was discovered after a daring Spanish explorer. Were defeated the Chibcha and were subjects of the king of Spain, lost their wealth along with their freedom. Thus fell the country of El Dorado under Spanish domination. Mystic Lake was discovered, but still lie beneath the waters of the treasures that were thrown there. Bochica seems that Zoe and watch over them have been few vain efforts have been made to rescue them, the Mystic Lake offerings faithfully guards a town that was powerful and whose glory days are lost in the distant past. The legend of El Dorado still attracts men to Mystic Lake, sitting there in the basin of a peak in the heart of South America, where the equatorial sun adorns the earth with a perpetual spring vegetables.?

Bochica I "The Chibcha people lived in a wide plain located in the heart of the vast South American continent. The plain is that part of the globe where the sun's rays fall vertically mind like water from the clouds. That part of the land is called the tropics. It is very hot there, and no winter ever. In the land of the Chibcha heat was not so big, because they lived in a | Plateau, which is a plain at the summit of the mountains. The Chibcha were very ignorant in the past: they did not know till the land or building comfortable, lived poor and hungry, fed on fruits and roots, with birds and beasts who killed with his arrows, and fish caught in their nets . Had little with which to cover the body. They were what is called wild. The Chibcha Indians were short, yellow skin and flat nose. One day a man appeared among them white, golden beard. He came dressed in clothes that covered her entire body, and was kind and generous. Soon learned that his name was Bochica. He told them he had a superior being, a God whose name was Zoe, who had created man, animals, plants, rocks, water, air, and that existed in the land, rivers and lakes, and everything looked like the sun, moon and stars.

Zoe said to them, also directed by the course of the seasons, the movement of the stars and the fate of men, ie, life and death, pain and joy. At first the Chibcha not understand what it all meant, for the understanding of them was like the children, for whom every day of the year and every hour of the day brings a new surprise. Gradually, however, these ideas became more clear to them and understand, to some extent at least, there was a Supreme Being, creator and computer all things visible and invisible. Bochica II also taught them the art of cultivating the land. He showed that the seeds planted at certain times of the year, burst in seedlings often that, nourished by the earth and rain, and warmed by the sun, were growing in size, and eventually produced fruits, which caught at maturity , supplied power to secure farmers. Also instructed him on how to keep your fruit to last until next harvest, redeeming their own hunger and misery. Bochica people knew that there are many plants whose leaves and stems may remove certain wires, called fibers, they learned to twist and weave in a fabric, to be dressed and covered the body.

Then they knew that the Chibcha certain shrub called cotton wool could take a natural, proper to make cloth and blankets. Bochica indoctrinated began building adobe houses, driving stakes into the ground, filling the interstices with clay, which, dried by the sun, forming the walls and ceilings covered with straw, as a protection against the sun and rain. Bochica construr also taught appropriate networks that they had to catch the fish in lakes and rivers and to build better bows and arrows to kill hunting in the forests and birds in the air. That was the life of the Chibcha completely changed in appearance after a short time, and because they had clothes, fine houses and plenty of food. In all directions, growing the crops of grain, and the people satisfied and happy living. III was not limited to the teachings of Bochica: enseñole also the people the law of love and charity to keep the peace ordenoles each other and with the neighbors that each is respected as he earns himself with his work , that every one contribute to the welfare of others and obey their rulers and respected the laws established for the government of the community.

Bochica assured that once lived according to what they had taught, would be happy and would enjoy the protection and blessings of Zoe, the supreme ruler of the world, and that, conversely, if they were not just and virtuous, if you forgot the Zoe worship, if they were proud and cruel and evil, the punishment would fall on them Zoe. IV After having led the people from poverty to ease, from ignorance to knowledge of the arts that were to make him rich and happy, Bochica disappeared without anyone knowing where or when she was gone. The Chibcha remembered his teachings for a long time. His wealth increased every day, they built villages and towns, temples devoted to Zoe, the Almighty, and traded with neighboring peoples, changing their tissues so that these people could provide them, it was gold mainly. They soon learned to work the gold and make charms and bejeweled ornaments with which their persons or carrying as offerings to the altars of the temples. They held several wars with its neighbors and emerged victorious, extended their dominions to the east and west, south and north, and the empire came to be prosperous and great.

Over the years, however, and the wealth and prosperity, the Chibcha became proud and dominant were cruel, they forgot the worship of God and given to drunkenness. The kings did not give good example to the people rather outweighed the vices and cruelties subjects. They had forgotten the teachings of Bochica as it relates to the conduct of everyday life. VY happened that fell upon them the punishment announced by Bochica. As stated, the Empire chibcha was seated in a great plain, on top of high mountains. Around the plain other chains rose even higher mountains, so that it was a valley enclosed on all sides. By the middle of the valley ran a beautiful river, which was joined by numerous streams coming from different directions. One day it rains unleashed violence on the ground. Came another day and another and another and the rain was still falling in ways never seen before. Hincháronse the river and streams, and departed mother and started to cover the earth. The water level was rising gradually and continuously.

