| Chía | |
|---|---|
Moon | |
| Member ofMuisca religion | |
.jpg) Statue of Chía in Chía | |
| Major cult center | Moon Temple,Chía |
| Planet | Moon |
| Region | Altiplano Cundiboyacense |
| Ethnic group | Muisca |
| Consort | Sué (Sun) |
| Equivalents | |
| Greek | Selene |
| Hindu | Chandra |
| Norse | Máni |
| Roman | Luna |
| Slavic | Devana |
The goddessChía (from theChibcha language *[ʂia] "the one who is like the moon"), is atriplelunar deity in thereligion of the Muisca who inhabited theAltiplano Cundiboyacense inpre-Columbian times.[1] Of central importance to the pantheon, she was worshipped across variousMuisca lands.
In one of her many functions, Chía was considered to be the patron deity of theZipa ruler, who governed the territory encompassing what is nowBogotá. Her ceremonial center was located in or around the city ofChía, Cundinamarca, which was aptly named after the goddess.
Thechyquys; priests of the sacred calendar, were in charge of the ceremonies dedicated to the goddess, which included offerings of gold and ceramic artwork.
Chía andSué were the first generation of deities, created byChiminigagua, in which they both illuminated light for earth. Chía and Súe, thesolar deity, are married, but separated in the sky most of the time, until Chía would join with her husband creating aLunar eclipse.
