The Myth of Bachué: The Progenitor Goddess of Humanity (Muiscas)

The myth of Mother Bachué is one of the most important myths in the worldview of the Muisca (Chibcha) people. This tale tells the story of how Bachué, together with her husband, gave rise to humanity. They emerged from Lake Iguaque, which is located in the municipality of Chíquiza in the department of Boyacá, Colombia.

The myth relates that one day, a beautiful and slender woman emerged from the mythical Lake Iguaque. She had long black hair. This woman was Bachué. By her side, she held the hand of a boy who was around three years old.

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Bachué and the boy left the waters of Lake Iguaque. They descended the mountain and settled in the savanna, where she built a house. They lived there until the boy was old enough to marry, which constituted the first Muisca marriage. Following this event, the boy impregnated Bachué, as their mission was to populate the world with their children. In every childbirth, Bachué had four, five, or even more children. Bachué and her husband traveled throughout the Chibcha empire, founding settlements and leaving their children in all of them.

During that time, Bachué taught the Muisca people the rules for living in peace among themselves and with other nations. She taught them how to worship the gods, how to live in harmony with their surroundings, and many other things. The people began to call her Furachogua, which means “Good Woman,” since in the Chibcha language Fura means “Woman” and Chogua means “Good.”

When they were both very old and saw that their work was done, they decided to leave for Lake Iguaque. They were accompanied by all the Muisca people, who wept for their imminent departure. Once they were at the site, both Bachué and her husband transformed into two enormous snakes and submerged themselves in the lake.

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Before leaving, she exhorted her people to follow the precepts and teachings she had given them. It is said that from time to time, the great snake can be seen peering its eyes out of the water. This serves to remind them that she is always watching over and caring for her people.

Origin of the myth of Bachué

The myth of Bachué or Batchue originates from the Muisca (Chibcha) culture. This indigenous group inhabited what is now the south of the Santander department and the Cundiboyacense high plateau. For the Muisca people, Bachué is the primordial mother of their entire nation. For this reason, they call her “Mother Bachué.”

Thanks to her role as a progenitor and for all the teachings she instilled in them, Bachué is considered by the Chibcha people as one of their deities or gods. She was regarded as the goddess of fertility, the protector of the harvests, and the primordial mother of humanity.

(Read Also: Iraca and Ramiriquí: Myth of the origin of humans, the sun, and the moon (Chibchas))

In the Muisca worldview, a woman is born with wisdom. This is why Bachué is represented as a wise, adult woman. In contrast, they believed men are born immature compared to women, which is why they are represented as children. This is one of the most likely theories explaining why the myth of Bachué depicts the appearance of the first woman and the first man as an adult woman and a child. It is also worth noting that Muisca indigenous communities had a strong sense of matriarchy. This is reflected in the fact that the story mentions the woman’s name but not the child’s. In some stories, the name Qhuzha is mentioned—Qhu (Seed) and zha (night), meaning little man—but this name is a general representation of the birth of men.

One of the oldest documented references to this myth is the chronicle by the chronicler Fray Pedro Simón. He recorded this myth in his work “Noticias Historiales” (Historical News), published in 1626. It was accompanied by an account mentioning the strategies used by the conquistadors to try to destroy or steal symbols they considered inappropriate, most of which were made of gold.

Other Versions of the myth of Bachué

As is the case with many of the country’s legends and myths, several versions exist surrounding the myth of Bachué. This is primarily due to the fact that, being an oral tale transmitted from generation to generation, some elements of the story are lost or altered over time.

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In some versions, it is indicated that the child who comes with Bachué is her son, while in others, this fact is not stated. Some accounts also mention that at the moment of their departure at Lake Iguaque, a great wave emerged and swallowed them. Other tales mention that they decided to leave without telling anyone. A few versions also suggest that humans already existed at the time of her arrival and that Bachué‘s role was mostly to increase the population.

What does Bachué look like?

Bachué is described as a dark-skinned, slender woman with long black hair, and very beautiful. When she decides to return to Lake Iguaque, she transforms into a great snake that usually peeks its eyes through the waters to watch over and protect her people.

Bachué in popular culture (Tributes and representation)

Bachué is a figure who has become an essential part not only of the Muisca culture but also of all Colombians. Hence, over time, her figure has permeated various cultural and social environments within the territory.

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In addition to the different tunjos (small anthropomorphic offerings made of gold) and representations that the Muisca people have created around the figure of Bachué, there are other representations more typical of modern art. Among these is the sculpture of Bachué in Medellín, created by the sculptor José Horacio Betancur. There is also the sculpture “La Bachué, diosa generatriz de los indios chibchas” (Bachué, the generative goddess of the Chibcha Indians) by Rómulo Rozo, created in 1925. This sculpture became a highly valuable piece within Colombian art and inspired artistic movements in the country. There are also businesses such as the Hotel Bachue in Girardot, the Hotel Bachue in Bucaramanga, and the Bachue jewelry store in Medellín, among others, that pay tribute to her cultural figure by integrating her name into their ventures. Likewise, there are neighborhoods bearing the name of Bachué, as well as musical and artistic groups that also pay tribute to her.