For centuries, this mythic place captured the imagination of adventurers who believed there was a kingdom built with gold in the heart of the South American jungle. How did this myth appear?
The fantastic legend of El Dorado, the city of gold, has its roots in the traditions of the indigenous peoples of South America. It emerged from the culture of the Muiscas, who inhabit the central highlands of Colombia since the 6th century BC .
The Muiscas used to hold a religious ceremony at Lake Guatavita, where its leader, the Zipa, covered himself in gold dust and immersed himself in the lake as an offering to the gods. When the Spanish conquerors saw this they called him the "golden man" or "El Dorado".
In Search of An Imaginary City
Fueled by this fascination with gold, the truth behind the Zipa ceremony was distorted and gave rise to the legend of an entire city made of gold. This misinterpretation spread quickly among Europeans, fueling dreams of untold riches and unleashing a fever of exploration.
The myth of El Dorado sparked a series of expeditions, beginning with Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, who led an expedition in the 1530s in search of the golden city in the Muisca region of Colombia. Although he found treasures and riches, he did not find the city of gold.
In 1541, Francisco de Orellana led another expedition that resulted in the first complete voyage down the Amazon River. Although he did not find El Dorado, his trip expanded European knowledge of the geography of South America.
For his part, Sir Walter Raleigh undertook two expeditions in the 1590s, seeking El Dorado in what is currently Venezuela and Guyana. The efforts also ended in failure, but his story influenced the persistence of this illusion.
El Dorado in the Art
Colombian painter Miguel Gómez created artwork that represents the richness and mystery of this legend with golden landscapes and indigenous figures. On the other hand, Zipa, leader of the Muiscas, is represented in the sculpture known as "The Golden Man" or "The Golden", created by the Colombian sculptor Alejandro Ceballos and located in the Bolívar Park in Bogotá.
Within the literary field, in the philosophical satire "Candide" (1759), Voltaire places his protagonist in a utopia called El Dorado, a place of immense wealth and harmony, whose idealized fantasy contrasts sharply with the real world.
Likewise, the legend inspired David Grann to write "The Lost City of Z" (2010), a literary work in which he narrates the adventures of a British explorer in search of a mythical city in the Amazon jungle, which many relate to El Dorado.
As for films, director Carlos Saura tells the story of the expedition of Pedro de Ursúa and Lope de Aguirre in the film "El Dorado" (1988). While in animated films, "Road to El Dorado" (2000) captures the search for this fantastic city through two scammers who find a map that takes them to that place built with the precious metal.
A Demystified City
The wealth of the Muiscas, although impressive, did not reach the fabulous dimensions of the legend. Although history and archeology have disproved its truthfulness, El Dorado remains a fascinating myth that reflects the human quest of abundance and discovery.
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