Huitaca (goddess)

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]

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

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. Ocampo López, 2013, Ch. 6, p.45
  2. Ocampo López, 2013, Ch. 6, p.46
  3. Ocampo López, 2013, Ch. 6, p.47
  4. 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. (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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