Bochica, also known by the names Nemquetaha, Nemqueteba and Sadigua, is an education and messenger god of the Muisca people of the Colombian highlands, remembered as a civilizing hero who descended to earth to found the Muisca religion. Spanish colonial chroniclers recorded traditions in which he appeared in various towns of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, including Pasca in Cundinamarca and Gameza in Boyaca, before withdrawing to the Toya cave, where regional caciques from towns such as Topaga, Tota, Pesca and Firavitoba came to seek his counsel and wisdom. Tradition holds that the supreme Muisca deity Chiminigagua sent Bochica to the city now called Sogamoso, which became a sacred site in Muisca religion housing the Temple of the Sun and festivals commemorating his arrival.
Facts
Attestation
Veneration TodayHistorically attested; no continuous cult 1 HistoricityNot a historical person: a divine or other-than-human being 1 Function
Domain / Function Belief
TheologyPolytheistic: many gods 1 Sources
1. The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend
Anthony S. Mercatante, revised and expanded by James R. Dow, Facts on File
2. Bochica, Structured Record (Wikidata Q)
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