Eldorado Dos Carajás
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

El Dorado () is a mythical city of gold supposedly located somewhere in
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
. The king of this city was said to be so rich that he would cover himself from head to foot in gold dust – either daily or on certain ceremonial occasions – before diving into a sacred lake to wash it off. The legend was first recorded in the 16th century by Spanish colonists in the Americas; they referred to the king as El Dorado, 'The Golden One', a name which eventually came to be applied to the city itself. It is unknown whether this story had any basis in fact, but it may have been inspired by the culture of the
Muisca The Muisca (also called the Chibcha) are indigenous peoples in Colombia and were a Pre-Columbian culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The Muisca spe ...
, an indigenous people inhabiting a plateau in the Andean mountains in modern-day
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
. The Muisca were skilled goldsmiths; they made frequent use of golden objects in their religious ceremonies, and also manufactured ornaments and jewellery for trade with the neighbouring tribes. Early European settlers, searching for the source of the gold they found among the lowland peoples, made several attempts to reach the plateau. The first to succeed was
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada y Rivera, also spelled as Ximénez and De Quezada, (; 1509 – 16 February 1579) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador in northern South America, territories currently known as Colombia. He explored the territory n ...
in 1537. Quesada and his men conquered the territory of the Muisca in the name of Spain, and looted large quantities of gold from their palaces and temples. It was shortly after this that the legend of El Dorado began to spread among the European colonists. In the decades that followed, the city was sought for in various places across the continent.
Antonio de Berrio Antonio de Berrío (1527–1597) was a Spanish soldier, governor and explorer in Colonial America. Biography Antonio de Berrío was born in Segovia. He began his military career at the age of 14 in the service of the king Carlos I. The young ...
, Quesada's heir, believed that El Dorado lay within the
Guianas The Guianas, also spelled Guyanas or Guayanas, are a geographical region in north-eastern South America. Strictly, the term refers to the three Guianas: Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, formerly British Guiana, British, Surinam (Dutch colo ...
, and tried on three occasions to forge a path into the uncharted highlands. Before he could make a third attempt, he was taken captive by
Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellio ...
, who then launched his own expedition into the Guianas. Raleigh likewise failed to reach his goal, but a later survey by his lieutenant,
Lawrence Kemys Lawrence Kemys or Keymis was an English seaman and companion of Sir Walter Raleigh in his expeditions to Guiana in 1595 and 1617–18. First voyage to Guiana Raleigh's 1595 voyage to Trinidad and Guiana consisted of four vessels, with Kemys serv ...
, brought back some local information regarding a great lake called
Lake Parime Lake Parime or Lake Parima is a legendary lake located in South America. It was reputedly the location of the fabled city of El Dorado, also known as Manoa, much sought-after by European explorers. Repeated attempts to find the lake failed to con ...
that supposedly lay somewhere further inland. This lake, considered a prime candidate for the location of the golden city, became the object of further searches, and was included in maps throughout the 17th century. Over time, as the area became better charted, the existence of the lake was thrown into doubt. In the early 19th century,
Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 1769 – 6 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, natural history, naturalist, List of explorers, explorer, and proponent of Romanticism, Romantic philosophy and Romanticism ...
conclusively declared Lake Parime to be a myth, bringing an end to the popular belief in El Dorado. Nevertheless, the subject has had a lasting cultural impact. The mystery surrounding the lost city, and the supposed wealth of its inhabitants, have influenced creative media since the time of
Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...
, who included a trip to El Dorado in his 18th-century satire ''
Candide ( , ) is a French satire written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, first published in 1759. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled ''Candide: or, All for the Best'' (1759); ''Candide: or, The ...
''. More recently, the search for El Dorado has furnished plotlines for films and video games such as ''Outer Banks'', ''
The Road to El Dorado ''The Road to El Dorado'' is a 2000 American animated musical adventure comedy film directed by Eric "Bibo" Bergeron and Don Paul, from a screenplay by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, as well as additional sequences directed by Will Finn and ...
'', ''Paddington in Peru'', and '' Uncharted: Drake's Fortune'', and has provided a motif for numerous musical artists, including
Aterciopelados Aterciopelados (), also known as Los Aterciopelados, is a rock band from Colombia, led by Andrea Echeverri and Héctor Buitrago. Their music fuses rock with a variety of Colombian and Latin American musical traditions. Aterciopelados have reco ...
and
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
.


Background

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
, the first known European to reach the Americas after the Scandinavians, made landfall in the Caribbean islands in 1492. On seeing the golden ornaments worn by some of the native inhabitants, he assumed that he had discovered a prosperous country, and spent several months travelling from island to island, searching for the source of the gold. Although he found no mines, he was unshaken in his conviction that these new lands held great wealth. He promised the
Catholic Monarchs The Catholic Monarchs were Isabella I of Castile, Queen Isabella I of Crown of Castile, Castile () and Ferdinand II of Aragon, King Ferdinand II of Crown of Aragón, Aragon (), whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of ...
of Spain, who were sponsoring the expedition, that with a little assistance he could "give them as much gold as they have need of". Columbus would have been aware of a number of European legends that told of wealthy utopias located in the western hemisphere. The ancient Greeks believed that somewhere in the Atlantic lay the
Isles of the Blessed The Fortunate Isles or Isles of the Blessed (, ''makarōn nēsoi'') were semi-legendary islands in the Atlantic Ocean, variously treated as a simple geographical location and as a winterless earthly paradise inhabited by the heroes of Greek myth ...
, an earthly paradise with a permanently temperate climate. According to the 2nd-century author
Lucian Lucian of Samosata (Λουκιανὸς ὁ Σαμοσατεύς, 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syrian satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer who is best known for his characteristic tongue-in-cheek style, with which he frequently ridi ...
, the inhabitants of these Isles dwelt in cities made of gold, ivory and emeralds. The Atlantic also gave its name to the mythical continent of
Atlantis Atlantis () is a fictional island mentioned in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and ''Critias'' as part of an allegory on the hubris of nations. In the story, Atlantis is described as a naval empire that ruled all Western parts of the known world ...
, which was said to be home to an advanced civilization rich in gold, silver and
orichalcum Orichalcum (or aurichalcum) or orichalc is a metal mentioned in several ancient writings, including the story of Atlantis in the ''Critias'' of Plato. Within the dialogue, Critias (460–403 BC) says that orichalcum had been considered second ...
. During the Middle Ages, stories were told of the
Isle of Seven Cities Antillia (or Antilia) is a phantom island that was reputed, during the 15th-century age of exploration, to lie in the Atlantic Ocean, far to the west of Portugal and Spain. The island also went by the name of Isle of Seven Cities (''Ilha das Set ...
, a supposed Christian haven which frequently appeared on 15th-century maps, and which may have inspired the later legend of the
Seven Cities of Gold The myth of the Seven Cities of Gold, also known as the Seven Cities of Cíbola (), was popular in the 16th century and later featured in several works of popular culture. According to legend, the seven cities of gold referred to Aztec mythology ...
. Columbus also had an interest in finding the location of two regions mentioned in the Bible,
Ophir Ophir (; ) is a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth. Its existence is attested to by an inscribed pottery shard found at Tell Qasile (in modern-day Tel Aviv) in 1946, dating to the eighth century BC, which reads "''go ...
and
Tarshish Tarshish (; ; ) occurs in the Hebrew Bible with several uncertain meanings, most frequently as a place (probably a large city or region) far across the sea from Phoenicia (now Lebanon) and the Land of Israel. Tarshish was said to have exported v ...
, from whence
King Solomon King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by f ...
was said to have imported vast quantities of treasure. Columbus believed that not only these two countries but also the
Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden (; ; ) or Garden of God ( and ), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the biblical paradise described in Genesis 2–3 and Ezekiel 28 and 31.. The location of Eden is described in the Book of Ge ...
were to be found somewhere on the newly discovered continent, and many of those who followed him shared the same beliefs. The early settlers in the Caribbean islands, however, found their expectations disappointed. The natives possessed a small amount of gold but did not mine it systematically, and the Spaniards' own mining activities quickly exhausted the local supply. The settlers' attention therefore turned towards the mainland, and colonies began to be established along the American coast. Despite this unpromising beginning, the conquest of the Aztecs by
Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca (December 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions o ...
and the conquest of the Incas by
Francisco Pizarro Francisco Pizarro, Marquess of the Atabillos (; ; – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish ''conquistador'', best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Born in Trujillo, Cáceres, Trujillo, Spain, to a poor fam ...
soon rekindled European hopes that vast gold deposits still remained to be uncovered.


