The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1912-12-21

before reach IL. But according 10 TIE sto
ries, the bottom Of the lake is where the ricnest
treasures are"
We have most of us heard in childhood
that the Spaniards of the sixteenth century
dreamed of "El Dorado" the land of gold. and
that they sought for it in strange ana savage
and hopeful ways among strange and saw
age peoples We have read how the lust of gold
seized the adventures of Spain, and they press
ed into the wilderness and found and conquered
more and more land without ever finding the land
of gold. But a matter of fact, the Spanish
explorers did find Ell Dorado. Only E! Dorado
was not the land of gold: it was the golden man.
And the treasure of the golden mans gift was not
a treasure that could be found on the land; 1t
lay at the bottom of a lake. and the Spanards
could not drain it. The story of the real Ell
Dorado is the story of the religious festivals OF
the Chibchas.
The tribes Of the Chbchas. according to recent
historians. occupied the plateau region OF the
northeastern province of Colombia. and were
among the richest, the most magnificent, and the
most enlightened of South American tribes In
their wealth, their barbaric splendor, and their
handicrafts they ranked with the Aztecs Of Mex
leo and the Incas of Peru Their land was rich
in emeralds. Gold they procured in great guam
titles from their immediate neighbors. Rich tex
tiles and dyed cotton stufs. as well as the feath
ers of beautiful birds. added to the wealth and
their magni1cence Amber they obtained from
their neghbors, and apparently from the other
side of the world they procured in some unknown
manner some quantity of jade.
Savage uncontrolled In their indulgence OF
the arts of pleasure that they had cultivated
even more eagerly than the arts of war they
were yet thoroughly religious people. Their
hierarchy of gods and goddesses had passed be-
You'd the simple worship of the forces Of nature
and included definite deities with definite powers
-deitles to be propitated. Occasionally they
offered up human beings to their gods: often
they sacrificed talking parrots to avert calamity
But for the MIST part they gave their possessions
to their deties, and worshipped. with barbaric
wealth of sacrifice. at the sacred lakes.
There were FIVE of these lakes in the district
that we now know as Colomba-Guatavita. Guas-
ca Siecha Teusaca, and Uhaque; OF the nve.
Cuatavita was by far the most important, Ubaque
being its nearest rival The people made pill
grimages to all the lakes, but to Guatavita most
of all. and with the richest gifts. And 1t was at
the lake of Guatavita that the great ceremony
of the Chibcha tribes took place-the installation
of the chief. Guatavita was the most important
center of the Chibchas the religious capital" OF
the tribe.
The chief who came to his kingdom with sac
rifces to the holy water of the plateau was an
absolute monarch. whose power rested largely on
the assumption that he was semi-divine NO SUB
ject dared look his leader in the face. but in the
royal presence turned aside or assumed stoop
ing attitude No messenger might approach the
chief without bearing gift, not to win the royal
favor but merely to do homage to the royal state
Over every detail of his subjects lives he ruled
and n a man of Guatavita wished to alter the
STYLE of his dress he must ask his leaders per
mission and receive the new garment from the
ROYAL hand In his South American Archaeol
ogy" T. Athol Joyce Of the British Museum de
scrioes the state of the Zipa of Bogota: His gar
ments were of the finest cotton. his throne wal
of gold studded with emeralds. and he Travelled
in litter hung with golden plates. His head
dress was of gold. and golden crescent orna
mented his brow; nose and ear ornaments wer
of the same material and also the breastplat
he wore upon his chest
For FIVE years or more before Chibcha chic
became his peoples ruler he must remain in sc
clusion. preparatory to the great ceremony o
the lake At the end Of his rigorous period o
probation-for it was also period OF stern sell
denlal--the chiefs and ears were pierce
for the ornaments of - rank, and he made gold
en- offerings to the SIS Professor joyce VIII
in his book describes the ceremonies of the 81
cred lake as historically attested facts, quote
from the history of the conquest and discover
of New Granada. by Juan Rodriguez FRESH
written In 1896: