View source for Guayupe

{{Short description|Indigenous group in modern-day Colombia}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group          = Guayupe
| native_name    = 
| native_name_lang = 
| image          = Acacias paisaje.jpg
| image_caption  = Landscape in Acacías, terrain of the Guayupe
| popplace       = [[Meta Department|Meta]], {{COL}}
| total          = 250,000
| total_year     = 1537
| total_source   = 
| total_ref      = <ref name=Ruiz>Ruíz Churión, 2010</ref>
| langs          = [[Arawakan language|Arawakan]], [[Colombian Spanish]]
| rels           = Traditional religion, [[Catholicism]]
| related        = [[Guahibo people|Guahibo]], [[Muisca people|Muisca]], [[Sutagao people|Sutagao]], [[Tegua people|Tegua]], [[U'wa people|U'wa]]
}}
[[File:Culturas precolombinas de Colombia.png|right|thumb|260px|Map of pre-Columbian civilizations. The '''Guayupe''' lived east of the Muisca]]
[[File:Colcoca02.jpg|right|thumb|260px|'''Coca''' was used by the Guayupe in their rituals]]

The '''Guayupe''' are an [[Arawakan languages|Arawak]]-speaking<ref name=Destino>{{in lang|es}} [http://www.destinosecoturisticos.com/meta/museo-guayupe-puerto-santander/ Description Guayupe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926025024/https://www.destinosecoturisticos.com/meta/museo-guayupe-puerto-santander/ |date=2020-09-26 }}</ref> [[indigenous peoples of Colombia|indigenous]] group of people in modern-day [[Colombia]]. They inhabit the westernmost parts of the [[Departments of Colombia|department]] of [[Meta Department|Meta]].<ref>Díaz Moreno, 2012, p.171</ref> At the time of the [[Spanish conquest of the Muisca|Spanish conquest]], more than 250,000 Guayupe were living in large parts of Meta.<ref name=Ruiz/><ref>Díaz Moreno, 2012, p.174</ref>

The territories of the Guayupe stretched from the neighbouring [[Guahibo people|Guahibo]] terrains to the east and north and the [[Muisca people|Muisca]] territories to the west over an area of {{convert|22000|km2|sqmi}}.<ref name=Llanero/>

Knowledge of the Guayupe has been provided by [[Pedro de Aguado]] and others.

== Guayupe territory ==
The territory of the Guayupe before the Spanish conquest stretched from the rivers [[Upía River|Upía]] and [[Guayabero River|Guayabero]] to the peaks of the [[Cordillera Oriental (Colombia)|Eastern Ranges]] of the Colombian [[Andes]].<ref>{{in lang|es}} 2007 - [http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/CMS-3856958 Más de 50 piezas arqueológicas de la desconocida cultura guayupe tendrán museo en el Meta] - [[El Tiempo (Colombia)|El Tiempo]]</ref> Their area covered around {{convert|22000|km2|sqmi}}.<ref name=Llanero>{{in lang|es}} [http://canalllanero.blogspot.com.co/2014/09/la-nacion-guayupe-fue-una-etnia-de-la.html Description of the Guayupe]</ref> The Guayupe lived mostly around the [[Ariari River]].<ref name=Llanero/>

