MUISCAS OR CHIBCHAS: ORIGIN, LOCATION, CHARACTERISTICS, ORGANIZATION, ECONOMY - CULTURE VOCABULARY

The Muiscas or Chibchas are an American indigenous people that lived mainly in the Cundiboyacense highlands, in present-day Colombia, from the 4th century BC. In addition, there were also communities in the southern area of the department of Santander. Today, his descendants live in the departments of Boyacá, Cundinamarca and Santander.

This town was organized in a confederation made up of several manors. Its system of government was autocratic and society was made up of several hierarchical classes. The common language was muysccubun, also called muysca or fly.

Muisca Territory at the arrival of the Spanish (15th century) - Source: Milenioscuro under the Creative Commons Generic Attribution / Share-Alike 3.0 license

The Muiscas were an eminently agricultural town, an activity in which they achieved great mastery. This allowed them to generate surpluses that were dedicated to trade. Another important economic activity was the exploitation of gold, emerald, copper, coal and salt mines.

The Muiscas were a community very rich in myths. One of them led the Spanish conquerors to search for a supposed city of gold: El Dorado. The confrontation between the Chibchas and the Spanish began in 1537 and ended with the submission of the indigenous people and the dominance of the crown of Castile.

Origin and history

As with other indigenous peoples, the destruction of material by the Spanish conquerors greatly limits knowledge about the history of the Muiscas. For this reason, what is known is based on oral tradition, on the work of some missionaries as chroniclers and on archaeological findings.

Arrival to the highlands

The most accepted theory affirms that the Muiscas arrived at the Cundiboyacense plateau in several different waves between 500 a. C. and 800 d. For a long time it was thought that they had been the first inhabitants of the area, but the archaeological remains found show that there were previously settlements of other peoples.

The origin of the Muiscas seems to be in Central America and, when they arrived in the highlands, they mixed with the peoples who were already there.

Mythical origins

The Muiscas had their own mythology about their origin. One of its legends, among many others, is the so-called Bague Myth, the name by which the Mother Grandmother was known. According to this story, at first there was only Bague, who, through a cry, created the gods, animals, plants, light and the Muiscas.

After this, the gods put seeds and stones in a pot, materials that they used to create stars in space. The remains of material were thrown into the air and turned into stars.

However, all the created elements were motionless, so the gods came to Bague. She then prepared a drink for the divinities to drink. In doing so, they fell asleep and dreamed of a world in which everything moved and men worked their daily activities. Upon awakening, his dream came true.

Muisca Confederation

Over time, the Muisca settlements grew in size and population. The result was the formation of a more complex system of political and territorial organization: the Muisca Confederation.

This was made up of four different lordships, all confederate. They were Bacatá, Hunza, Iraba and Tundama. Besides, there were also some autonomous territories.

This confederation appeared around 1450 and lasted until 1541, when the Spanish consolidated their dominance of central Colombia.

Arrival of the Spaniards

When the Spanish arrived in the area in 1536, the territory controlled by the Muiscas had a population of 500,000 people.

Spanish chroniclers have written that the Muiscas were going through a period of tension, with internal confrontations. In part, this facilitated the conquest and incorporation of the territory into the New Kingdom of Granada.

Likewise, in some chronicles it is related that Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada and other conquerors were looking for El Dorado when they found the Chibchas of Cundinamarca and Boyacá, in 1537. Finally, the last Muisca kings, Sagipa and Aquiminzaque, were assassinated and the Spanish became with their domains.

The Castilians forced the Muisca chiefdoms to join the encomienda system and, at the end of the 16th century, the resguardos system. This caused that the cultural and social unity of this town was disappearing and, in the 18th century, their language was left unified and was replaced by Spanish.

Present

The current Muisca population lives mainly in the municipality of Cota. In addition, there are other scattered settlements that preserve some cultural elements of this town, especially in Boyacá and Cundinamarca.

Location

The Muiscas settled in a territory located in the current departments of Boyacá, Cundinamarca and part of Santander.

The center of the region was the Cundiboyacense plateau, a territory with many sources of water. It is also an area located at a great height, since it ranges between 2,500 and 2,800 meters above sea level.

Confederation Extension

The Muisca Confederation settled in the aforementioned territories: Cundinamarca, Boyacá and Santander. In the first case, the most important settlements were in the plains of Ubaté and Bogotá, as well as in several nearby valleys.