Inundáronse fields, the houses were surrounded by the waves, and there was no inch of land that was not submerged under water. And the rain was still falling and roamed the valley raging torrents and untestable. It flooded the homes of the men and the waters are rising, rising higher and higher. People leave their homes in terror of the valley and climb the nearby hills. But do not stop the waters rise, and the plain is a vast lake which have disappeared under houses, temples and trees, and the waters are still rising, rising, rising, higher and higher. It reached the first hills where people have gathered and forced to climb the higher mountain sides, but the rising water does not stop and then soaked hills and the people take refuge on the tops of the most steep hills. The rain continues to fall with the same violence the first day. The people lacked food shelter and did not know where to go, and the waters rising and threatening them, chased them up every inch of their last refuge. Then they understood that the deluge was the chastisement predicted by Bochica and sent by Zoe, on pain of so many vices and sins.

And in their hearts to trouble again Bochica, Master and Protector. And prayed with anguish and begged him to save them from death. And behold, the black clouds covered the sky suddenly tore, and a flood of light, of that beloved sunlight, they not seen since the beginning of the flood, came to fall into the murky waters and the shocked crowd. And Bochica was seen up above the clouds, his kindly face shone like the sun. In his hand he carried a golden staff, which was like a king's scepter. Bochica Chibcha told that Zoe, took pity on them, gave them life, and that this flood would remind them, their children, and children's children, who had duties towards God and towards others men. Then download on the top of a powerful blow with his golden scepter, the mountain opened in frightful abyss, and there launched huge roaring waters of the lake, to come down, after that leap furious, in a deep valley Beyond the mountains, forming a wonderful waterfall that shakes the fields with his roar of thunder.

White as a cloud of incense, emerged from the background vapor column, on which, when touched by the rays of the sun, broke all the colors of the rainbow. Such was the origin of the mighty cataract, present evidence that flood formidable and time that Zoe heard the prayers of his people and saved him from destruction. The lake began to decline, in a slow and steady, as they had gone, the waters went down, and within days the land was returned to be completely dry. The Chibcha rebuilt their houses and temples, cultivated fields as before, and kept in memory the memory of the terrible days when the entire nation was about to perish.? Foundation of Santa Fe "The expedition's main inland from Santa Marta began in August 1536, the lawyer and Chief Justice Don Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada, with 820 footmen and 85 horses, while their officers, with 5 ships and 200 men, should follow upstream the Magdalena. This expedition down the river was almost completely annihilated. Quesada, meanwhile, rose amid continuing struggles with the Indians, through the impenetrable rain forest, full of thorny plants and tight trunks full of poisonous spiders, worms, scorpions and snakes, bats and mosquitoes.

The soldiers, their bodies wounded and torn clothes, ate fruits and roots, it seems that the expedition had to eat up the leather of their equipment. Some had been blinded, others walked lame, others were caught up in the hammocks where they slept, by tigers, which often increasingly in his attack on the expedition. Often troops threatened mutiny, but the unshakable determination of the head relentlessly pushed forward by the high peaks that today are held to be inaccessible to pedestrians, much less to riders, and that, therefore, are far and abandoned all communication. One day the expedition from a high mountain spotted large fields, large fields of corn and potatoes, fruit trees and flower gardens. And in that pleasant region, and abundant fresh water, people were happy too. The Indians, terrified by the roar of guns and beside himself at the sight of the horses, which they believed to form a single being with the rider, holding them by superior creatures, underwent almost no resistance and they bowed before God and the power of the conquerors. They brought food and drink, brought them hunting, pigeons and rabbits and all kinds of roots, they had even some old people and children to be killed, as were the Spanish by cannibals.

Cloth stretched in their path, burned incense and poured on the ground with both hands gold and emeralds. The cast received one thousand dollars each of the soldiers. The conquistadors arrived in the country had Chibcha or Muisca of, in the highlands of Tunja and Bogota, an empire which, as we shall see, had a relatively developed culture. After the peaceful inhabitants of Savannah were subject, not without some unnecessary stop committed cruelties and murders in the person of their chiefs, Quesada decided to build a city at some point favorable and appropriate. He chose this place for spreading Zipa (Teusaquillo probably). A site called his Quesada Santa Fe for its resemblance to the village of the same name near Granada founded Their Catholic Majesties Isabella and Ferdinand in the wars against the Moors. Quesada sent up in Santa Fe twelve thatched huts around a church with thatched roof also. On August 6, 1538, two years after start up from the coast, Jimenez de Quesada went to the site of the foundation. All of the horses fell and he was pulling some weeds, took possession of those places on behalf of the Emperor Charles V.

A summary record of the notary office, which also stipulated that all lands hereafter discovered llamaríanse New Kingdom of Granada, from its resemblance to the Spanish kingdom of the same name. The temple was Iglesuela poor of the city where the Cathedral stands today, said the first Mass Padre Las Casas, a cousin of the famous defender of blacks.?

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