Origin of the legend


Rumours of gold

The first European incursion into
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
was made by
Ambrosius Dalfinger Ambrosius Ehinger, also (Ambrosio Alfínger in Spanish) Dalfinger, Thalfinger, (ca. 1500 in Thalfingen near Ulm – 31 May 1533 near Chinácota in modern-day Colombia) was a German conquistador and the first governor of the Welser concessio ...
, governor of the Spanish settlement of Coro. Dalfinger was an employee of the
Welser Welser was a German banking and merchant family, originally a patrician family based in Augsburg and Nuremberg, that rose to great prominence in international high finance in the 16th century as bankers to the Habsburgs and financiers of Cha ...
of
Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...
banking family, a German firm to whom
Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...
of Spain had granted, as security for a loan, the governorship of Venezuela and a licence to explore the country. One of the Welsers' principal concerns was to find a passage through the continent to the Pacific Ocean (then known as the South Sea); such a passage, if found, would open up a new route to India and give Spain an edge in the
spice trade The spice trade involved historical civilizations in Asia, Northeast Africa and Europe. Spices, such as cinnamon, cassia, cardamom, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, star anise, clove, and turmeric, were known and used in antiquity and traded in t ...
. It was to this end that in August 1529, Dalfinger set out with an expeditionary force to
Lake Maracaibo Lake Maracaibo () is located in northwestern Venezuela, between the states of Zulia, Trujillo, and Mérida. While Maracaibo is commonly referred to as a lake, its current hydrological characteristics may better classify it as estuary and/or ...
. The Europeans drastically underestimated the breadth of the South American landmass, and it seemed possible that this lake would prove to connect with the Pacific. During the course of their nine-month journey, they looted numerous golden trinkets from the local population, and were told that these had been acquired through trade with a certain tribe high up in the mountains. Upon his return to Coro, Dalfinger found that in his absence he had been presumed dead; the Welser had sent along a replacement governor, Hans Seissenhofer, who had named
Nikolaus Federmann Nikolaus Federmann (, ) (c. 1505, Ulm – February 1542, Valladolid) was a German adventurer and conquistador in what is modern-day Venezuela and Colombia. He is a significant figure in the history of Klein-Venedig (1528–1546), the concessio ...
as deputy. Dalfinger now resumed the governorship, but temporarily left Federmann in charge while he recovered from an illness. Federmann, taking advantage of his new authority, soon launched his own expedition into the interior. Placating the indigenous tribes with gifts of beads and iron tools, and searching for information about the South Sea, he was told that the countries bordering this sea were rich in gold, pearls, and gemstones. Enquiring further, Federmann's party were directed to a hilltop from which they could see what appeared to be a large body of water. This was in fact the ''
llanos The Llanos ( Spanish ''Los Llanos'', "The Plains"; ) is a vast tropical grassland plain situated to the east of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela, in northwestern South America. It is an ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical grasslands, ...
'', a grassland plain which is subject to periodic floods. Having failed to find a route to the Pacific, and faced with difficult terrain, mass illness, and increasingly hostile natives, Federmann was forced to return to Coro empty-handed. Dalfinger banished Federmann from Venezuela for four years as punishment for abandoning his post. Dalfinger then ventured inland once again in June 1531, travelling south-west to the banks of the river
Cesar Cesar or César may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''César'' (film), a 1936 French romantic drama * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt Places * Cesar, Portugal * Cesar Department, Colombia * Cesar River, in Colombia * Cesar ...
. Here, he heard of a mountain province called "Xerira", which was said to be the source of all the golden artefacts found amongst the lowland peoples. This was probably a reference to Jerira, located at the northernmost extreme of the
Muisca The Muisca (also called the Chibcha) are indigenous peoples in Colombia and were a Pre-Columbian culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The Muisca spe ...
plateau. Dalfinger also heard that the tribe which made the golden objects also exported large quantities of salt. Armed with this clue, he led his party south to the trading centre of
Tamalameque Tamalameque is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Cesar. It was originally the site of a Chimila settlement, ''Thamara''. Tamalameque is located on the right bank of the Magdalena River and borders Chimichagua and Pailitas ...
, then followed the salt trail into the highlands. At a height of 8,000 feet, waging war against the natives in freezing temperatures, they realised they could go no further south and turned back towards Coro. Dalfinger died on the return journey after being shot with a poisoned arrow. Meanwhile, another group of ''conquistadors'', led by
Diego de Ordaz Diego de Ordaz, also Diego de Ordás (; 1480–1532), was a Spanish explorer and soldier. Early career Diego de Ordaz was born in 1480 in Castroverde de Campos, Zamora province, Spain. He arrived in Cuba at a young age. Serving under the order ...
, were searching for the source of the
Orinoco River The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers approximately 1 million km2, with 65% of it in Venezuela and 35% in Colombia. It is the List of rivers by discharge, f ...
. Sailing inland from the east, rowing hard against the current, they eventually reached the confluence of the Orinoco and the
Meta Meta most commonly refers to: * Meta (prefix), a common affix and word in English ( in Greek) * Meta Platforms, an American multinational technology conglomerate (formerly ''Facebook, Inc.'') Meta or META may also refer to: Businesses * Meta (ac ...
. They attempted to continue south along the Orinoco but soon ran into impassible rapids. Returning downriver, they were attacked by Caribs; Ordaz's men routed their attackers and captured two. One of the prisoners, being asked if he knew of any gold in the vicinity, told the Spaniards that if they followed the westward course of the Meta River they would find a kingdom ruled by "a very valiant one-eyed Indian", and that if they found him "they could fill their boats with that metal". Ordaz attempted to follow this advice immediately, but it was now the dry season and the river level was dropping rapidly. Finally admitting defeat, Ordaz sailed for Spain to make preparations for a second expedition, but died of an illness at sea. Before long, "Meta" would become the general name for the legendary golden kingdom. In 1534,
Sebastián de Belalcázar Sebastián Moyano y Cabrera, best known as Sebastián de Belalcázar (; c. 1490 – April 28, 1551) was a Spanish conquistador. Belalcázar, also written as Benalcázar. He is known as the founder of important early virreinal cities in the northw ...
, one of Pizarro's lieutenants, conquered the Incan city of
Quito Quito (; ), officially San Francisco de Quito, is the capital city, capital and second-largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its metropolitan area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha Province, P ...
, where he expected to find great quantities of treasure. Not finding as much as he had hoped, he assumed that the real treasure had been hidden and set about capturing the local chiefs, whom he tortured for information. One of the chiefs captured during these campaigns was not an Incan; he said that he came from a land twelve days' march to the north. The Spaniards called him ''el indio dorado'', "the golden Indian". The reason for this is not clear, but it may have been because he wore golden armour or other body ornaments. Interested in finding the homeland of this "golden Indian", Belalcázar sent an expedition party north, where they discovered the province of
Popayán Popayán () is the capital of the Colombian department of Cauca. It is located in the Pubenza Valley in southwestern Colombia between the Western Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range. The municipality has a population of 318,059, an a ...
. However, Belalcázar himself made no further move at this time.


