Knowledge of Muisca mythology has come from Muisca scholars Javier Ocampo López,

Pedro Simón ''Fray'' Pedro Simón (San Lorenzo de la Parrilla, Spain, 1574 - Ubaté, New Kingdom of Granada, ca. 1628) was a Spanish franciscan friar, professor and chronicler of the indigenous peoples of modern day Colombia and Venezuela, at the time ...

Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita (1624, Bogotá – March 29, 1688) was a Spanish Neogranadine Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Panamá (1676–1688) ''(in Latin)'' and the Bishop of Santa Marta (1668–1676).Arzobispo de Pan ...

, Juan de Castellanos and conquistador

Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada y Rivera, also spelled as Ximénez and De Quezada, (;1496 16 February 1579) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador in northern South America, territories currently known as Colombia. He explored the territory nam ...

who was the European making first contact with the Muisca in the 1530s.

Muisca mythology

The times before the

Spanish conquest The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its predec ...

of the

Muisca Confederation The Muisca Confederation was a loose confederation of different Muisca rulers (''zaques'', ''zipas'', ''iraca'', and ''tundama'') in the central Andes, Andean highlands of present-day Colombia before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, Spanish ...

are filled with mythology. The first confirmed human rulers of the two capitals Hunza and

Bacatá Bacatá is the name given to the main settlement of the Muisca Confederation on the Bogotá savanna. It mostly refers to an area, rather than an individual village, although the name is also found in texts referring to the modern settlement of ...

are said to have descended from mythical creatures. Apart from that other Muisca myths exist, such as the legendary ''

El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or kin ...

'' and the

Monster of Lake Tota The Monster of Lake Tota is a legendary aquatic animal known in many works es, diablo ballena, lit=devil whale, label=as. The monster is an inhabitant of Lake Tota in present-day Colombia, according to the Muisca, who inhabited the Altiplano ...

Mythological creatures

Several mythological creatures have been described by the

chronicler A chronicle ( la, chronica, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and ...

s: *

Thomagata Thomagata or Fomagata was a mythical ''cacique'' who was said to have been '' zaque'' of Hunza, present-day Tunja, Colombia, then part of the Muisca Confederation. He is remembered as one of the most religious in the history of the ''zaques'', a ...

, said to have been one of the most religious of the ''zaques'', after Idacansás *

Idacansás Idacansás, Idacansas, Idacanzas or Iduakanzas was a mythical ''cacique'' who was said to have been the first priest of the sacred city of Sugamuxi, present-day Sogamoso, Colombia, then part of the territories of the Muisca. He is characteriz ...

, allegedly a mythical priest from Sugamuxi who was able to change the order of things * Goranchacha, a mythical ''cacique'' who moved the capital of the northern Muisca from Ramiriquí to the later capital Hunza * Pacanchique, according to Muisca myths recovered his fiancé Azay from ruler Quemuenchatocha by first turning her into a dead person and then bringing her back to life using different plants. He also showed the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

conquistadores the way to Nemequene's palace Other Muisca people where human and mythological character converge are: * Hunzahúa, first ''

zaque When the Spanish arrived in the central Colombian highlands, the region was organized into the Muisca Confederation, which had two rulers; the ''zipa'' was the ruler of the southern part and based in Muyquytá. The ''hoa'' was the ruler of the ...

'' of Hunza, allegedly committing

incest Incest ( ) is human sexual activity between family members or close relatives. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by affinity ( marriage or stepfamily), ado ...

with his sister and said to have fled * Meicuchuca, first ''

zipa When the Spanish arrived in the central Colombian highlands, the region was organized into the Muisca Confederation, which had two rulers; the ''zipa'' was the ruler of the southern part and based in Muyquytá. The ''hoa'' was the ruler of the ...

'' of Bacatá, one of his wives mythologically turned into a snakeMeicuchuca, the lover of the snake
- Pueblos Originarios - accessed 05-05-2016

Other Muisca myths

* ''

'', the man or city made of gold, that was not so mythical but a main motive for the Spanish to conquer Colombia. The ritual is represented in the Muisca raft, a piece of gold working found in Pasca almost 400 years after the arrival of the Spanish *

, allegedly a monstrous snake or fish living in

Lake Tota Lake Tota ( es, Lago de Tota) is the largest lake in Colombia, located in the east of Boyacá department, inside the Sugamuxi Province, it is the source of the Upia River which flows into the Orinoco River basin. The major town on the lake is ...

''Mitos y Leyendas de Colombia'', Eugenia Villa Posse; Ed. IADAP, 1993; S. 204
- accessed 05-05-2016 * Hunzahúa Well, a well that according to the mythology of the Muisca originated from spilled

chicha ''Chicha'' is a fermented (alcoholic) or non-fermented beverage of Latin America, emerging from the Andes and Amazonia regions. In both the pre- and post- Spanish conquest periods, corn beer ('' chicha de jora'') made from a variety of maize ...

when the mother of Hunzahúa caught him and his older sister, Noncetá, while they were copulating.Hunzahúa Well
- Pueblos Originarios * Fura and Tena, the first woman and man created by the god Are to populate the earth. Because Fura was not faithful, they lost their immortality, so they aged and died. Are took pity on them and turned them into rocky crags protected from storms, and Fura's tears became into emeralds.

References

Bibliography

* {{Muisca navbox, Mythology and religion, state=expanded

Muisca mythology

Mythological creatures

Other Muisca myths

See also

References

Bibliography