Between mountains and valleys, the knight rides alone, he doesn't need anyone in the world.
He keeps going forward, he sings the song all the time, he planned to find Eldorado.
Poe's lines about a mythical country where streets are lined with gold express the essence of all the futile search of people to find the edge of a carefree and rich life. For more than 500 years this legend has been haunted by treasure seekers. The discovery of America and the customs of local aborigines laid its foundation.
The origin of the legend
The European gold rush began in the 16th century with the stories of the Spanish traveler Fernandez de Oviedo, which he heard from the natives of South America.
The Muisca Indians, who lived on the shores of Lake Guatavita, talked about the customs of initiation into leaders. The future leader was stripped naked, then rubbed with aromatic herbs, and covered with gold dust on top, until he looked like a precious statuette (in Spanish, El Dorado).
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Then, with songs and dances, he was seated on a raft laden with precious offerings and, accompanied by four assistants, was taken to the middle of the lake. There the treasures were dumped into the lake. This process took at least an hour. Then the raft returned to the shore, and the praise of the new leader began.
The indigenous people of Peru believed in pale-faced and fair-haired gods, so when the Spaniards began to capture America, they were mistaken for the messengers of these gods. As usual, their veneration and praise began. Gold and silver for the Incas did not matter as much as for the conquerors. These metals were of a ritual nature. But seeing the passion of the God-messengers and trying to please them, the Indians brought offerings from these metals.
When Gonzalo Pissaro, the Spanish conquistador, captured Atahualpa, the leader of the Incas, he tried to buy off the sacred gold. This did not save him from death. Upon learning of this, the Incas collected all the remaining treasures and transported them east of Quito (a city in modern Ecuador).
The search for the mysterious Eldorado
In 1535, the first expedition was organized under the leadership of Pizarro. The latter was organized in 1775-1780. Nikolai Rodriguez. The natives were taken prisoner in order to find out the exact location of the "golden country", and under torture they could tell anything.
Gonzalo Jimenez Quesada, who arrived in the central region of Ruiska Chibchi in 1539, began his attainment of Eldorado. In his travels through an unknown country, he came across the possessions of the Muiska Chibcha. People lived in adobe houses, the roofs of which were covered with gold plates. The inhabitants received metal in exchange for emeralds, fabrics and salt from neighbors. In tombs and temples there were images of gods made of precious metal and other treasures. It was here that the conquistadors captured one ton of gold and 707 emerald crystals.
Quesada, undoubtedly, enriched Spain with his booty, but envious people slandered him, spreading rumors about a much larger "gain". He returned to America only 10 years later. The search for El Dorado became his obsession. Several times he entered the Orinoco basin in the hope of finding the country of his dreams.
Modern searches
The search for El Dorado in the vicinity of Lake Guatavita continued until the twentieth century, when the authorities banned this outrage. They found small gold objects, one of which turned out to be really worthy of attention.
The mysterious city is being sought throughout South America. Underwater on Lake Titicaca, in the Andes, in the forests of Brazil. Everyone has their own Eldorado.
Natalia Illarionova