Conquest of the Muisca


Journeys of Hohermuth and Quesada

Following the death of Dalfinger, Georg Hohermuth von Speyer became the new governor of Coro, arriving at the colony in 1535. Federmann returned to Coro in the same year and resumed his former post as deputy. Hohermuth sent Federmann on an expedition to the Upar valley in the west, while he led an expedition of his own to the south, hoping to find gold in one direction or the other. Hohermuth's party followed the course of 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 ...
south-southwest along the edge of the ''llanos''; a two-year trek brought them to the region of the
Ariari River The Ariari River is a river of Colombia, located entirely within the Meta Department. Part of the Orinoco River basin, it merges with the Guayabero River to forms the Guaviare River, one of the principle tributaries of the Orinoco. See also *Lis ...
, where they heard rumours of a rich land to the west. By this time, however, morale was low – over two hundred men had died along the way, and many of the remainder were too ill to fight – and Hohermuth was forced to turn back. On the other side of the mountain range, a party led by the lawyer-turned-general
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada y Rivera, also spelled as Ximénez and De Quezada, (; 1509 – 16 February 1579) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador in northern South America, territories currently known as Colombia. He explored the territory n ...
was also searching for the land of Meta. This expedition had set out from the Spanish colony of
Santa Marta Santa Marta (), officially the Distrito Turístico, Cultural e Histórico de Santa Marta (), is a port List of cities in Colombia, city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia. It is the capital of Magdalena Department and the fou ...
in April 1536, with the dual goal of finding an overland route to Peru and a strait to the Pacific. It was thought that both these goals could be accomplished by following the Magdalena River to its source. The party travelled south as far as La Tora (modern-day
Barrancabermeja Barrancabermeja () is a municipality and city in Colombia, located on the shore of the Magdalena River, in the western part of the department of Santander. It is home to the largest oil refinery in the country, under direct management of ECOP ...
), where they found the river became too narrow and fast-flowing for any further progress to be made. Although they had suffered heavy losses, Quesada convinced his men not to turn straight back for home, declaring that "it would be ignoble to return with nothing done". He had noticed cakes of rock salt in use among the tribes of La Tora and surrounding areas, which he suspected had been acquired by trade with a more advanced society to the east. His thoughts turned to the rumours he had heard of the "powerful and rich province called Meta", and he decided, like Dalfinger before him, to follow the salt trail into the mountains. In March 1537, after a lengthy climb, Quesada's party arrived at the edge of a high plateau, at a place which they named Grita Valley (near modern-day Vélez). This plateau was home to a prosperous civilization; the villages they passed through now yielded impressive quantities of gold and emeralds. They were entering into the territory of the
Muisca The Muisca (also called the Chibcha) are indigenous peoples in Colombia and were a Pre-Columbian culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The Muisca spe ...
.


