Women in Muisca society
The Muisca were the original inhabitants of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense (present-day central Colombian Andes) before the Spanish conquest in the first half of the 16th century.
While men were responsible for hunting, warfare, and other activities, women took charge of sowing the fields, preparing food and chicha, and educating children.
Following the largely pre-ceramic Herrera Period, the Muisca people settled in the valleys and high-altitude terrains of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes.
Their main crops included maize, potatoes, arracacha, tubers, beans, yuca, pumpkins, gourds, tomatoes, peppers, cotton, pineapples, avocadoes, tobacco, quinoa, and coca.
"[7] In pre-Columbian societies, women played a central role in shaping the understanding of the world, structuring family and community, participating in religious life, working in the fields, and contributing to mythology, arts, and all aspects of societal organization.
[9] The Code established a system of harsh penalties intended to maintain social stability, particularly in cases of adultery, deceit, incest, and rape.
[14] The majority of pre-Columbian cultures that once had female leaders and egalitarian conditions between men and women eventually shifted toward male-dominated leadership, largely due to the need to defend their territories.
Indigenous women migrated to the capital for two main reasons: to work in the households of Spanish colonizers and to seek husbands, as mestizo status offered them greater security.
The new zipa and zaque were traditionally chosen from the eldest sons of the elder sister of the previous ruler, and women had the freedom to live together for a period to ensure that the relationship was successful and that they were fertile.
[17] Muisca women were considered vital for transferring their fertility to the farmlands, which meant they were responsible for sowing the fields,[18] while men engaged in hunting, fishing, and warfare with neighboring groups such as the Panche.
[13] When the principal wife of a cacique, zaque, or zipa died, the male ruler was required to abstain from sexual relations for five years.
An exception to this perception was made for virgins captured from neighboring indigenous groups (such as the Panche, Muzo, Lache, Guayupe, Guane, and Chitarero), who were used in ceremonies as sacrifices.
[28] The Moon Temple served not only as a place of worship but also as an educational center for new caciques and Muisca rulers, with instruction provided nearby at the Seminario de la Cuca.
[44] This story formed the basis for the sacred Lake Guatavita and later inspired the legend of El Dorado, as narrated by the early Spanish chronicler Pedro Simón.
