Huitaca
Witchcraft, sexual liberation,
arts, dance, music and Moon
Member of Muisca religion
Huitaca was cursed by Bochica
and turned into a white owl
Other namesXubchasgagua
AffiliationChía
Bachué
Nencatacoa
Chaquén
AnimalsOwl
RegionAltiplano Cundiboyacense
Ethnic groupMuisca
Equivalents
Greek equivalentHecate
Roman equivalentMorta
Slavic equivalentMarzanna
Hinduism equivalentMara

Huitaca or Xubchasgagua was a rebelling goddess in the religion of the Muisca.[1] The Muisca and their confederation were a civilization who inhabited the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the Andes. Huitaca has been described by the chroniclers Juan de Castellanos in his Elegías de varones ilustres de Indias,[2] Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita[3] and Pedro Simón.[4]

Spellings and names

Description

Huitaca was the goddess of arts, dance and music,[5][6] witchcraft, sexual liberation and the Moon.[7] According to the Muisca legends Huitaca was a goddess of extreme beauty who praised a life full of joy, games, pleasure and drunkenness who was rebelling against the patriarchal Bochica upon which he turned her into a white owl.[1]

Some chroniclers state Huitaca was another name for Moon goddess Chía[8][9] or Bachué, mother goddess of the Muisca.[7]

Huitaca in modern art

Sculptor Julia Merizalde Price has made a sculpture honouring Huitaca, picturing her after the curse of Bochica.[10]
Photographer Carlos Saavedra has made an exposition showing different indigenous women of Colombia in his search for Huitaca.[11]

Named after Huitaca

  • Huitaca, a genus of Opiliones[12]
    • Huitaca boyacaensis, a species in this genus, species name derived from Boyacá, former Muisca territory
    • Huitaca ventralis, the type species of the genus Huitaca
    • Huitaca bitaco
    • Huitaca caldas
    • Huitaca depressa
    • Huitaca sharkeyi
    • Huitaca tama

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ocampo López, 2013, Ch. 6, p.45
  2. 1 2 Ocampo López, 2013, Ch. 6, p.46
  3. 1 2 3 Ocampo López, 2013, Ch. 6, p.47
  4. 1 2 Ocampo López, 2013, Ch. 6, p.48
  5. ↑ Ocampo López, 2007, Ch.V, p.221
  6. ↑ (in Spanish) 2012 - Huitaca, la diosa muisca en el Palacio Liévano - El Tiempo - accessed 28-04-2016
  7. 1 2 (in Spanish) 2015 - Huitaca y el arquetipo de la diosa rebelde desde la antiguedad hasta nuestros días - accessed 28-04-2016
  8. ↑ (in Spanish) Chía: Moon goddess - Pueblos Originarios - accessed 28-04-2016
  9. ↑ (in Spanish) Chía: mitos y leyendas - accessed 28-04-2016
  10. ↑ (in Spanish) Sculpture Huitaca - accessed 28-04-2016
  11. ↑ (in Spanish) 2012 - Las hijas de la diosa chibcha 'Huitaca' - accessed 28-04-2016
  12. ↑ Data related to Huitaca at Wikispecies

Bibliography

  • Ocampo López, Javier. 2013. Mitos y leyendas indígenas de Colombia - Indigenous myths and legends of Colombia, 1-219. Plaza & Janes Editores Colombia S.A..
  • Ocampo López, Javier. 2007. Grandes culturas indígenas de América - Great indigenous cultures of the Americas, 1–238. Plaza & Janes Editores Colombia S.A..
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