Quesada's conquest of the Muisca

The Muisca were an agricultural people who built in wood rather than stone. They were not a unified tribe, but a loose organization of independent chiefdoms. The two most important rulers, to whom most of the other chieftains paid fealty, were the ''zipa'', who ruled the lands to the south, and the ''zacque'', who ruled the lands to the north. The Muisca were skilled at goldsmithing and cotton-weaving, but they produced little cotton of their own and there were no gold mines within their territory. They acquired these raw materials through trade, their own principal exports being salt, which was extracted from naturally-occurring deposits, and manufactured objects such as golden jewellery and cotton blankets. Most of the golden objects crafted by the Muisca were actually made of a gold-copper alloy called ''
tumbaga ''Tumbaga'' is the name given by Spanish Conquistadors for a non-specific alloy of gold and copper, and metals composed of these elements. Pieces made of tumbaga were widely found in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica in North America and South America. ...
''. Gold played an important role in Musica religion; it decorated the principal temples and was used for votive offerings and funerary goods, often in the form of an anthropomorphic ''
tunjo A ''tunjo'' (from Chibcha language, Muysccubun: ''chunso'') is a small anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic or zoomorphism, zoomorphic figure elaborated by the Muisca people, Muisca as part of their Muisca art, art. ''Tunjos'' were made of gol ...
''. Quesada's first move upon arriving at the Muisca plateau was to march on the ''zipas palace at Bacatá (modern-day
Funza Funza () is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Western Savanna Province, of the Departments of Colombia, department of Cundinamarca Department, Cundinamarca. Funza is situated on the Bogotá savanna, the southwestern part of the Altiplano C ...
). The native armies sent to halt the advance of the Spaniards were easily defeated, and by the end of April Quesada had entered Bacatá. The ''zipa'', however, had fled, taking all his treasure with him. After a few failed attempts to track him down, Quesada removed to the northern territory, where he had heard there were emerald mines. He found the mines at
Somondoco Somondoco is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Boyacá. This town and larger municipal area are located in the Valle de Tenza. The Valle de Tenza is the ancient route connecting the Altiplano Cundiboyacense and the Llanos. ...
, but they were difficult to work and his men were unable to recover more than a few emeralds. He therefore continued north to
Tunja Tunja () is a municipality and city on the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes, in the region known as the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, 130 km northeast of Bogotá. In 2018 the municipality had a population of 172,548. It is the capital of B ...
, home of the ''zacque'', and here the ''conquistadors'' uncovered "the single greatest haul of treasure in the entire conquest of Muisca territory". They captured the ''zacque'' and looted the palace, then turned their attention to nearby
Sogamoso Sogamoso () is a city in the department of Boyacá of Colombia. It is the capital of the Sugamuxi Province, named after the original Sugamuxi. Sogamoso is nicknamed "City of the Sun", based on the original Muisca tradition of pilgrimage and ado ...
. This was a major religious centre and the location of the Muisca's most sacred temple. The Spaniards accidentally burnt this temple to the ground, but not before acquiring another substantial haul of gold. Not satisfied with these twin gains, Quesada led his men back to Bacatá to resume the search for the treasure of the ''zipa''. Finally discovering the ruler's stronghold in the mountains, he launched a night-time attack, during which the ''zipa'' was accidentally killed. The ''zipas successor,
Sagipa Sagipa or Zaquesazipa (died 1539, Bosa, New Kingdom of Granada) was the fifth and last ruler (''psihipqua'') of Muyquytá, currently known as Bogota, as of 1537. He was the brother of his predecessor Bogotá but the traditional faction of the Mu ...
, negotiated an alliance with the Spaniards, but was unable to tell them the location of the hidden treasure. In an effort to make him talk, they eventually tortured him to death, though Quesada himself disclaimed any responsibility for this action.


Arrival of Belalcázar and Federmann

In early 1539, after nearly two years on the plateau, Quesada received reports that a group of Europeans were camped in the Magdalena valley near
Neiva Neiva () is the capital and most populated city of the Department of Huila, south central Colombia. It is located in the valley of the Magdalena River with a municipal population of 388,299. It is one of the most important cities in southern Co ...
, southwest of Bacatá. This was an army led by Sebastián de Belalcázar. Belalcázar had left Quito hurriedly in March 1538, after learning that his former general, Francisco Pizarro, had issued a warrant for his arrest. Arriving at Popayán, he had decided to venture east into the highlands. According to Belalcázar's treasurer, Gonzalo de la Peña, the expedition left Popayán "in search of a land called ''el dorado''". This is the first appearance of this phrase in the historical record. Quesada sent a scouting party to investigate the newcomers; the rival expeditions met amicably, and shortly afterwards Quesada was informed that Belalcázar's forces were approaching Bacatá. At the same time, he was told by his Indigenous allies that a third army was making its way up the slopes from the direction of the ''llanos''. This force would prove to be headed by Nikolaus Federmann. Federmann, following his mission to the Upar valley, had returned to Coro in September 1536. Finding Hohermuth still absent, he embarked on an unauthorized journey to the south-southwest, following Hohermuth's trail. He was joined by survivors of another venture led by Jerónimo de Ortal, who had attempted to follow in Ordaz's footsteps and locate the headwaters of the Meta. His men had mutinied against Ortal and struck out on their own; meeting up with Federmann, they brought with them the idea that the legendary land of gold was situated on higher ground. Federmann, like Hohermuth, skirted the edge of the Andes, but at one point took a detour into the plains, which happened to prevent his party from meeting Hohermuth's returning expedition. Contemporary accounts suggest that Federmann deliberately avoided Hohermuth so as not to have to abandon his own quest and give assistance. Reaching the Ariari River towards the end of 1538, Federmann heard from the natives that there was much gold to be found to the west, and consequently began an assault on the Andean slopes. In February 1539, Federmann's bedraggled troops emerged onto the plateau near
Pasca Pasca is a town and municipality in the Cundinamarca Department, Cundinamarca department of Colombia located in the Andes. It belongs to the Sumapaz Province. Pasca is situated on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense at a distance of from the capital B ...
. Within two months, the armies of Federmann, Quesada and Belalcázar were encamped within sight of each other at Bacatá, "all within a six-league triangle". Each of the new arrivals believed that they had a claim to the plateau and its spoils. The geography of South America was still uncertain, and Belalcázar insisted that the Muisca territory lay within his jurisdiction, while Federmann argued that it was part of Venezuela. Quesada, a lawyer by training, resolved the tension by drawing up a contract. He granted each of his rival ''conquistadors'' a portion of the wealth he had looted from the Muisca, and all three agreed to return to Spain together and lay their territorial claims before the
Council of the Indies A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...
. Then, on 29 April 1539, the three men jointly founded the city of
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 ...
in the name of Charles V.


