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Knowledge of Muisca mythology has come from Muisca scholars Javier Ocampo López, Pedro Simón, Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita, Juan de Castellanos and conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada who was the European making first contact with the Muisca in the 1530s.

Muisca mythology

The times before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca Confederation are filled with mythology. The first confirmed human rulers of the two capitals Hunza and Bacatá are said to have descended from mythical creatures. Apart from that other Muisca myths exist, such as the legendary El Dorado and the Monster of Lake Tota.

Mythological creatures

Several mythological creatures have been described by the chroniclers:

• Thomagata, said to have been one of the most religious of the zaques, after Idacansás
• Idacansás, 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 conquistadores the way to Nemequene's palace Other Muisca people where human and mythological character converge are:
• Hunzahúa, first zaque of Hunza, allegedly committing incest with his sister and said to have fled
• Meicuchuca, first zipa of Bacatá, one of his wives mythologically turned into a snake

Other Muisca myths

• El Dorado, 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
• Monster of Lake Tota, allegedly a monstrous snake or fish living in Lake Tota
• Hunzahúa Well, a well that according to the mythology of the Muisca originated from spilled chicha when the mother of Hunzahúa caught him and his older sister, Noncetá, while they were copulating.

• 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.

See also

• Muisca women
• Aztec mythology
• Inca
• Maya mythology
• Muisca religion

References

1. Ocampo López, 2013, Ch.14, p.85
2. Ocampo López, 2013, Ch.12, p.77
3. Ocampo López, 2013, Ch.13, p.80
4. Ocampo López, 2013, Ch.19, p.104
5. Ocampo López, 2013, Ch.11, p.70
6. (in Spanish) Meicuchuca, the lover of the snake - Pueblos Originarios - accessed 05-05-2016
7. (in Spanish) Mitos y Leyendas de Colombia, Eugenia Villa Posse; Ed. IADAP, 1993; S. 204 - accessed 05-05-2016
8. (in Spanish) Hunzahúa Well - Pueblos Originarios

Bibliography

• Ocampo López, Javier (2013), Mitos y leyendas indígenas de Colombia - Indigenous myths and legends of Colombia (in Spanish), Bogotá, Colombia: Plaza & Janes Editores Colombia S.A., pp. 1–219, ISBN 978-958-14-1416-1

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v t e Muisca
Topics General Agriculture Architecture Art Astronomy Calendar Cuisine Economy Mummification Music Muysccubun Mythology Numerals Religion Society Toponyms Warfare Women Specific Battle of Pasca (~1470) Battle of Chocontá (~1490) Chicha Duit Emeralds Muisca raft Ruana Tejo Tunjo Zoratama The Salt People Zipaquirá Nemocón Tausa Sesquilé
Geography and history Altiplano Cundiboyacense Bogotá River Frío Fucha Juan Amarillo Soacha Teusacá Torca Tunjuelo Bogotá savanna Suba Hills Wetlands Eastern Hills Flora & fauna Suárez River Ubaté-Chiquinquirá Valley Neighbouring areas Ocetá Páramo Tenza Valley History Prehistory (<10,000 BP) Lake Humboldt El Abra Tibitó Sueva Tequendama Lithic (10,000 - 2800 BP) Piedras del Tunjo Checua Galindo Nemocón Sáchica Aguazuque Lake Herrera El Infiernito Ceramic (>800 BC) Herrera (800 BC - 800) Early Muisca (800 - 1200) Muisca Confederation (~1450 - 1540) Cabildo Mayor (>2002)
Religion and mythology Deities Chiminigagua Bachué Chía Sué Bochica Huitaca Chibchacum Cuchavira Nencatacoa Chaquén Chibafruime Guahaioque Sacred sites Built Sun Temple Moon Temple Cojines del Zaque Goranchacha Temple Hunzahúa Well Natural Fúquene Guasca Guatavita Iguaque Siecha Suesca Tota Ubaque Tequendama Falls Mythology Myths El Dorado Monster of Lake Tota Mythological figures Goranchacha Idacansás Pacanchique Thomagata
Caciques and neighbours Northern caciques zaque of Hunza Hunzahúa Michuá Quemuenchatocha Aquiminzaque iraca of Suamox Nompanim Sugamuxi cacique of Tundama  Tundama Southern caciques zipa of Bacatá Meicuchuca Saguamanchica Nemequene Tisquesusa Sagipa cacique of Turmequé Diego de Torres y Moyachoque Neighbours Chibcha-speaking U'wa Sutagao Guane Lache Arawak-speaking Achagua Tegua Guayupe Cariban-speaking Panche Muzo Yarigui
Spanish conquest Conquistadors Major Gonzalo de Quesada Hernán de Quesada Baltasar Maldonado Gonzalo Suárez Rendón Juan de Céspedes Juan de San Martín Minor Antonio Díaz de Cardoso Antonio de Lebrija Bartolomé Camacho Zambrano Gonzalo García Zorro Gonzalo Macías Hernán Venegas Carrillo Juan de Albarracín Juan del Junco Juan Tafur Lázaro Fonte Luis Lanchero Martín Galeano Martín Yañéz Tafur Miguel Holguín y Figueroa Ortún Velázquez de Velasco Pedro Fernández de Valenzuela Pedro Ruíz Corredor Neighbouring conquests Conquest of the Chibchan Nations Conquest of the Muzo Conquest of the Panche Battle of Tocarema (1538)
Research and collections Scholars Acosta Acosta Samper De Aguado Arango Broadbent De Castellanos Celis Correal Duquesne Freyle Friede Gamboa Groot Hammen Humboldt Izquierdo Langebaek De Lugo Ocampo De Piedrahita De Quesada Reichel-Dolmatoff Schrimpff Simón Triana Uricoechea Zerda Publications Elegías (1589) El Carnero (1638) Epítome (1889) Research institutes ICANH Universidad Nacional Universidad de los Andes Universidad La Javeriana University of Pittsburgh UPTC Collections Museo del Oro Archaeology Museum of Sogamoso Archaeology Museum of Pasca Metropolitan Museum of Art
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