Abstract

NINO VARGAS, Juan Camilo. The Motif of the Great Tree in Chibchan Traditions. Lit. teor. hist. crit. [online]. 2022, vol.24, n.2, pp.87-112.  Epub Aug 19, 2022. ISSN 0123-5931.  https://doi.org/10.15446/lthc.v24n2.102090.

The confirmation of an ancestral language common to all the Chibchan languages has provided a solid base for the comparative studies of their oral traditions. The aim of this essay is to explore this possibility through the examination of the mythical motif of the Great Tree. The methodical comparison between myths and other verbal and non-verbal traditions will reveal an ancient and singular variant: the trees known by the Chibchas fuse cosmic, human, and cultivated features that distinguish them from, as well as relating them, to the sacred kapok trees of Mesoamerican religions and the abundance trees of the Lowland South American mythologies. Such conclusions bring to light the singularity of the modes of thought and oral traditions of Chibchan peoples. They are also a good point of departure to delve deeper into their history and to disentangle the relation they have with other Amerindian traditions.

Keywords : Mythological trees; comparative mythology; Chibchan people; oral tradition.

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