Development of the legend


Contemporary accounts

Aside from the aforementioned statement by Gonzalo de la Peña (from a testimony given in July 1539), there are no written references to a place or a person called "El Dorado" prior to 1541. It was in this year that the historian
Oviedo Oviedo () or Uviéu (Asturian language, Asturian: ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains th ...
recorded a story that was current among the Spanish inhabitants of Quito, relating to a native ruler called the "Golden Chief or King": The timing suggests that this story was brought back to Quito by the men who had assisted in the conquest of the Muisca. Oviedo did not specify where the golden prince was to be found, but by the 1580s the legend had become definitely associated with the Muisca, as evidenced by the following account written by
Juan de Castellanos Juan de Castellanos (March 9, 1522 – November 1606)Ju ...
: A later author,
Antonio Herrera Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas (1549 – 28 March 1626 or 27 March 1625) was a chronicler, historian, and writer of the Spanish Golden Age, author of ''Historia general de los hechos de los castellanos en las Islas y Tierra Firme del mar O ...
, connected this "itinerant Indian" with the ''indio dorado'' captured by Belalcázar in 1534. However, modern scholars have argued that there would be no reason for a citizen of Bacatá to travel as far south as Quito, either for purposes of trade or, as suggested by Herrera, as a diplomatic envoy. It is likely that Castellanos's account is unreliable, and that Belalcázar had not heard the El Dorado legend prior to his arrival in Muisca territory. A new element in Castellanos's version of the story is the king's habit of making oblations on a raft. In the early 17th century,
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 f ...
elaborated on this ceremony, claiming that it took place at
Lake Guatavita Lake Guatavita (Spanish: ''Laguna Guatavita'') is located in the Cordillera Oriental of the Colombian Andes in the municipality of Sesquilé in the Almeidas Province, Cundinamarca department of Colombia, northeast of Bogotá, the capital of ...
near Bogotá, and that the gold dust was offered as a sacrifice to a supernatural entity living in the lake.
Juan Rodríguez Freyle Juan Rodríguez Freyle (also written as Juan Rodríguez Freile), (Bogotá, New Kingdom of Granada, 25 April 1566 - Bogotá, 1642) was an early writer in the New Kingdom of Granada, the Spanish colonial territory of what today is Colombia, Ecuador ...
, in 1636, was the first to describe the ceremony as an
investiture Investiture (from the Latin preposition ''in'' and verb ''vestire'', "dress" from ''vestis'' "robe") is a formal installation or ceremony that a person undergoes, often related to membership in Christian religious institutes as well as Christian kn ...
ritual undergone by each new ''zipa''. Freyle claimed to have received his information from the nephew of the last Indigenous ruler of Guatavita that followed the Inca trail South to their Gold mines at
Puente del Inca Puente, a word meaning ''bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providin ...
.


Modern-day assessment

Historians disagree on the veracity of these reports. Warwick Bray states that the Spanish conquerors heard the legend from Muisca natives who had witnessed the ceremony first-hand. Demetrio Ramos Pérez, followed by John Hemming among others, argues that the story was invented by the Spaniards themselves. José Ignacio Avellaneda regards it as "rather certain" that the legend had a factual basis. J. P. Quintero-Guzmán suggests that the Guatavita ceremony may have been a one-time event which lived on in the oral history of the Muisca until the arrival of the Spaniards. Lakes did feature heavily in
Muisca religion Muisca religion describes the religion of the Muisca people, Muisca who inhabited the central highlands of the Colombian Andes before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca. The Muisca formed a Muisca Confederation, confederation of holy Muisca ruler ...
. It was said that the mother goddess
Bachué The goddess Bachué (in Chibcha language: "the one with the naked breast") is a mother goddess that, according to the Muisca religion, is the mother of humanity. She emerged of the waters in the Iguaque Lake with a baby in her arms, who grew to ...
emerged from a lake before peopling the earth, and then returned to the water in the form of a serpent. Guatavita was one of several sacred lakes found within Muisca territory, and it was not uncommon for gold, emeralds and other objects to be deposited at the lakeside as sacrificial offerings. An archaeological find known as the
Muisca raft The Muisca raft (''Balsa Muisca'' in Spanish language, Spanish), sometimes referred to as the Golden Raft of El Dorado, is a pre-Columbian Votive offering, votive piece created by the Muisca people, Muisca, an Andean people of Colombia in the Cor ...
has often been cited as evidence for the historicity of the El Dorado legend. Discovered in 1969 in a cave in the region of
Pasca Pasca is a town and municipality in the Cundinamarca Department, Cundinamarca department of Colombia located in the Andes. It belongs to the Sumapaz Province. Pasca is situated on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense at a distance of from the capital B ...
, this golden artefact depicts a man of high status, probably a chief, seated on a raft and surrounded by attendants. Quintero-Guzmán calls the relationship between this object and the legend of the golden man "almost undeniable". A similar object, discovered at Lake Siecha in 1856 but later destroyed in a fire, was also described as a representation of the same ceremony, though others argued that it depicted an ordinary leisure cruise.


The search for El Dorado


Pizarro and Orellana

Gonzalo Pizarro Gonzalo Pizarro y Alonso (; 1510 – 10 April 1548) was a Spanish conquistador. He was the younger paternal half brother of Francisco Pizarro, who led the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Pizarro was the illegitimate son of Gonzalo Pizarro y ...
, brother of Francisco, was governor of Quito at the time when the legend of El Dorado was developing. In February 1541, he led an expedition out of Quito to the east, hoping to find the country of this golden king. He was guided in his choice of direction by the report of a Spaniard who claimed to have been in a place called Cinnamon Valley, and had heard that beyond the valley was a flat, open country whose inhabitants wore golden jewellery. Accompanying the expedition as second-in-command was
Francisco Orellana Francisco de Orellana (; 1511 – November 1546) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador. In one of the most improbably successful voyages in known history, Orellana managed to sail the length of the Amazon, arriving at the river's mouth on 24 A ...
, a kinsman of the Pizarros. On finding a few cinnamon trees, Pizarro enquired among the locals about the way to El Dorado; when they were unable to give him any information, he had them tortured and killed. After some aimless searching, the expedition arrived at the banks of the
Coca River The Coca River is a river in eastern Ecuador. It is a tributary of the Napo River. The two rivers join in the city of Puerto Francisco de Orellana Puerto Francisco de Orellana (), also known as El Coca (), is the capital of province of Orell ...
, where they met an Indigenous chief named Delicola. Pizarro's reputation preceded him, and Delicola quickly told him what he wanted to hear: that further downstream he would find a wealthy and powerful civilization. Pizarro built a boat, and the expedition sailed down the Coca to the
Napo River The Napo River () is a tributary to the Amazon River that rises in Ecuador on the flanks of the east Andean volcanoes of Antisana, Sincholagua and Cotopaxi. The total length is . The river drains an area of ca 103,000 km2. The mean annual dis ...
. On 25 December, Pizarro was forced to call a halt, as his starving men were threatening to mutiny. Delicola, whom they had brought with them as a prisoner, assured them the land they sought was just a few days' journey down the river. It was decided that Orellana should take the healthiest men aboard the boat and go in search of food, while Pizarro and the others followed on foot. However, Orellana was unable to find sufficient quantities of food to satisfy Pizarro's army, and soon realized that in any case returning upstream would be impossible. He made the decision to abandon Pizarro and sail on. Reaching the confluence of the Napo River with the
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...
, he and his men became the first Europeans to sail upon the latter river. They successfully navigated its entire length, eventually emerging into the Atlantic Ocean. During their voyage, Orellana's party passed through a long stretch of land inhabited by the
Omagua Omagua or low jungle (''selva baja'' or partially '' tierra caliente'') is one of the eightPulgar Vidal, Javier: Geografía del Perú; Las Ocho Regiones Naturales del Perú. Edit. Universo S.A., Lima 1979. First Edition (his dissertation of 1940): ...
. Impressed by their religious idols, their skilfully crafted pottery, and their well-maintained trading routes, Orellana took captives and questioned them about their culture. They told him that very wealthy people lived a little way inland, but Orellana decided that he lacked the manpower to investigate further. Nonetheless, his account of the great wealth of the Omagua would prove influential to future expeditions.


