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Cuchavira
Rainbow
Member of Muisca religion
Cuchavira at sacred Lake Guatavita
Other names	Cuchaviva
Affiliation	Chibchacum (rain) Sué (Sun)
Region	Altiplano Cundiboyacense
Ethnic group	Muisca
Equivalents
Greek	Iris

Cuchavira or Cuchaviva is the rainbow deity, protector of working women and the sick in the religion of the Muisca.^[1] The Muisca and their confederation were one of the advanced civilizations of the Americas and in the fertile intermontane valley that forms the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the Andes rain and sun were both very important for their agriculture. Moreover, in those days the Bogotá savanna consisted of various swamps and floodings were regular.

Description

Cuchavira, who was called "shining air", appeared before the Muisca when Bochica, the messenger of the supreme being Chiminigagua was sent to the plains of the Muisca. Also when rain god Chibchacum was angry, he sent heavy rains to the flatlands, causing the rivers to flood, destroying the agriculture and the houses (bohíos) of the Muisca. When the rains were over and the Sun was shining again, causing Cuchavira to appear, the people offered low-grade gold or gold-copper alloys (tumbaga), marine snails and small emeralds to thank him.^[2]^[3]

Gallery

References

^ Ocampo López, 2013, Ch. 8, p.53
^ Ocampo López, 2013, Ch. 8, p.54
^ (in Spanish) Description Cuchavira - Pueblos Originarios — accessed 23-04-2016

Bibliography

Ocampo López, Javier (2013), Mitos y leyendas indígenas de Colombia — Indigenous myths and legends of Colombia (in Spanish), Bogotá, Colombia: Plaza & Janes Editores Colombia S.A., ISBN 978-958-14-1416-1

Muisca

Topics

General	Agriculture Architecture Art Astronomy Calendar Cuisine Economy Mummification Music Muysccubun Mythology Numerals Religion Society Toponyms Warfare Women
Specific	Battle of Pasca (~1470) Battle of Chocontá (~1490) Chicha Duit Emeralds Muisca raft Ruana Tejo Tunjo Zoratama
The Salt People	Zipaquirá Nemocón Tausa Sesquilé

Geography and history

Altiplano
Cundiboyacense

Neighbouring areas

History

Prehistory (<10,000 BP)	Lake Humboldt El Abra Tibitó Sueva Tequendama
Lithic (10,000 - 2800 BP)	Piedras del Tunjo Checua Galindo Nemocón Sáchica Aguazuque Lake Herrera El Infiernito
Ceramic (>800 BC)	Herrera (800 BC - 800) Early Muisca (800 - 1200) Muisca Confederation (~1450 - 1540) Cabildo Mayor (>2002)

Religion and mythology

Deities

Sacred sites

Built	Sun Temple Moon Temple Cojines del Zaque Goranchacha Temple Hunzahúa Well
Natural	Fúquene Guasca Guatavita Iguaque Siecha Suesca Tota Ubaque Tequendama Falls

Mythology

Myths	El Dorado Monster of Lake Tota
Mythological figures	Goranchacha Idacansás Pacanchique Thomagata

Caciques and neighbours

Northern caciques

zaque of Hunza	Hunzahúa Michuá Quemuenchatocha Aquiminzaque
iraca of Suamox	Nompanim Sugamuxi
cacique of Tundama	Tundama

Southern caciques

zipa of Bacatá	Meicuchuca Saguamanchica Nemequene Tisquesusa Sagipa
cacique of Turmequé	Diego de Torres y Moyachoque

Neighbours

Chibcha-speaking	U'wa Sutagao Guane Lache
Arawak-speaking	Achagua Tegua Guayupe
Cariban-speaking	Panche Muzo Yarigui

Spanish conquest

Conquistadors

Major	Gonzalo de Quesada Hernán de Quesada Baltasar Maldonado Gonzalo Suárez Rendón Juan de Céspedes Juan de San Martín
Minor	Antonio Díaz de Cardoso Antonio de Lebrija Bartolomé Camacho Zambrano Gonzalo García Zorro Gonzalo Macías Hernán Venegas Carrillo Juan de Albarracín Juan del Junco Juan Tafur Lázaro Fonte Luis Lanchero Martín Galeano Martín Yañéz Tafur Miguel Holguín y Figueroa Ortún Velázquez de Velasco Pedro Fernández de Valenzuela Pedro Ruíz Corredor

Neighbouring conquests

Research and collections

Scholars	Acosta Acosta Samper De Aguado Arango Broadbent De Castellanos Celis Correal Duquesne Freyle Friede Gamboa Groot Hammen Humboldt Izquierdo Langebaek De Lugo Ocampo De Piedrahita De Quesada Reichel-Dolmatoff Schrimpff Simón Triana Uricoechea Zerda
Publications	Elegías (1589) El Carnero (1638) Epítome (1889)
Research institutes	ICANH Universidad Nacional Universidad de los Andes Universidad La Javeriana University of Pittsburgh UPTC
Collections	Museo del Oro Archaeology Museum of Sogamoso Archaeology Museum of Pasca Metropolitan Museum of Art

Category

Categories:

Hidden categories:

Description

Gallery

See also

References

Bibliography