Zoratama | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Died | 16th century |
| Cause of death | Drowning/suicide |
| Other names | Soratama |
| Known for | Lover of conquistador Lázaro Fonte |
| Spouse | Lázaro Fonte |
| Children | 1 son |
Zoratama, also spelled asSoratama, was aMuisca woman and the lover ofSpanishconquistadorLázaro Fonte. Her story reminds of theNorth American indigenousPocahontas who marriedJohn Rolfe after saving the life ofJohn Smith.
Together with Lázaro Fonte, Zoratama was forced in exile and settled inPasca,Cundinamarca, in the south of the Muisca territory. After informing conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada of the arrival of new conquistadors, they were taken back to the newly founded capital Bogotá of theNew Kingdom of Granada.
According to legend, Zoratama committed suicide and infanticide by drowning herself and her son insacredLake Guatavita.
In the times before theSpanish conquest of present-dayColombia, theAltiplano Cundiboyacense was inhabited by theMuisca people. They were organised in a loose confederation ofrulers (caciques) and had a total population according toscholars between 300,000 and two million people. The Muisca were an indigenous group oftraders andfarmers.
The southern part of the Muisca Confederation was ruled by thezipa, based inBacatá, the present-day capital of Colombia Bogotá. Thezipa who reigned at the arrival of the Spanish wasTisquesusa. His rule extended over theBogotá savanna and neighbouring mountains of theEastern Ranges with southernmost villagePasca, bordered to the south by the territories of theSutagao people.
InSanta Marta, 1536, conquistadorGonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, triggered by thelegend ofEl Dorado, set foot with an army of around 800 men towards the interior of Colombia. One of his captains was Lázaro Fonte.
Zoratama was born in the town ofGuatavita in theMuisca Confederation.[1] She moved to the capital of the southern Muisca,Bacatá before the Spanish conquest. When the Spanish conquerors arrived in Bacatá, they found the town almost deserted as Tisquesusa, informed about the arrival of the European invaders, had fled with hisguecha warriors toNemocón. Zoratama stayed in Bacatá and was found by the troops of De Quesada. She fell in love with his captain Lázaro Fonte.[2]
Soldiers in the army of De Quesada spread rumours about Fonte; that he had hiddenemeralds from him. In an improvised lawsuit, Fonte would be convicted and punished with thedeath penalty, but thanks to his "lawyer"; captain Gonzalo Suárez Rendón he escaped that fate. Instead, he was forced toexile to the terrain of thePanche to the west of the Muisca territories. In January 1539, Fonte managed to change his location of exile to Pasca, Cundinamarca and took Zoratama with him.[3]
The centre of Pasca was deserted as well, as the inhabitants feared the Spanish conquerors, and Fonte and Zoratama were left in one of thebohíos of the village. Some of the indigenous people remained in Pasca and took care of Zoratama and her lover. When in Pasca, news reached Fonte that new Spanish conquistadores were entering Muisca terrain; from laterVenezuelaNicolás de Federmann and from the southSebastián de Belalcázar.[3]
Fonte wrote on a piece ofdeer skin the news and sent Zoratama back to Bacatá to inform De Quesada of the arrival of the other conquistadores. De Quesada pardoned Fonte and via Gonzalo Suárez Rendón gave him back his weapons.[4]
Zoratama and Fonte got one son together; amestizo child of the Spanish and indigenous. Fonte was sent on expedition to search forEl Dorado inPutumayo andAmazonas in the south of present-day Colombia. He formed part of the army ofHernán Pérez de Quesada, brother of Gonzalo. Due to fever and hunger in the inhospitable jungle of the area, Fonte died.[4]
Governor Alonso Luís de Lugo expelled Zoratama from theencomienda she was guarding and with her son she went toCáqueza andChoachí, trying to gain income by selling firewood. Zoratama went further north to her hometown Guatavita and according to legend she drowned herself and her son inLake Guatavita, like thecacica Guatavita had done centuries before.[4]