Hernán de Quesada and Philip von Hutten

When Jiménez de Quesada departed for Spain, he left his brother Hernán in temporary command of the Muisca province, now known as New Granada. When Hernán de Quesada heard the story of El Dorado, he was eager to be the first to find it, and believed that his position in the heart of Colombia, together with the local knowledge of his men, would give him an advantage in the search. He consequently organized an expedition to the south, leaving Bogotá in September 1541. After a time, suffering greatly from illness and starvation, but urged on by persistent rumours of golden lands ahead, his party turned westward and found themselves in the region of
Pasto Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto (; "Saint John of Pasto"), is the capital of the department of Nariño, in southern Colombia. Pasto was founded in 1537 and named after indigenous people of the area. In the 2018 census, the municipality ...
, an area already colonized by Belalcázar. The expedition was here given up as a failure. In early 1542,
Philipp von Hutten Philipp von Hutten (18 December 1505 – 17 May 1546) was a German adventurer and an early European explorer and conquistador of Venezuela. He is a significant figure in the history of Klein-Venedig (1528 - 1546), the concession of Venezuela Prov ...
, a German nobleman who had travelled with Hohermuth, set out to find the rich country that he was sure Hohermuth had almost discovered. He was joined by Bartholomeus Welser, a member of the merchant banking family which governed Venezuela. Leading their men along the edge of the ''llanos'', they came upon the tracks of Hernán de Quesada's south-bound expedition. Judging that Quesada would not have deserted his province except in expectation of finding even greater wealth, they decided to follow the same route. A native chief informed them that there were no rich settlements in that direction, and added that he had received word from neighbouring tribes that the Spaniards who had passed that way earlier were now all dead or dying, but von Hutten believed this to be merely an attempt to distract him from his mission. Towards the end of 1543, on the banks of the
Guaviare River The Guaviare is a tributary of the Orinoco in Colombia. It flows together with the upper Orinoco (until here also called Río Parágua), which it clearly surpasses in length (altogether about 1,760 km) and water flow. Thus, the Guaviare is hydrol ...
, von Hutten heard from the locals that nearby were "enormous towns of very rich people who possessed innumerable wealth". He was guided to a village of the Omagua people, and was told that the village chief owned several life-sized effigies of solid gold, and that still richer chieftains lived in the regions beyond. The Europeans launched an attack, during which von Hutten and his captain were badly wounded by native lancers. The expedition retreated to Coro, with the intention of returning with a larger force. Upon their return, however, a Spanish revolt against the Germans resulted in the execution by beheading of Bartholomeus Welser and von Hutten.


Pedro de Ursúa and Aguirre

In 1550, Charles V ordered the suspension of all expeditions while a debate was held in Spain on their legitimacy. This official suspension lasted nearly a decade, until in 1559
Pedro de Ursúa Pedro de Ursúa (1526 –January 1, 1561) was a Spanish list of conquistadors in Colombia, conquistador from Baztan (municipality), Baztan in Navarre. He is best known for his final trip with Lope de Aguirre in search for El Dorado, where he w ...
received permission from the Viceroy of Peru to equip an expedition to the Amazon. It was, by now, widely believed among the Peruvian settlers that the fabled El Dorado lay in the lands of the Omagua. The stories of the European explorers had been corroborated by a band of Indigenous Brazilians who had lately arrived in the Peruvian town of Chachapoyas, having traveled upstream along the Amazon. They said that they had been among the Omagua, and spoke of "the inestimable value of their riches, and the vastness of their trading". Fired by these reports, Ursúa assembled a force of 370 Spaniards, embarking with a flotilla of small boats on 26 September 1560. A secondary purpose of the expedition was to find employment for the idle veterans of recent civil wars; among them
Lope de Aguirre Lope de Aguirre (; 8 November 1510 – 27 October 1561) was a Basque Spanish conquistador who was active in South America. Nicknamed ''El Loco'' ("the Madman"), he styled himself "Wrath of God." Aguirre is best known for his final expedition down ...
, a disgraced former soldier who had no interest in El Dorado and little motive for loyalty to his superiors. On 1 January 1561, Aguirre led a mutiny against the leaders of the expedition. The mutineers killed Pedro de Ursúa and elected Fernando de Guzman, a Spanish nobleman, as their "lord and prince". A few months later, Aguirre had Guzman assassinated and assumed command. The quest for El Dorado was abandoned, and the mutineers sailed down the Amazon with the intention of conquering Peru. They reached the ocean and sailed north, before landing at
Borburata Borburata is a small coastal town in Carabobo state, Venezuela, located a few kilometers from the Caribbean Sea. It was long a destination of indigenous peoples, who would gather salt at the sea. It was colonized by the Spanish in the 16th centu ...
and marching overland towards the Andes. At Barquisimeto, the journey came to an end when Aguirre was killed by his own men.


Martín de Poveda and Jimenez de Quesada

In 1566, a new expedition was launched from Peru, led by Martín de Poveda and accompanied by Pedro Maraver de Silva and Diego Soleto. They travelled north along the Andes from Chachapoyas to Bogotá, finally determining that El Dorado was not to be found anywhere within this region. However, information received from the natives along the route now pointed towards the eastern ''llanos'' as the site of the legendary city. Meanwhile, Jiménez de Quesada had taken up residence in New Granada, and had been appointed
Adelantado ''Adelantado'' (, , ; meaning 'advanced') was a title held by some Spain, Spanish nobles in service of their respective kings during the Middle Ages. It was later used as a military title held by some Spanish ''conquistadores'' of the 15th, 16th a ...
of the colony. Enthused by the arrival of Martín de Poveda's troops, and their news that El Dorado lay to the east, Quesada obtained permission from the king to conquer and explore the eastern plains. He departed in December 1569, with an army of three hundred Spaniards and fifteen hundred slaves. Nothing was heard of him for two and a half years; after which time it was reported that he was returning to Bogotá with only fifty surviving soldiers and thirty slaves, having "made no settlement and ... achieved nothing".


