Guane people explained

Group:Guane
Popplace:Santander, Boyacá,
Langs:Chibcha, Colombian Spanish
Rels:Traditional religion, Roman Catholicism
Related:Lache, U'wa, Muisca, Muzo, Yarigui

The Guane were a South American people that lived mainly in the area of Santander and north of Boyacá, both departments of present-day central-Colombia. They were farmers cultivating cotton, pineapple and other crops, and skilled artisans working in cotton textiles. The Guane lived north of the Chicamocha River, around the Chicamocha Canyon in an area stretching from Vélez in the south to the capital of Santander; Bucaramanga in the north.[1] Other sources state their territory did not extend so far north.[2] Guane, a corregimiento of Barichara, Santander, is said to have been the capital of the Guane people.

Etymology

The word guane in the Chibcha language of the people means "tree" or "lower part of a leaf", or "skirt".[3] [4]

Description

The Guane made their own weapons, including arrows and spears. They interchanged plants for the stewpot with the Chitarero on the east and the Muisca to the south of their territories. The mantle making of the Guanes was well known in pre-Columbian Colombia. Mantles made from cotton have been dated back to the 11th century AD.[5] The Guane cultivated tobacco and made products of fique.[1]

Like the Maya and many other civilizations in the world, the Guane deliberately deformed the skulls of their children.[6]

In 1586, there were still some Guane left but there were no further references found after that date; nevertheless, the local archives indicated that they did not disappear completely. They mixed heavily with the Spanish colonizers, as the Guane were said to have European traits and very light skin.[7]

Like the Muisca, U'wa and Lache, the Guane spoke a Chibchan language.[2] They adored Bochica, the messenger god in the Muisca religion.[8] The Guane traded with their neighbouring indigenous groups; Lache to the east, U'wa to the northeast, Muzo to the south and Muisca to the southeast.

Rock art produced by the Guane have been found around the Chicamocha Canyon and on the Mesa de los Santos, Santander.[8]

The Guane people chewed coca combined with calcitic grains, using poporos.[8]

Municipalities belonging to Guane territory

The Guane inhabited the area of central and south Santander, around the Chicamocha Canyon and a small part of Boyacá.

NameDepartmentAltitude (m)
urban centre		Map
align=center Guanealign=center Santanderalign=center 1336align=center
align=center Aratocaalign=center Santanderalign=center 1800align=center
align=center Cabreraalign=center Santanderalign=center 980align=center
align=center Coromoroalign=center Santanderalign=center 1518align=center
align=center Curitíalign=center Santanderalign=center 1409align=center
align=center Encinoalign=center Santanderalign=center 1850align=center
align=center Guapotáalign=center Santanderalign=center 1534align=center
align=center Güepsa
(shared with Muisca and Yarigui)		align=center Santanderalign=center 1540align=center
align=center Jordánalign=center Santanderalign=center 425align=center
align=center Mogotesalign=center Santanderalign=center 1700align=center
align=center Ocamontealign=center Santanderalign=center 1398align=center
align=center Oibaalign=center Santanderalign=center 1420align=center
align=center Palmaralign=center Santanderalign=center 1200align=center
align=center Páramoalign=center Santanderalign=center 1200align=center
align=center Pinchotealign=center Santanderalign=center 1131align=center
align=center San Gilalign=center Santanderalign=center 1117align=center
align=center San Joaquínalign=center Santanderalign=center 1950align=center
align=center Los Santosalign=center Santanderalign=center 1310align=center
align=center Suaitaalign=center Santanderalign=center 1700align=center
align=center Valle de San Joséalign=center Santanderalign=center 1250align=center
align=center Villanuevaalign=center Santanderalign=center 1450align=center
align=center San José de Parealign=center Boyacáalign=center 1545align=center
align=center Santanaalign=center Boyacáalign=center 1550align=center

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Guane people and their territories
  2. Reconstruction of the Guane people - El Espectador
  3. guane - Chibcha dictionary
  4. guane (2) - Chibcha dictionary
  5. Guane people and their mantle making, colarte.com. Accessed 27 November 2022.
  6. Cranial deformation of the Guane and other cultures worldwide, eldoradocolombia.com. Accessed 27 November 2022.
  7. Physical aspects of the Guane people, elguane.blogspot.com.co. Accessed 27 November 2022.
  8. Description of the Guane people and their culture, misteriosconxana.blogspot.com.co. Accessed 27 November 2022.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Guane people".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.