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Hunzahúa
Hunzahúa was the first ''zaque''; ruler of the northern Muisca with capital Hunza, named after him. His contemporary ''zipa'' of the southern Muisca was Meicuchuca. Biography Hunzahúa, heir of Idacansás, was a ''cacique'' in the sacred valley of the ''iraca'' and was chosen by the other ''caciques'' of the region to make peace between the battling parties. He became the first ''zaque'' of the northern Muisca region based in Hunza, present-day Tunja, and one of his policies was the ban on the use of weapons. According to Muisca scholar Javier Ocampo López, who wrote extensively about the religion and mythology of the Muisca, his mother was named Faravita and his sister Noncetá. Legend tells that Hunzahúa fell in love with his older sister and made her his wife when he left Hunza for Chipatá. Faravita, the mother of the ''zaque'', disagreed with the marriage of her two children and attacked the couple, spilling a bowl of chicha. This created the Hunzahúa Well. When Hunzahà ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hunzahúa Well
The Hunzahúa Well (Spanish: ''Pozo de Hunzahúa'') is an archeological site of the Muisca located in the city of Tunja, Boyacá, which in the time of the Muisca Confederation was called Hunza. The well is named after the first ''zaque'' of Hunza, Hunzahúa. The well was called ''Pozo de Donato'' for a while, after 17th century Jerónimo Donato de Rojas.Hunzahúa Well - Pueblos Originarios The well is located on the campus of the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia in Tunja. |
Tunja
Tunja () is a city on the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes, in the region known as the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, 130 km northeast of Bogotá. In 2018 it had a population of 172,548 inhabitants. It is the capital of Boyacá department and the Central Boyacá Province. Tunja is an important educational centre of well-known universities. In the time before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca, there was an indigenous settlement, called Hunza, seat of the ''hoa'' Eucaneme, conquered by the Spanish conquistadors on August 20, 1537. The Spanish city was founded by captain Gonzalo Suárez Rendón on August 6, 1539, exactly one year after the capital Santafé de Bogotá. The city hosts the most remaining Muisca architecture: Hunzahúa Well, Goranchacha Temple and Cojines del Zaque. Tunja is a tourist destination, especially for religious colonial architecture, with the Casa Fundador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón as oldest remnant. In addition to its religious and historical sites it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Muisca Mythology
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 Ramiriquà ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Muisca Confederation
The Muisca Confederation was a loose confederation of different Muisca rulers (''zaques'', ''zipas'', '' iraca'', and ''tundama'') in the central Andean highlands of present-day Colombia before the Spanish conquest of northern South America. The area, presently called Altiplano Cundiboyacense, comprised the current departments of Boyacá, Cundinamarca and minor parts of Santander. According to some Muisca scholars the Muisca Confederation was one of the best-organized confederations of tribes on the South American continent. Modern anthropologists, such as Jorge Gamboa Mendoza, attribute the present-day knowledge about the confederation and its organization more to a reflection by Spanish chroniclers who predominantly wrote about it a century or more after the Muisca were conquered and proposed the idea of a loose collection of different people with slightly different languages and backgrounds.Gamboa Mendoza, 2016 Geography Climate Muisca Confederation In the time ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michuá
Michuá or Michica (died Chocontá, 1490) was the second ''zaque'' of Hunza, currently known as Tunja, as of 1470. His contemporary enemy ''zipa'' of the southern Muisca was Saguamanchica. Biography Little is known about the history of Michuá, who accessed the throne of the northern Muisca in 1470. He broke the political peace established under his predecessor Hunzahúa and fought a 16-year war with the southern enemies led by Saguamanchica. The latter, supported by his vassal Pasca conquered Fusagasugá and Tibacuy. Saguamanchica attempted to submit the ''cacique'' of Guatavita who asked Michúa for assistance. Michuá sent a messenger to Bacatá to negotiate the ''zipa'' would listen to the complaints of the ''cacique''. Saguamanchica was not amused by undermining his authority and abused the messenger. When Michuá found out about the mistreatment of his messenger he sent an army of forty thousand guecha warriors to the ''zipa''. Realising the strength of the army Saguamanchi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 northern area and based in Hunza, known today as Tunja. Organization ''Psihipqua'' and ''hoa'' were the titles given to these rulers of the ancient confederation. Neither exercised absolute power, not rigid or strict control over those to whom they owed their power, so that they can be considered kings. However, these positions of power were of great honor and were surrounded by a rather elaborate ceremony. The position of the ''psihipqua'' was such that not even the members of the nobility dared to look him in the face, and it is said if the ''psihipqua'' needed to spit, someone would hold out a piece of rich cloth for him to spit on, because it would be sacrilegious for anything so precious as his saliva to touch the ground. Whoever hel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Muisca Rulers