Antonio de Berrio

Quesada died in 1579, and his estates and title were inherited by his son-in-law,
Antonio de Berrio Antonio de Berrío (1527–1597) was a Spanish soldier, governor and explorer in Colonial America. Biography Antonio de Berrío was born in Segovia. He began his military career at the age of 14 in the service of the king Carlos I. The young ...
. As Quesada's will stipulated that his successor must continue to search "most insistently" for El Dorado, Berrio obediently gathered together an expeditionary force and set out across the ''llanos''. By April 1584, he was encamped four leagues from the
Orinoco River The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers approximately 1 million km2, with 65% of it in Venezuela and 35% in Colombia. It is the List of rivers by discharge, f ...
, which runs along the western edge of the plain. Berrio believed that El Dorado was located somewhere in the highlands of the
Guianas The Guianas, also spelled Guyanas or Guayanas, are a geographical region in north-eastern South America. Strictly, the term refers to the three Guianas: Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, formerly British Guiana, British, Surinam (Dutch colo ...
, on the far side of the river. Captured natives confirmed under questioning that these highlands were home to "great settlements and a very great number of people, and great riches of gold and precious stones". They also spoke of a great lake within the Guianas which they called Manoa. Berrio led his men across the Orinoco but soon found that they were not fit to continue any further, and he was forced to turn for home. In March 1587, Berrio launched a second expedition. He crossed the river once more and spent several months exploring the forests on the other side, searching for a route into the mountains. Eventually his men rebelled against him and deserted, leaving him no choice but to return again to Bogotá. During the third attempt, which began in March 1590, Berrio decided to row downstream along the Orinoco, north and east, in order to reach the
Caroní River The Caroní River is the second most important river of Venezuela, the second in flow, and one of the longest, from the Kukenan tepui through to its confluence with the Orinoco River. The name "Caroní" is applied starting from the confluenc ...
, which discharges into the Orinoco from the Guianas. The Caroní was known to be unnavigable, but Berrio hoped that a pass to the Guianas could be found by following its banks. Upon reaching the point of convergence, he found he had not enough men to make the ascent. He continued down the Orinoco, emerging into the Atlantic Ocean not far from the island of
Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...
. He and his followers founded a new town on the island, San José de Oruña, and began preparations for a final assault on the Guianas.


Walter Raleigh

On 22 March 1595, an English fleet headed by
Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebell ...
arrived off the coast of Trinidad. Raleigh made peaceful overtures to the Spanish inhabitants of the island, trading with them and entertaining them on board his ships. Under the influence of wine, the Spaniards spoke freely of Berrio's activities in Guiana, the geography of the land, and of the riches they believed were to be found in the interior. On 7 April, Raleigh launched a surprise attack against the town of San José and captured Berrio. Having gleaned what information he could from the experienced ''conquistador'', Raleigh announced his own intention to strike out into Guiana and find the golden city. Unable to bring his ships into the narrow channels of the Orinoco delta, he had his carpenters adapt one of them (possibly a
galleass A galleass was a warship that combined the sails and armament of a galleon or carrack with the maneuverability of the oared galley. While never quite matching up to the full expectations for its design, the galleass nevertheless remained in us ...
) so that it drew only five feet of water; this vessel was able to carry sixty men, while another forty were distributed among the smaller boats. They made slow progress through the delta, soon becoming lost in what Raleigh described as a "labyrinth of rivers". Eventually, however, they emerged into the
Caño Manamo The Caño Manamo is a distributary of the Orinoco River. It branches northwards from the main channel of the Orinoco to delimit the western edge of the Orinoco Delta, ultimately emptying into the Gulf of Paria. Tucupita, the capital of Delta Amacur ...
, and from there into the Orinoco proper. A little further upriver, near the confluence of the Orinoco and the Caroní, Raleigh met a native chief called Topiawari, with whom he entered into friendly relations. Topiawari told him that his people had recently been driven out of inland Guiana by a warlike tribe from the west; this seemed to bolster the theory, current among the Spanish and strongly held by Raleigh, that El Dorado was populated by fugitive Incans from Peru. Topiawari would later inform Raleigh that the invading tribe was rich in gold, and that their nearest town, just four day's journey to the south, was the source of "all those plates of gold which were scattered among the borderers, and carried to other nations far and near ... but that those of the land within were far finer". Raleigh continued on to the mouth of the Caroní, and here found that the strength of the current prevented any further progress. He sent out two reconnaissance parties overland, himself accompanying a third. A few precious-looking stones were found, which the men eagerly tore out of the hard ground with their fingers and daggers, but most of these proved to be worthless. They received information that at the head of the Caroní stood a great lake some forty miles wide, in which large quantities of alluvial gold could be found; but having no means of advancing, and threatened by the rising waters of the Orinoco, Raleigh gave up the expedition, hoping to return at a more opportune time. It was not until 1616, over twenty years later, that Raleigh received permission from
James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) * James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) * James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu * James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334 ...
to attempt a second expedition in Guiana. He promised the king that he could recover an abundance of gold from a certain mine near the Caroní that he had heard of on his former voyage. James gave Raleigh strict instructions not to engage in any hostilities against the Spanish, who still controlled the area around the Orinoco. On reaching South America, Raleigh remained aboard the ship and sent a force headed by
Lawrence Kemys Lawrence Kemys or Keymis was an English seaman and companion of Sir Walter Raleigh in his expeditions to Guiana in 1595 and 1617–18. First voyage to Guiana Raleigh's 1595 voyage to Trinidad and Guiana consisted of four vessels, with Kemys serv ...
to seek out the mine. For unclear reasons, Kemys attacked and captured the Spanish town of Santo Tomé; Raleigh's son Wat was killed in the battle. Unable to find the mine, the men returned to the ship, where Kemys, facing Raleigh's displeasure, committed suicide. Raleigh was put on trial in England – charged with lying about the mine and with attempting to stir up conflict between England and Spain – and was executed.


