| Chaquén | |
|---|---|
| Member ofMuisca religion | |
 | |
| Region | Altiplano Cundiboyacense |
| Ethnic group | Muisca |
| Festivals | Sowing and harvest |
| Equivalents | |
| Greek | Demeter |
| Roman | ~Mars |
Chaquén was thegod ofsports andfertility in thereligion of the Muisca.[1] TheMuisca and theirconfederation were one of the four advanced civilizations of theAmericas and as they were warriors, sports was very important to train the fighters for wars, mainly fought between thezipazgo and thezacazgo but also against otherindigenous peoples as thePanches,Muzos and others. When theSpanish arrived in the highlands of centralColombia, theAltiplano Cundiboyacense, they encountered resistance of theguecha warriors, trained by Chaquén.
Chaquén flew over the boundaries of the sowing fields of the rich agriculture of the Muisca. During the contests and festivities of the Muisca people Chaquén manifestated himself. 17th centurychroniclerPedro Simón said about Chaquén: "The Muisca organized races on their holidays where thevassals of thecaciques would compete in many aspects; dances with new inventions and a lot offeathers,flutes, horns and drums. The people would have interludes with delights, wearing uniforms and many of them wore animal skins withdiadems of fine gold. As prizes for the winners there were richly decorated mantles and the festivities were celebrated with a lot ofchicha".[2]
During the first months of theyear, the people celebrated their agricultural festivities around the edges of their crop fields honouring Chaquén to ensure a good harvest. With playing flutes and horns the men would dance holding hands with the women and sang both happy and sad songs. They held the earthenware bowls filled withchicha in their hands. The festivities not only served to get good harvest, as well to gain partners; men and women, all drunk would find each other at these celebrations and thecaciques and other nobles gained their women here".[2]
The honouring of Chaquén was a celebration offertility, not only for the agriculture, but also for the people. Sexual rites were encompassed with many feathers and costumes also used in the warfare of the Muisca.[3]
Chaquén not only was the god of sports and fertility, he also made sure those who committedadultery were punished, like happened to Tintoa and Sunuba. The young and braveguecha warrior Tintoa fell in love with the beautiful Sunuba, principal wife – the Muisca had extensivepolygamy – of a prince. When the husband of Sunuba went to war, he named his wife as guardian. When the warrior prince returned from battle and found out about his wife cheating with Tintoa, he decided to punish them both. The lovers ran away and escaped the law. When Chaquén found out where they were located, he punished them converting them into vegetables; the beautiful Sunuba into a type of cane or reed, condemned to live close to the waters of the variousswamps of theBogotá savanna and Tintoa into a dry weed, growing only in arid areas, separating the two forever.[4]
In Boyacá and other parts of central Colombia the game oftejo survived from Muisca times. The goal of tejo is to throw clay dishes and hit pieces of small explosive, gaining points. This game has been played before the arrival of the Spanishconquistadores and is still very popular in the villages of theAltiplano Cundiboyacense.
Honouring Chaquén a theme park inSumapaz,Bogotá has been named after him.[5]
