El Dorado- The Lost City Of Gold

People are keen to understand and get answers of mysterious incidents spread around the world. They are eager to know the unknown. So today, I have come here with another story. I hope you would enjoy it.

Recently, a movie get released named 'Jungle Cruise' featuring Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock and Emily Blunt. The story took us close to the beautiful amazon river & the native villagers. They were seen founding a tree that can cure any disease named 'Tear of the moon'. Well, I'm not telling that story but definitely going to share something more adventurous. I'm talking about 'El Dorado'. The greatest myth. The City of Gold. Rings the bell?

For hundreds of years people are still trying to find the city of gold. Their thirst for adventure, thrill & obviously for gold is incomparable. El Dorado, the lost city has always attracted people towards them. This legendary myth has made more stories that you can't even imagine.

In the 16th and 17th century, people living in Europe started believing that the hidden city might be hidden somewhere in South America. But is it true? People searched rain forests, amazon river, mountains over there but failed miserably. Because El Dorado is not a place! It’s a person's name. Let me explain.

Muiska community, living in Columbia is related with this El Dorado myth. The word El Dorado came from spanish which means made with gold. The spanish rulers were in power at that time on that place. They used to call the leader of Muiska community 'Zipa' by the name 'El hombre dorado' meaning the golden king. The story is spread like this, that the king of that community was fully wrapped with gold during his coronation. He was taken to the lake named Guatavita. He dipped in the lake and abandoned the gold to impress the god of sun. The people never touched those gold as they were devoted to their gods. Years passed away and this story of gold king, lake, devotion towards god and abandoning the gold became myth. This myth become phenomenal around that continent and then all over the world.

After many years, the people of Muiska community abandoned that place and started living in Chundinamarca & Boyaka between 800-500 BC. They started living in mountains. Amazing fact is the Mayans & Inca communities also started living in high places! Anyway, this is the story.

Now let's talk about the culture and custom tradition of Muiska community. How the rituals were performed by the new leader, new king of that community? We can find this answer by going through a book written by Juan Rodriguez Freyle. As per his writing, the next Zipa, before taking the oath, had to live separate for quite sometime in a cave. He couldn’t pass away time with woman. He had to eat food having no salt and obviously he could not come out of the cave in daylight. There he prepared himself to give away everything to god. A wooden boat was made to carry him.

In this ceremony, they decorated the boat with costly items made by gold. They set up fire and smoke. Finally the Zipa came outside. They used some chemicals made by them to remove body hair of the next king and melted gold-mud used to paint the King's body. They used it as much as they could. Then the king, along with four other leaders of the community sailed the boat on the lake. All remained naked and the boat was full of gold. They used a flag alike something which they raised while reaching the middle of the lake. It indicated the other people to remain silent. The king then started to throw away golds from the boat. So did the other leaders too. Finally the king dipped in the lake and washed the gold mud in the lake as a mark of abandoning everything to the god of sun. They returned to the shore and the community welcomed their new Zipa aka new King. They sang & dance with more fire and smoke. The rituals ended like this.

This ritual was continued from ages. And the El Dorado myth spread it’s branches & roots all over the world, deep inside people’s heart. From then, people started to find the lake, the place to find golds. They failed. The Mayans, The Incas, The Muiskas ended with time but the mysterious adventure still calling people towards them. Many brave people started their journey but ended up with their names in the dust of history. The city of gold is still searched by many people around the world. Are you one of them?

©Arn49