For its part, the most populated areas of Boyacá were Tunja, Chiquinquirá, Moniquirá, Sogamoso or Villa de Leyva. Finally, in the south of Santander they settled between the Suárez and Chicamocha rivers.

General characteristics

Although there is little direct data on how the Muiscas lived, historians have drawn a number of conclusions about their culture. Known characteristics include their religious beliefs, their marriage customs, and their concept of sexuality.

Etymology

There is some controversy about the equivalence between the terms muisca and chibcha. Scholars generally admit that chibcha is used to refer to the linguistic family to which the Muiscas belong. However, both names are popularly used synonymously.

Chibcha is a word that, in the Muisca language, has the meaning of “man with the staff”, although it can also be translated as “our people”.

For its part, muisca was used as a common name for this civilization. Thus, it would literally be translated as "man", "person" or "people".

Political organization

According to historians, the Muiscas were beginning a period of splendor when the Spanish conquerors arrived. By then, their territory had been organized in the form of a confederation.

This was made up of several chiefdoms and four political-administrative units: the Zipazgo de Bacatá, the Zacazgo de Hunza, the sacred territory of Iraca and the sacred territory of Tundama.

The form of government, on the other hand, was the absolutist monarchy and with a marked religious character. The caciques in command were called Zipas or Zaque, depending on the region.

Language

The language spoken by the Muiscas was Muyskkubun, a language belonging to the Chibcha linguistic family. The inhabitants of the entire confederation could understand each other without problems.

The arrival of the Spanish changed this situation, especially after 1770. That year, King Carlos III issued a Certificate prohibiting the use of any indigenous language. From that moment on, they were forced to learn Spanish.

sports

One of the sports practiced by the Muiscas was declared by the Colombian government as the country's national sport. It is about the yew, in which a disc is thrown into clay courts to try to make some wicks of gunpowder explode.

Social organization

The base of Muisca society was the clan, made up of individuals from the same family. Each of the clans had its own chief, who was sometimes a priest. These clans united to form tribes and, eventually, larger cities.

As the population grew, the social system became more complex. The result was the appearance of a social pyramid made up of various human groups, from the chiefs of the chiefdoms to the slaves.

Chiefdoms

The Muisca culture had been organized into various chiefdoms, political-administrative units ruled by the chiefs. These, as the most powerful figure, were at the top of the social pyramid.

The names of these caciques varied depending on the region. Thus, they could be called zipas or zaques. Their power was such that it was forbidden to look into their eyes and they were considered sacred.

Priests

Sheikhs, the name of priests among the Muiscas, began preparing for the position when they were only 12 years old.

Their main function was to direct religious ceremonies, which meant that they were only surpassed in power by the caciques. These sheiks, in addition, were considered descendants of the gods.

Craftsmen and workers

Already in the lower part of the social pyramid were the artisans and the rest of the workers. The latter were responsible for exploiting the mines and agricultural work.

Slaves

At the base of the pyramid, without any rights, were the slaves. Most of them were prisoners of war. Their only task was to obey the orders of their owners until their death.

Economy

The main economic activity was agriculture. Its main crops were potatoes, corn or cotton, among others.

In addition, they also used the metals they obtained from the mines to make crafts. This, along with agricultural surpluses, was exchanged or sold in the markets they organized.

Similarly, the Muiscas had a great fame in textile manufacturing, especially in Cundinamarca and Boyacá.

One of the main characteristics of the Muisca economy is that they managed to reach very high production levels. As noted, part of the surplus was used for trade, while the rest was kept as reserves.

Use of coins

Another quite novel aspect in the economic sphere was the use of coins. The Muiscas made them using gold, silver or copper and their value depended on their size.

Apart from what they obtained from their mines, the Muiscas bought gold from other peoples. With that metal he made works of goldsmithing and it is thought that it could be the origin of the legend of El Dorado.

Religion and gods

The main god of the Muiscas was the Sun, whom they called Súa. Along with him, they also worshiped Chia, the Moon.

Chyquy or sheik

This position could only be accessed by men and they had to live isolated in the temples and remain chaste all their lives.

As was the case with civil rulers, the position of priest was inherited by the son of the sister of the sheikh in question.

Religious beliefs

The Muiscas believed they were polytheists and their pantheon was made up of a multitude of gods related to nature. The two main ones were the Sun and the Moon. With less power than these were other subordinate gods, such as that of the rain or the forest.