Lake Parime

During Berrio's first expedition, he had heard of a vast lake called Manoa supposedly located in the highlands of the Guianas. El Dorado had long been associated with a lake, so this report added fuel to the theory that the fabled golden city lay somewhere east of the Orinoco. In 1596, Lawrence Kemys heard reports of a lake called Parime or Parima, which he assumed to be identical with Manoa; it was said to be so large that the natives "know no difference between it and the main sea". This lake was included in maps of the Guianas throughout the 17th century, though no European had seen it. In 1674, two Jesuits, Jean Grillet and François Bechamel, traversed the area and found no trace of a lake. In 1740, Nicholas Horstmann discovered Lake Amucu, a little way south of the supposed location of Lake Parime; Amucu was a reedy lake only a mile wide, with no golden city on its banks. Doubts began to emerge as to Lake Parime's existence. In 1800,
Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 1769 – 6 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, natural history, naturalist, List of explorers, explorer, and proponent of Romanticism, Romantic philosophy and Romanticism ...
conducted a survey of the area around the Orinoco; he discovered that "Parime" was the word used by local tribes for any large body of water, and suggested that the seasonal flooding of the plains around Lake Amucu might be the source of the legend. This theory was corroborated by
Robert Schomburgk Sir Robert Hermann Schomburgk (5 June 1804 – 11 March 1865) was a Holy Roman Empire-born explorer for Great Britain who carried out geographical, ethnological and botanical studies in South America and the West Indies, and also fulfilled diplo ...
, who visited Lake Amucu in 1836. Humboldt's influence eventually resulted in the final disappearance of Lake Parime from maps and gazetteers – the effacement, as Schomburgk wrote, "of those last vestiges of that delusive bubble, El Dorado".


Cultural influence

Despite its dismissal as a myth, the subject of El Dorado has retained its hold on the popular imagination into the present day. One early work of fiction to feature the golden city is ''
Candide ( , ) is a French satire written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, first published in 1759. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled ''Candide: or, All for the Best'' (1759); ''Candide: or, The ...
'', a 1759 satire by the French philosopher
Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...
. The novel aims to contrast the idealism of its principal characters with the harsh realities of life, but in El Dorado the situation is reversed. The city is represented as a "pure Utopia", a fulfilment of all ideals, but the protagonists leave because they find its moral perfection unsatisfying. Another literary use of the motif is in
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
's 1849 poem " Eldorado". The story of the "gallant knight" related in the poem is generally taken as a metaphor for the search for truth, with the final stanza hinting that it cannot be found in this world. The city has been depicted on-screen in such films as ''
The Road to El Dorado ''The Road to El Dorado'' is a 2000 American animated musical adventure comedy film directed by Eric "Bibo" Bergeron and Don Paul, from a screenplay by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, as well as additional sequences directed by Will Finn and ...
'' and '' Amazon Obhijaan''. Some filmmakers have taken inspiration from the struggles of the ''conquistadors'':
Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; né Stipetić; born 5 September 1942) is a German filmmaker, actor, opera director, and author. Regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema, his films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unusu ...
's ''
Aguirre, the Wrath of God ''Aguirre, the Wrath of God'' (; ; ) is a 1972 epic historical drama film produced, written and directed by Werner Herzog. Klaus Kinski stars in the title role of Spanish soldier Lope de Aguirre, who leads a group of conquistadores down the Ama ...
'' presents a fictionalized retelling of Lope de Aguirre's rebellion, and the Spanish film ''
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 ...
'', by
Agustín Díaz Yanes Agustín Díaz Yanes (born 1950, in Madrid) is a Spanish Goya Award-winning screenwriter and film director. Filmography Screenwriter * ''Al límite'' (1997) * '' Belmonte'' (1995) * '' Demasiado corazón'' (1992) * '' A solas contigo'' (199 ...
, depicts the trials of a 16th-century Spaniard in America, also partly based on Aguirre. The city was also represented in
Dougal Wilson Dougal Stewart Wilson (born August 1971) is an English director of commercials, music videos and films. His work includes directing several John Lewis Christmas adverts and the Grammy-nominated music video for "Life in Technicolor II" (2009) by ...
's ''
Paddington in Peru ''Paddington in Peru'' is a 2024 live-action animated adventure comedy film directed by Dougal Wilson and written by Mark Burton, Jon Foster, and James Lamont. It is the third installment in the ''Paddington'' film series, which are based ...
'', however not in the traditional sense, and rather as a sanctuary for bears. Video games have likewise sought to simulate the experience of the early explorers. A campaign in the strategy game ''
Age of Empires II ''Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings'' is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft. Released in 1999 for Microsoft Windows and Macintosh in 2001, it is the second game in the ''Age of Empires'' s ...
'' allows the player to take control of Francisco de Orellana, while ''
Europa Universalis IV ''Europa Universalis IV'' is a 2013 grand strategy video game in the ''Europa Universalis'' series, developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive as a sequel to '' Europa Universalis III'' (2007). The game was r ...
: El Dorado'' provides the option of sending out expeditionary forces to uncover the mysteries of the Americas. The adventure game '' Uncharted: Drake's Fortune'', set in the modern day, involves a search for El Dorado, which turns out to be the name of a cursed golden idol. El Dorado features in several album and song titles by artists such as
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
('' Eldorado''),
Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood and drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop and classical arrangement ...
('' Eldorado'') and
24kGoldn Golden Landis Von Jones (born November 13, 2000), known professionally as 24kGoldn, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He initially saw recognition for his 2019 single " Valentino", which marked his first entry on the ''Billboard'' Ho ...
(''
El Dorado El Dorado () is a mythical city of gold supposedly located somewhere in South America. The king of this city was said to be so rich that he would cover himself from head to foot in gold dust – either daily or on certain ceremonial occasions ...
''). The Colombian artist
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
supported her ''
El Dorado El Dorado () is a mythical city of gold supposedly located somewhere in South America. The king of this city was said to be so rich that he would cover himself from head to foot in gold dust – either daily or on certain ceremonial occasions ...
'' album with a world tour which concluded in Bogotá.
Aterciopelados Aterciopelados (), also known as Los Aterciopelados, is a rock band from Colombia, led by Andrea Echeverri and Héctor Buitrago. Their music fuses rock with a variety of Colombian and Latin American musical traditions. Aterciopelados have reco ...
, a Colombian rock group, also have an album titled ''
El Dorado El Dorado () is a mythical city of gold supposedly located somewhere in South America. The king of this city was said to be so rich that he would cover himself from head to foot in gold dust – either daily or on certain ceremonial occasions ...
'' which explores the country's cultural history. El Dorado is also mentioned in
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...
song "
Revolution 9 "Revolution 9" is a sound collage from the Beatles' 1968 self-titled double album (also known as the "White Album"). The composition, credited to Lennon–McCartney, was created primarily by John Lennon with assistance from Yoko Ono and George ...
".


See also

*
List of mythological places This is a list of mythological places which appear in mythological tales, folklore, and varying religious texts. Egyptian mythology Greek mythology Norse mythology Polynesian and Māori mythology Indian mythology Chinese folk mythology ...


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dorado Exploration of South America Gold History of South America Muisca mythology and religion Mythological populated places Mythological kingdoms, empires, and countries Mythical utopias Fictional locations in South America Legendary treasures