Myth of the Day: Bochica

In the highlands of Colombia, a wise figure shaped civilization with knowledge and compassion, saving a people from catastrophe.

Feb 13, 2025

Region/Culture: Colombia, South America

Mythos: Colombian Mythology

Primary Type/Nature: Heroes and Mortals

Mythical Attributes: Bochica is celebrated as the founding hero and cultural teacher of the Muisca people, credited with introducing moral, ethical norms, and practical skills such as agriculture.

Role in Mythos: Bochica taught the Muisca civilization important crafts and moral codes and intervened to save them from a flood by creating the Tequendama Falls.

Relation to Humans: Bochica’s influence on human society was profound, instilling structured governance with spiritual and secular leaders, and imparting essential skills for survival and societal development. He is revered as a pivotal figure who directly shaped the ethos and livelihood of the Muisca people.

In the highlands of Colombia, where the Andes brush the clouds, there was once a figure who walked among the Muisca people as both a teacher and a savior. His name was Bochica, a wise and mysterious man, often depicted with a beard that symbolized wisdom and authority. This was not the beard of the Old World wanderers, but rather a representation of sagacity that resonated deeply with the native people he came to guide.

Bochica’s origins are shrouded in the mists of time, a man whose presence in Muisca mythology feels as eternal as the mountains themselves. He appeared among the people at a time when they lived without structure or moral compass, scattered across the Cundiboyacense plateau. With a gentle hand and a vast well of knowledge, Bochica taught them the arts of civilization—agriculture to feed themselves, weaving to clothe themselves, and laws to govern themselves.

Among the many tales told of Bochica, one stands prominent—the legend of the great flood. It is said that when the Muisca turned away from the teachings of their venerable instructor, indulging in the excesses of life, their neglect summoned a terrible flood that threatened to erase their existence. In their hour of direst need, Bochica returned. With a strike of his staff on the rocks, he created the Tequendama Falls, a gushing torrent that swallowed the floodwaters and saved the civilization he nurtured.

Bochica’s powers were not of the fearsome, earth-shattering variety that gods of thunder or creators of worlds might wield. Instead, his were the abilities to instill hope, impart wisdom, and forge order from chaos. He established a balance of power among the people, advocating for a society led by both spiritual and secular leaders, thus laying the foundation for a thriving community.

Yet, for all his strength, Bochica’s influence was bounded by the hearts and minds of those he taught. His weakness lay in the very humanity he sought to uplift; his teachings could be forgotten, his lessons ignored. As much as he could guide and protect, he could not change the fundamental nature of the people. His legacy, powerful yet fragile, depended on the continued respect and adherence to the values he espoused.

In the annals of Colombian mythology, Bochica remains a figure of enduring respect and affection, a hero not because he sought glory or dominion, but because he sought to elevate those around him. His story, echoing through the Andean peaks, reminds us of the profound impact one being can have on the course of a culture, shaping its destiny with nothing but a vision for a better world and the resolve to see it realized.

Myth of the Day: Bochica

In the highlands of Colombia, a wise figure shaped civilization with knowledge and compassion, saving a people from catastrophe.

Suggested Further Reading

Discussion about this post