Mexico weekly ledger., 1912-12-12

before we reach 1t. But, according to the sto.
rtes. the bottom Of the lake is where the richest
treasures are
We have. mostNof us heard In our childhood
that the Spaniards Of the sixteenth century
dreamed of "El Dorado" the land Of gold, and
that they sought for it In strange and savage
and ever 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, as a matter of fact, the Spanish
explorers did find FL Dorado Only I'll Dorado
was not the land of gold; 1t 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 Spaniards
could not drain II. The story OF the real Ell
Dorado is the story of the religious festivals Of
the Chibchas.
The tribes Of the Chibchas. according to recent
hisN rians. occupied the plateau region of the
mort eastern province of Colombia, and were
among the richest, the most magnificent, and the
most enlightened OF South American tribes. In
their wealth. their 6arbaric spiendor, 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 stuffs. as well as the feath-
ers Of beautiful birds, added to the wealth and
their magnifcence. Amber they obtained from
their neighbors, 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 vet a thoroughly religious people. Their
hierarchy Of gods and goddesses had passed be-
yond the simple worship Of the forces Of nature
and included definite deities with definite powers
-deities to be propitiated. Occasionally they
offered up human beings to their gods; often
they sacrificed t0.- Ag parrots to avert calamity.
But for the most part they gave their possessions
to their deities, and worshipped, with barbaric
wealth of sacrifice. at the sacred lakes.
There we're five of these lakes in the district
that we now know as Colombia-Guatavita, Guas-
ca, Siecha. Teusaca, and Uhaque: of the five.
Guatavita 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 prese1ce turned aside or assumed a stoop-
ing attitude. No messenger might approach the
chief without bearing a 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 II a man Of G~uatavita 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" 7. Athol joyce Of the British Museum de-
scrtbes the state of the zipa of Bogota: His gar
ments were of the finest cotton, his throne was
Of gold studded with emeraIds, and he travelled
in a litter hung with golden plates. His head
dress was of gold, and a golden crescent orna-
mented his brow; nose and ear ornamen were
Of the same material, and also the breastplate
he wore upon his chest"
For five years or more before a Chibcha chief
became his peoples ruler he must remain in Sc
~clusion, preparatory to the great ceremony of
the lake. At the end Of his rigorous period of
probation-for II was also a period Of stern self.
denial--the chiefs nose and ears were pierced
for the ornaments of HIS rank, and he made gold.
en- offerings to the gods. Professor Joyce, who
in his book describes the ceremonies of the sa.
cred lake as historically attested facts, quotes
from the history OF the conquest and discovery
Of New Granada, by Juan Rodriguez Fresle,
written in 1886.
AE