"The Great Guacamayo," The Great Magdalena River : A Rhetorical Journey on the Great Magdalena River, the legend of El Dorado, El Mohan, and the water paths

Maximiliano Gutiérrez Ramírez,

Synopsis

This essay induces the reader to undertake a rhetorical journey on the great Magdalena river. It is an invitation to travel, unveil, and go a little beyond the commonly known Western version of the river, Eurocentric versions, notes, and travel stories that although having certain similarities are far from the stories of water lived and told by farmers and natives, which are part of this book. The author uses "The Great Guacamayo" metaphor, allegorically joining two native expressions: Guaca (something great and out of the ordinary) and Mayu (river), which show that the river is born from its first stretch or toponymic conceptions. It acquires strength and meaning in the actual and native meaning given by the inhabitants who assume it as the center of everything. The text is composed of three main chapters: the first one makes a short introduction about the river, then it continues its journey with the analysis of western chronicles and water stories, continuing with the water paths it focuses on the search for the famous "Dorado" to, thus, make known the author's position on one of the major problems and questions related to the legend of El Dorado: Was there actually a hidden city bathed in gold? The second chapter refers to the importance of the river in the settlement and consolidation process of New Granada’s territory and the formation of royal roads. Finally, the third chapter provides a twist to reach a conclusion and closure of this essay, corroborating one of the premises stated in the introduction that affirms water as the cosmovision’s center of both farmers and indigenous people. In this chapter, the Pijao culture is approached, finding similarities in the organizational myths that govern the reverie of indigenous groups living near the upper Magdalena region.

Keywords: rhetoric, legends, myths

Chapters

  • Introducción
  • Capítulo 1. Siguiendo la ruta del Dorado
  • Capítulo 2. Conquista y ocupación del Alto Magdalena
  • Capítulo 3. El Alto Magdalena

ISBN-13 (15)

978-958-651-768-3

Fecha de publicación (01):

2021-01-01
Hijri Calendar

How to Cite

Gutiérrez Ramírez, M. (2021). "The Great Guacamayo," The Great Magdalena River: A Rhetorical Journey on the Great Magdalena River, the legend of El Dorado, El Mohan, and the water paths. Sello Editorial UNAD. https://doi.org/10.22490/9789586517683

Published

July 1, 2021