The Historical Golden Chief and Cities of Gold in South America

 

The legend of the golden chief and cities of gold is one of the most captivating stories of the Age of Exploration. It tells of a land somewhere in the Americas, where a powerful king or chief covered himself with gold dust and offered treasures to the gods in a sacred lake. It also tells of magnificent cities built of gold and jewels, where the inhabitants lived in abundance and harmony. The legend fueled the imagination and ambition of many Spanish conquistadors, who searched for this elusive paradise in vain.

The origin of the legend can be traced back to the Muisca people, an indigenous civilization that inhabited the highlands of present-day Colombia. The Muisca had a complex social and political organization, based on a confederation of chiefdoms that shared a common culture and religion. The Muisca worshipped the Sun, the Moon, and other natural forces, as well as ancestral heroes and deities. One of their most important rituals was the investiture of the zipa, the ruler of the southern Muisca territory. According to the chronicler Juan Rodriguez Freyle, who wrote in the 17th century, the zipa had to undergo a purification ceremony before ascending to power. He had to fast for several days, abstain from sex, and cover his body with gold dust. Then he had to board a raft adorned with gold and precious stones, accompanied by four priests and several attendants. The raft sailed to the center of Lake Guatavita, where the zipa threw offerings of gold, emeralds, and other valuables into the water, while his subjects cheered from the shore. This ritual was meant to appease the goddess of the lake and ensure the prosperity and fertility of the land.

The first Europeans to hear about this ceremony were probably the survivors of the Narvaez expedition, a disastrous venture that left four men stranded in Florida in 1528. Among them were Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish nobleman, and Estevanico, a Moroccan slave. They spent eight years wandering across North America, encountering various native tribes and cultures. They finally reached Mexico City in 1536, where they told their astonishing story to the Spanish authorities. They also mentioned that they had heard rumors from some natives about cities of gold located far to the north.

These rumors sparked the interest of Antonio de Mendoza, the viceroy of New Spain (Mexico), who wanted to expand his domain and find new sources of wealth. He sent several expeditions to explore the northern territories, hoping to find clues about the golden cities. One of these expeditions was led by Fray Marcos de Niza, a Franciscan friar who claimed to have seen from afar a splendid city called Cibola, where the houses were made of turquoise and gold. He also said that Cibola was only one of seven such cities that formed a rich and powerful kingdom.

Mendoza was convinced by de Niza’s report and decided to send a larger expedition to conquer Cibola. He chose Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, a young and ambitious governor, as the leader of this enterprise. Coronado gathered an army of about 300 Spanish soldiers and 1,000 native allies and set off from Mexico in 1540. He followed de Niza’s trail until he reached Zuni Pueblo in present-day New Mexico. To his disappointment, he found no signs of gold or riches there, only adobe houses and corn fields. He realized that de Niza had lied or exaggerated his account, but he did not give up on his quest. He continued to explore further north and east, following vague rumors and false leads about other cities or kingdoms of gold. He reached as far as Kansas, where he encountered another native tribe called Quivira. Again, he found nothing but straw huts and buffalo hides.

Coronado returned to Mexico in 1542, empty-handed and disgraced. He had failed to find any golden chief or city of gold, but he had opened new routes and lands for future exploration and colonization. He had also encountered diverse native peoples and cultures, some friendly and some hostile. His expedition was one of the most remarkable journeys in history, but also one of the most tragic examples of how greed and fantasy can blind human reason.

The legend of the golden chief and cities of gold did not die with Coronado’s failure. It continued to inspire other adventurers and dreamers for centuries, such as Sir Walter Raleigh in South America or Joseph Smith in North America. It also influenced many works of literature and art, such as Voltaire’s Candide, Edgar Allan Poe’s Eldorado, or the animated series The Mysterious Cities of Gold. The legend is still alive today, as some people still search for the lost treasures of Lake Guatavita or the secrets of the ancient Muisca civilization.

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Dorado 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Cities_of_Gold 3: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Muisca : https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alvar-Nunez-Cabeza-de-Vaca : https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marcos-de-Niza : https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francisco-Vazquez-de-Coronado