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 northern area and based in Hunza, known today as Tunja. Organization ''Psihipqua'' and ''hoa'' were the titles given to these rulers of the ancient confederation. Neither exercised absolute power, not rigid or strict control over those to whom they owed their power, so that they can be considered kings. However, these positions of power were of great honor and were surrounded by a rather elaborate ceremony. The position of the ''psihipqua'' was such that not even the members of the nobility dared to look him in the face, and it is said if the ''psihipqua'' needed to spit, someone would hold out a piece of rich cloth for him to spit on, because it would be sacrilegious for anything so precious as his saliva to touch the ground. Whoever hel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Muisca People
The Muisca (also called Chibcha) are an indigenous people and culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Colombia, that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish conquest. The people spoke Muysccubun, a language of the Chibchan language family, also called ''Muysca'' and ''Mosca''. They were encountered by conquistadors dispatched by the Spanish Empire in 1537 at the time of the conquest. Subgroupings of the Muisca were mostly identified by their allegiances to three great rulers: the '' hoa'', centered in Hunza, ruling a territory roughly covering modern southern and northeastern Boyacá and southern Santander; the '' psihipqua'', centered in Muyquytá and encompassing most of modern Cundinamarca, the western Llanos; and the ''iraca'', religious ruler of Suamox and modern northeastern Boyacá and southwestern Santander. The territory of the Muisca spanned an area of around from the north of Boyacá to the Sumapaz Páramo and from the summits to the western p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 northern area and based in Hunza, known today as Tunja. Organization ''Psihipqua'' and ''hoa'' were the titles given to these rulers of the ancient confederation. Neither exercised absolute power, not rigid or strict control over those to whom they owed their power, so that they can be considered kings. However, these positions of power were of great honor and were surrounded by a rather elaborate ceremony. The position of the ''psihipqua'' was such that not even the members of the nobility dared to look him in the face, and it is said if the ''psihipqua'' needed to spit, someone would hold out a piece of rich cloth for him to spit on, because it would be sacrilegious for anything so precious as his saliva to touch the ground. Whoever hel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meicuchuca
Meicuchuca (died 1470) was the first ruler (''zipa'') of Bacatá, as of around 1450. His ''zaque'' counterpart ruling over the northern area of the Muisca territory was Hunzahúa. Biography Little is known about Meicuchuca and many stories about his reign are more mythical than historical. He ruled the southern Muisca territory from around 1450 to 1470 and was succeeded according to Muisca heritage laws by his nephew Saguamanchica. Meicuchuca and the snake The legend of Meicuchuca and the snake tells the story of the ''zipa'' who already had many wives. Polygamy was common practice with the Muisca and the higher the rank, the more wives could be held. The highest position of ''zipa'' could allow to have and sustain 300 wives, while the lower rank ''cacique'' "only" made 100 wives possible. Meicuchuca allegedly fell in love with a woman outside of the Muisca community. He only had eye for her and spent day and night with the beautiful stranger, forgetting all his other wives. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 characterized by his great magical powers as he could make rain and hail and transmit diseases and warmth. Background In the centuries before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, the central highlands of Colombia consisted of the Muisca Confederation, ruled by ''zaques'' from Hunza and ''zipas'' from Bacatá. Other areas, such as the territories surrounding Sogamoso were ruled by ''caciques''; respected religious nobility. Before the time of the first confirmed human rulers Hunzahúa, who is considered an heir of Idacansás, and Meicuchuca, inaugurated in 1450, the chronicles are based on mythology. Mythography ''Cacique'' Idacansás was together with Bochica the priest of the Sun, with his Sun Temple located in Sugamuxi. Allegedly the o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sutagao People
The Sutagao are the Chibcha-speaking indigenous people from the region of Fusagasugá, Bogotá savanna, Cundinamarca, Colombia. Knowledge about the Sutagao has been provided by scholar Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita. Etymology The name Sutagao is derived from the Chibcha words ''Su(t)á''; "Sun" and ''gao''; "son"; "Sons of the Sun". Municipalities belonging to Sutagao territories The Sutagao was a relatively small indigenous group that lived between the Sumapaz Páramo and the Pasca River. History Before the Spanish conquest, the Sutagao were in conflict with the Muisca to the northeast. ''Zipa'' Saguamanchica conquered the Sutagao around 1470 when the ''cacique'' of the Sutagao lost the Battle of Pasca. Conquistador Hernán Pérez de Quesada, brother of Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada submitted the Sutagao to the new rule of the New Kingdom of Granada. The Sutagao inhabited the region until a new town was founded by Bernardino Albornoz between 5 and 13 February in 159 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
