Cuchavira or Cuchaviva is the
rainbow deity, protector of working women and the sick in the
religion of the Muisca. The
Muisca and their
confederation
A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
were one of the advanced civilizations of the
Americas
The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
and in the fertile
intermontane valley that forms the
Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the
Andes
The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
rain and sun were both very important for their agriculture. Moreover, in those days the
Bogotá savanna consisted of various
swamp
A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
s and
floodings were regular.
Description
Cuchavira, who was called "shining air", appeared before the Muisca when
Bochica, the messenger of the supreme being
Chiminigagua was sent to the plains of the Muisca. Also when rain god
Chibchacum was angry, he sent heavy rains to the flatlands, causing the rivers to flood, destroying the agriculture and the houses (''bohíos'') of the Muisca. When the rains were over and the Sun was shining again, causing Cuchavira to appear, the people offered low-grade gold or
gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
-
copper
Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...
alloys (
tumbaga), marine
snail
A snail is a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class Gas ...
s and small
emerald
Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr., and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991). ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York ...
s to thank him.
Description Cuchavira
- Pueblos Originarios — accessed 23-04-2016
Gallery
File:Doblearcoirisbogota.JPG, Bogotá
Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
File:Basilica nuestra señora de mongui.JPG, Monguí
File:La Capilla, espectacular.JPG, La Capilla
File:Near Guatavita, Colombia (5750658837).jpg, Guatavita
File:Casa Museo de Luis Alberto Acuña 06.JPG, Tunja
See also
*Nencatacoa
Nencatacoa or Nem-catacoa was the deity, god and protector of the mantle makers, artists and festivities in the Muisca religion and mythology, religion of the Muisca. The Muisca people, Muisca and their Muisca Confederation, confederation were on ...
References
Bibliography
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Muisca gods
Sky and weather gods
Rainbow deities
Health gods