All these gods received offerings in various religious ceremonies and festivals, as well as in small shrines. Rituals included human or animal sacrifices.

The Muisca culture believed in a series of myths, divided between those of creation and those of civilization. One of the most important was that of Bochica or Nemqueteba, with certain similarities with those maintained by other pre-Columbian civilizations.

Lastly, the Chibchas believed in life after death. In this regard, the fate of the deceased was determined by their behavior during life.

Myth of Bochica

The Muiscas believed that a man with white skin and blue eyes had long ago visited the savannah of Bogotá. This character came from the East and had long hair, as well as a beard.

Upon reaching Bosa, a camel he was carrying died and its bones were preserved by the Muiscas. The name received by this mythological figure was Bochica, Chimizapagua or Nemqueteba, among others.

Bochica was the master of Muiscas. Among other things, he explained how to spin cotton to make blankets and clothing.

Once he left Bosa, Bochica continued his journey until he reached Zipacón, from where he left for the north. On his way he stopped at Cota, where he taught the locals.

After a few days there, Bochica left for Santander, first, and Sogamoso, later. That was the last place he taught the Muiscas, since he later disappeared to the east.

Deities

As noted, the Muiscas worshiped a large number of gods. The most important were Sua (or Sué), the Sun god, and Chía, the Moon goddess.

Somewhat lower in importance were Bagüe, Mother Grandmother; Chiminigagua, the principle of light from which all creation proceeds; Chibchachum, which controlled the rains; Bachué, the mother of the human race; Bochica, who civilized the Muiscas, and Guahaihoque, the god of death.

farming

In addition to the fertility of the lands they inhabited, the Muiscas took advantage of their extensive knowledge of the rain cycles to make the most of their crops. Agriculture, in this way, was the main economic activity of this town.

Farming systems

To get the most out of the crops, the Muiscas developed an agricultural technique called microverticality. This consisted of working the land taking into account aspects such as the climate and introducing practices such as burning land. Likewise, they built canals to bring water to the most arid lands and planted on the slopes of the mountains.

The farmlands were managed in two different ways. Thus, part of the land was worked directly by the Muiscas, while another part was worked by subject peoples who had to pay their corresponding tribute.

Tools

One of the difficulties that the Muiscas encountered when working the fields was the lack of resistant tools. This people did not know iron, so they had to limit themselves to using wooden or stone tools. This forced us to wait for the earth to soften because of the rain.

Other economic activities

In addition to agriculture, the Chibchas stood out for their mining industry, their textile production, and the markets they organized. All this made its economy one of the most powerful of all pre-Columbian civilizations.

Mining

The mining deposits located in the Muisca territory allowed them to obtain minerals such as gold, emeralds or copper. In addition, they also mined coal and salt.

The first of these products, gold, became the main material for Muisca goldsmithing, despite the fact that a good part of it had to be bought from other peoples. The same abundance was given with emeralds, which were offered to the gods in various ceremonies.

On the other hand, copper was used, among other things, to make masks that were used in war and festivals.

Textile production

One of the most famous activities of the Muiscas was the manufacture of textile products. Among these, cotton blankets stood out, which became one of the most valued items in the markets. Their quality, in addition, made them accepted as currency to pay taxes.

Market

The Muiscas organized a series of markets on specific dates and in different cities. During the day it was installed, both Muiscas and members of other towns bought, sold or exchanged what they needed.

In this way they could be found from basic necessities such as corn, salt, fruits or blankets to luxury items such as bird feathers, cotton or sea snails.

Traditions and customs

Although the Spanish conquerors tried to end any trace of the Muisca traditions, thanks to oral tradition and the work of some chroniclers it has been possible to know some of them.

Marriage and sexuality

The marriage petition within the Muisca culture consisted of several steps. To begin with, the suitor had to make some offerings to the family of the future bride. In addition, there were established conditions to accept the request.

If the request was not accepted the first time, the suitor still had two other chances. On the third refusal, however, he was obliged not to try again.

On the other hand, the Muiscas were very liberal in the sexual field. Unlike in other cultures, virginity was unimportant. In addition, their laws allowed polygamy. In this sense, the only limit for a man was to be able to support all his wives. Among these, the first was considered the main one.

Hygiene

If Muisca sexual liberality caused rejection of the Spanish conquerors, no less surprise caused them the custom of bathing several times a day. For the Spaniards, it was an unnecessary and even obscene practice, since men, women and children bathed together in the rivers.

