Souvenir Suggestions -- the RUANA

By -
So, you have adopted a child or will adopt a child from the Altiplano Cundi-Boyacense and you want to purchase them a great souvenir. Something that will reflect the culture of the region where they were born. What should you choose?

Might I suggest a RUANA.

A ruana is a woolen poncho that has its roots in the ancient Chibcha (Musica) indigenous culture. The story of the ruana starts with the following Chicbha legend:

According to the stories told to the Spanish by these Indians, the Chicbhas were once visited by a powerful, yet simple and loving God. This God’s name was Bochica, also known as Nemqueteva, and less often Sadigua. He appeared 3 different times and it seems unclear as to whether it was the same person all three times. Bochica is the most common name associated with the story that relates to the ruana.

According to the story, Bochica had white skin and a beard down to his waist – both were unusual as the Indians had dark brown skin and were Lampiños (unable to grow body or facial hair). He had bare feet and wore a long tunic that was tied with a knot at the shoulder. He arrived in the Bacatá (now Bogotá) valley a top a strange animal – which upon hearing the description, the Spanish chroniclers believed might have been a camel.

When Bochica arrived a top his camel, the native population did not know how to farm. They lived off the land. They wore little clothing and were often cold and hungry. When this great white God saw the hunger, poverty, and nakedness of the Chibchas, he taught them to cultivate the land, harvest the fruit thereof, and store food until the next harvest season.

He also showed the people how to get thread from native plants and then how to use the threads to make clothing. The clothing that was made was in essence – the ruana – a big square with a hole in the middle for your head.

When the Spanish and their sheep arrived, the plant fibers were replaced by wool. So the wool ruana of today is the ultimate mixture of the two cultures of Colombia. In fact, the influence of the ruana is so pronounced that even the name of one of the departments of Colombia comes from this piece of clothing. The Chicbhas used the word BOY for the ruanas (mantas in Spanish) that they made. Eventually, the name Boyacá came from the Chicbha BOY and the Spanish (acá or here) – it means Ruanas Here – or Land of the Ruanas.

So, a ruana would be a wonderful, significant souvenir for your child.

Where can you buy a ruana?

There are places in Bogotá, but if you want to take a weekend trip from Bogotá, plan to go to Paipa, Boyacá, for the night and then spend a morning shopping in the Ruana capital of Colombia -- Nobsa, Boyacá. Nobsa is located about 3 ½ hours from Bogotá in the very safe part of Boyacá. A great time to go is May 24-26 for the International Festival of the Ruana.

If you are already home, there is a chance to get them online or through friends. If you are interested, let me know.

Here are links to see more about ruanas and Nobsa.

http://www.colombiadefiesta.com/galeria/nobsa07.html


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Popular Colombian Names

By -
Recently, I was asked to write a post on Colombian names, and popular Colombian names. I had a hard time finding a list, but eventually I did find one. According to I.N.E. - Instituto Nacional de Estadística, -- unfortunately, when I found this it doesn't say the year -- the most common Colombian boys names across all ages are: 1 JUAN CARLOS 2 CARLOS ALBERTO 3 ALEXANDER 4 ANDRES FELIPE 5 LUIS FERNANDO 6 DIEGO FERNANDO 7 JHON JAIRO 8 CARLOS ANDRES 9 ALEJANDRO 10 JUAN DAVID The girls are: 1 SANDRA MILENA 2 LUZ MARINA 3 CAROLINA 4 PAULA ANDREA 5 CLAUDIA PATRICIA 6 MARIA EUGENIA 7 PAOLA ANDREA 8 DANIELA 9 LILIANA 10 MARTHA CECILIA Just as here, names go through ebb and flow. Fourteen years ago when we were married, I attended several baby baptisms and met numerous friends of my husband. At the time, it seemed like everyone was naming their kid Juan CAMILO (boy) or Maria CAMILA (girl). I met dozens of them. Then, about 7 years later, I heard tons of SANTIAGO, JULIAN, SEBASTIAN and FE
Read more

Muisca Indigenous Names, from Hunza (Tunja)

By -
In response to this week’s posts on names, I have received several e-mails asking about the names of famous Colombians and their stories and about Indigenous names. I plan to spend the next three days sharing some of them. Also, I will continue to post more in the future and you will be able to find them all by clicking on the NAMES link the LABELS section to the right of the blog. Name: AQUIMÍN ( pronounced: ah key MEAN) or AQUIMINZAQUE (pronounced: ah key mean ZAH kay) When the Spanish arrived on the plains of Bogotá, 1536, they found a great nation. In fact, it was the third largest group of indigenous inhabitants in America. They called themselves the Muiscas , which meant ‘the people’. Their language was called Chibcha . The Muiscas were not a united group, but rather a collection of city states. The majority of the power was held by two main cities – what today are called Bogotá and Tunja (in Boyacá). These two cities were mortal enemies and each enlisted the loy
Read more

La Madremonte

By -
Image
The myth of the Madremonte (Mother Mountain), and I do say myth though many campesinos in Colombia believe in her today, has it's roots in the indigenous cultures of Colombia and is known throughout much of Colombia including Antioquia, Caldas, Arauca, Caqueta, Amazonas, Guainia, and perhaps more departments. The Madremonte looks like a large woman. She has large, bony hands, large teeth and Betty Davis Eyes -- which on closer examination glow. Her body is covered in leaves and moss. Her hair is a tangled mess of plants and moss which often covers her face. She lives in the mountains and jungles, (in Antioquia and Caldas she lives in swamps where streams are born. People who claim to have seen her, usually report to have done so near thickets and bushes in jungle like areas. Others report having heard her bloodcurdling screams and groans on stormy nights. She rules the winds, the rains, and all the vegetation, and her role is to protect nature. She punishes those who invad
Read more