Chibchas o Muiscas: Juan Sebastián Melo Samuel Ruíz Bazzani

Chibchas o
muiscas
Juan Sebastián Melo
Samuel Ruíz Bazzani
Who were they?
Chibcha, also called Muiscas, South American Indians who at the time of the Spanish
conquest occupied the high valleys that surround the modern cities of Bogotá and Tunja
in Colombia. With a population of more than 500,000 inhabitants, they are an
indigenous people of the eastern mountain range of the Andes of Colombia. Although
trade with neighboring tribes was common, the Chibcha seem to have evolved their
culture in comparative isolation.
The Chibcha are an indigenous group from the Cundiboyacense Altiplano, Colombia,
that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish conquest. People spoke
Muysccubun, a language of the Chibcha language, also called Muysca and Mosca.
Geographical data
Its territory was located in the highlands of the current departments of
Boyacá and Cundinamarca, known as the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, in
the center of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia. The oldest
settlement in the highlands dates back to 1270 BC, and by 1542 the
Spanish conquerors quelled native resistance: the Confederacy was
included in a new political division within the Spanish colonies in
America and became part of the region called New Kingdom of
Granada.
Traditions
Oral tradition suggests that each family gave a child for sacrifice, that children were
considered sacred and cared for until the age of 15, when their lives were offered to the
Sun God, Sué.
Chibcha legislation was based on the so-called “Nemequene code” (attributed to a

Bacatá zipa, for which it was called), a set of orally transmitted common law rules. The
sentences were generally the death penalty or repudiation and social exclusion. Acts of
incest, sodomy, adultery, robbery, cowardice of warriors and drunkenness were some of
the sanctioned crimes.
In addition, the code established the rules of inheritance, behavior, manners, protocol,
obedience, submission and tribute. The Chibcha people raised the temples to the glory
of Sue (the sun god) and Chía (the moon goddess), created legends about the mythical
hero Bochica and the mother of the Chibcha, Bachué, and founded a caste of priests. in
which, among other duties, fall the establishment of the calendar (necessary to schedule
agricultural and religious activities).
Chibcha mythology
Chibcha mythology is well documented. Many of the writers who
contributed to the Chronicles of the West Indies were based in Bogotá. They
recorded many of the myths as they were interested in the traditions and
culture of the conquered people. The Chibcha territory became the seat of
the colonial administration for the New Kingdom of Granada (Spanish:
Nuevo Reino de Granada).
•The Golden
•The origin of the legend of El Dorado (Spanish for "El Dorado") at
the beginning of the 16th century can be traced to the Chibcha
Confederation. The zipa used to offer gold and other treasures to
the goddess Guatavita. To do so, the zipa was covered with gold
dust and washed in the lake while throwing gold trinkets into the
waters. This tradition was known outside the Confederacy, to the
Caribbean Sea; the Spanish were attracted by the stories of a "city
of gold" that did not really exist.
•Indigenous peoples sometimes got rid of greedy Spaniards in this

way, pointing them in the direction of other peoples. Lake
Guatavita was widely explored by the conquerors, in search of gold
offerings from the zipa to the goddess. The legend grew until the
term became a metaphor for anywhere great wealth can be found
or made.
Clothing
• The dress was a tunic and a blanket
tied at the ends on the shoulder,
made of thick cotton fabric,
decorated with colored stripes. Not
worn footwear. They painted their
bodies with achiote, they also wore
colorful bird head feathers that also
wore bracelets, necklaces, nose rings
and pectorals beautifully made of
gold.
matireals
• 1. Subglobular vessel (mucura) with high narrow
neck and angular shoulder. Size: 43 x 34 cm.
• 2. Cup
• 3. Anthropomorphic clay motif, his eyes and mouth
are made with double strips forming the typical
“coffee bean” element. Size: 37.5 X 26.5 cm.
• 4. Vessel representing a shaman. Obtained in
Guatavita.
• 5. Male figure with ceremonial headdress, on the
chest the frequent crossed insignia in "X". Size: 31.5
x 19.5 cm.
• 6. Anthropomorphic vessel, in the hole they kept
tunjos and emeralds.
Textile
• The Muisca textile evidence comes from caves in the moors and perhaps
from sanctuaries; From the chronicles we know that the blankets were
precious, present as gifts at the festivities, they were used in red as a sign of
mourning and the Tunja courtiers were very rich and decorated. The
mummies were wrapped in fine cotton fabrics.

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Chibchas o

Chibcha legislation was based on the so-called “Nemequene code” (attributed to a

•Indigenous peoples sometimes got rid of greedy Spaniards in this

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