On the other hand, they also performed some baths of a ritual nature, such as when menstruation came or in the male initiation rite.

Another ceremonial bath occurred when a new Zipa was crowned or when the priests were invested after years of preparation during which they could only wash their fingers.

Human sacrifices

The Muiscas performed human sacrifices as long as two conditions were met. The first was when a prisoner of war appeared to be a virgin. This was transported to a temple and sacrificed as an offering to the gods.

The second case was when the sacrificed was a moxa, a term that encompassed young people bought in a place called Casa del Sol, thirty leagues from the territory controlled by the Muiscas. All the caciques owned one or two moxas, which used to be 7 or 8 years old when they were bought.

During their growth they were treated with enormous veneration, to the point that they were always carried on shoulders. When they reached puberty it was time for their sacrifice and their blood was offered to the gods. However, if before this they had had sexual relations, they were released.

Funeral rites

According to the writings of the Spanish missionary Fray Pedro Simón, the Muiscas gathered around the dying until they died. In addition, he pointed out that those who died suddenly from an accident were considered happy, since they had not suffered before dying.

The missionary described various types of funeral rites. Sometimes the Muiscas allowed the corpses to dry by placing them over a simmering stove. Other times, they were buried in temples or directly in fields. In the latter case, a tree was planted at the burial site.

In addition to describing these practices, Fray Pedro Simón reported that the subsequent mourning lasted six days, during which the family of the deceased met and sang songs in memory of the deceased while they ate corn buns and chicha.

El Dorado Ceremony

One of the most important ceremonies within the Chibcha culture was called El Dorado. This took place in the sacred lagoon of Guatavita and took place when the heir to the throne took possession of it and became Zipa.

Art

The Muiscas stood out in various artistic facets, especially textiles and goldsmithing. Instead, its architecture was quite simple, without the majestic buildings typical of other pre-Columbian cultures.

Textile

As noted above, the Muiscas had a well-earned reputation for their textile work. Among its products, blankets stood out, highly appreciated as gifts. Those used during the mourning period were red, while the upper classes preferred those with elaborate decoration.

The most used materials were cotton and fique, although this second was reserved for making ropes and backpacks.

The tools used were made of stone. These were spindles that made it possible to produce very fine threads.

In addition, the Muiscas also used natural dyes and pigments that they obtained from plants and minerals.

Architecture

The houses of the Muiscas were built with reeds and mud. When it came to building, the Muiscas opted for two different house formats: conical and rectangular. The former had a circular wall, with a conical roof covered with straw. The latter, for their part, had parallel walls and a rectangular roof with two wings.

In both cases, the houses had small windows and doors and their furniture was usually very simple.

Apart from houses, the Muiscas only built two other types of buildings, both more complex. Some were the houses for the chiefs of the clans, while the others were destined for the zipas or zaques.

Goldsmith

Muisca goldsmithing had a double meaning: the aesthetic and the religious. Its main material was gold, a good part of which is obtained by bartering with the inhabitants of the towns near the Magdalena River.

The Muiscas mixed gold with copper and obtained a bronze-colored material called tumbaga.

One of the best known creations were the tunjos. These are small representations of humanoid characters. It is thought that they had a ceremonial use, as an offering to the gods.

The pendants and nose rings were also highly appreciated. These products had a symbolic meaning, as they reflected the power of those who used them.

Ceramics

Muisca artisans made their ceramic pieces by modeling clay directly or using clay rolls. Most of the creations were intended for domestic use, although some pieces were also made as an offering to the gods or to be exchanged in the markets.

References

Bank of the Republic. Muisca. Obtained from encyclopedia.banrepcultural.org
Ethnic groups of the world. Chibcha: History, Meaning, Culture, Location and Much More. Obtained from etniasdelmundo.com
Original towns. Muisca art. Obtained from pueblosoriginario.com
Cartwright, Mark. Muisca Civilization. Retrieved from ancient.eu
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Chibcha. Retrieved from britannica.com
Johnson, Becky. The Muisca: Colombia's Lost People. Obtained from unchartedcolombia.com
Global Security. Early Colombia - Muiscas. Retrieved from globalsecurity.org
King, Gloria Helena. The Chibcha Culture - Forgotten, But Still Alive. Retrieved from ipsnews.net

MUISCAS OR CHIBCHAS: ORIGIN, LOCATION, CHARACTERISTICS, ORGANIZATION, ECONOMY - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024