Muisca Religion

Muisca religion describes the religion of the Muisca who inhabited the central highlands of the Colombian Andes prior to the Spanish conquest. This culture was a confederation of holy rulers that incorporated a variety of deities with their associated temples and ritual practices. The supreme being of the Muisca was Chiminigagua. who created light and the earth. He was not directly honoured. Worship of Chiminigagua was funneled through Chía, goddess of the Moon, and her husband Sué, god of the Sun. The Muisca worshipped their gods at sacred sites. Some were natural features such as Lake Guatavita, the Siecha Lakes, and Lake Tota. Others were manmade like the Sun and Moon Temples in Suamox (the religious center of the Muisca) and the Moon Temple in Chía (City of the Moon). During these rituals priests, or obgues, performed sacrifices. Commonly, human beings were sacrificed. The last public religious ceremony of the Muisca was performed in 1563. The rulers of Muisca served as both political and as religious leaders. The people frequently fasted. They also consumed coca, tobacco, and yopo during their rituals. Yopo was extracted from Anadenanthera trees. Its psychoactive seeds were finely ground, then inhaled through the nostrils using a hollow bird bone or a small spoon. Elaborately decorated ceremonial plates that held the yopo were made of gold or tumbaga (an alloy of gold, silver, and copper). Coca leaves were chewed during divination rituals and to heal diseases. In addition to supreme Chiminigagua, moon goddess Chia, and sun god Sué, Muisca also honored Bachué (mother of mankind), Bochica (messenger of Chiminigagua and holy teacher of the Muisca), Huitaca (goddess of happiness, pleasure and sexual liberation who rebelled against social and moral codes instituted by Bochica), Chibchacum (god of rain and thunder and protector of traders and laborers), Cuchavira (god of the rainbow), Chaquén (god of fertile soil and sports who assured good harvests and whose training prepared the Muisca for war), and Nencatacoa (god and protector of artists, painters, builders, and drunkards). To honor the gods, the Muisca organized pilgrimages led by priests to their temples and natural sacred sites. Pilgrimages featured music and dancing, and human sacrifices. The temples contained gold and silver images of their gods, made of gold and silver, are said to have been created. The discovery by Spaniards of these richly decorated temples fueled the legend of El Dorado, motivating Spanish conquerors to explore the interior of South America. The Muisca offered precious objects to their gods called tunjos, small anthropomorphic or zoomorphic figurines made of gold or tumbaga. Other offerings were emeralds, snails, clothes, and food. Parrots and other colourful birds were sacrificed since they were believed to possess a soul. As noted, human were also sacrificed humans were not uncommon, although this practice ceased prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores. In ancient times, families offered one male child to priests who raised them. At the age of fifteen (some sources state at age twelve) the boys were sacrificed. This was regarded as a great honor by the family and the victims. Sacrifices were performed by removing the heart from a body or penetrating it with spears. At the sacred site Cojines del Zaque (Cushions of the Zaque, two circular stones made of sandstone located at the base of a mountain) the boys were sacrificed to sun god Sué, just after sunrise.