=== Municipalities belonging to Guayupe territories ===

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | [[Departments of Colombia|Department]]
! scope="col" | Altitude (m)<br><small>urban centre</small>
! scope="col" | Map
|-
| align=center | [[Acacías]]
| align=center | [[Meta Department|Meta]]
| align=center | 498
| align=center | [[File:Colombia - Meta - Acacías.svg|100px|center]]
|-
| align=center | [[Barranca de Upía]]
| align=center | [[Meta Department|Meta]]
| align=center | 200
| align=center | [[File:Colombia - Meta - Barranca de Upía.svg|100px|center]]
|-
| align=center | [[El Calvario]]
| align=center | [[Meta Department|Meta]]
| align=center | 1987
| align=center | [[File:Colombia - Meta - El Calvario.svg|100px|center]]
|-
| align=center | [[Cubarral]]
| align=center | [[Meta Department|Meta]]
| align=center | 534
| align=center | [[File:Colombia - Meta - Cubarral.svg|100px|center]]
|-
| align=center | [[Cumaral]]
| align=center | [[Meta Department|Meta]]
| align=center | 452
| align=center | [[File:Colombia - Meta - Cumaral.svg|100px|center]]
|-
| align=center | '''[[Fuente de Oro]]'''
| align=center | [[Meta Department|Meta]]
| align=center | 359
| align=center | [[File:Colombia - Meta - Fuente de Oro.svg|100px|center]]
|-
| align=center | [[Granada, Meta|Granada]]
| align=center | [[Meta Department|Meta]]
| align=center | 372
| align=center | [[File:Colombia - Meta - Granada.svg|100px|center]]
|-
| align=center | [[Guamal, Meta|Guamal]]
| align=center | [[Meta Department|Meta]]
| align=center | 525
| align=center | [[File:Colombia - Meta - Guamal.svg|100px|center]]
|-
| align=center | [[Restrepo, Meta|Restrepo]]
| align=center | [[Meta Department|Meta]]
| align=center | 570
| align=center | [[File:Colombia - Meta - Restrepo.svg|100px|center]]
|-
| align=center | [[San Juan de Arama]]
| align=center | [[Meta Department|Meta]]
| align=center | 510
| align=center | [[File:Colombia - Meta - San Juan de Arama.svg|100px|center]]
|-
| align=center | [[San Juanito, Meta|San Juanito]]
| align=center | [[Meta Department|Meta]]
| align=center | 1795
| align=center | [[File:Colombia - Meta - San Juanito.svg|100px|center]]
|-
| align=center | [[Villavicencio]]
| align=center | [[Meta Department|Meta]]
| align=center | 467
| align=center | [[File:Colombia - Meta - Villavicencio.svg|100px|center]]
|-
|}

== Description ==
The first report on the Guayupe nation is from German conquistador [[Philipp von Hutten]], participant of the expedition led by [[Georg von Speyer|Georg Hohermuth von Speyer]] from [[Coro, Venezuela|Coro]] in Venezuela to the  borders of the Amazon bassin (1535 - 1538). He describes them as "very good looking people and very able in defending themselves."<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Das Gold der Neuen Welt. Die Papiere des Welser-Konquistadors und Generalkapitäns von Venezuela, Philipp von Hutten 1534-1541|publisher=Schmitt, Eberhard/von Hutten, Friedrich Karl|year=1996|isbn=978-3-87061-862-9|location=Hildburghausen|pages=98 f; 116}}</ref> Indeed, Hohermuths army never was able to make peace with the Guayupe, crossing their entire land from the northern shores of Upía river down to the regions south of the [[Guaviare River|Guaviare river]].  On their way, the conquistadors were engaged in various skirmishes and even in a big battle with the Guayupe warriors. "They tried their luck on us frequently but although they killed and wounded many of us, we always gave them the rawer deal. This nation fights with bow and arrow and spears and shields made of tapir skin, and they throw gins."<ref name=":0" /> The Germans were not the first Europeans to encounter the Guayupe. Near the Guaviare river they found some items of clearly European origin. As they knew later, it were belongings of an expedition led by [[Alonso de Herrera]], who likely came up the Guaviare river with boats. In 1934, the Guayupe "had slaughtered 90 of Herrera's men and the survivors escaped downstream. In Coro, we met some of them."<ref name=":0" />

The Guayupe are a tribe of farmers living in the tropical mountain forests of the Eastern Ranges and the Llanos of Meta, Colombia. In [[pre-Columbian era|pre-Columbian]] times they constructed pallisades around their villages consisting of houses around a central square with a ceremonial building in the middle.<ref name="Onofrio_p438">Onofrio, 1995, p.438</ref> Because of the sophisticated defence works including palisades, thorn bushes and well-camouflaged pitfalls, the Spanish soldiers in Hohermuth's army nicknamed one of those well fortified villages "Little Salses",<ref>{{Cite book|last=Aguado|first=Pedro|title=Recopilación Historial|year=1957|location=Bogotá|pages=Vol II, 116 f}}</ref> referring to the Catalan [[Fort de Salses]], an innovative type of fortress at this time. The Guayupe were an [[Muisca agriculture|agricultural]] society with [[yuca]] one of their main crops.<ref name="Onofrio_p438" /> The Guayupe people went naked, only ornamented with [[gold]], feathers and shells.<ref name="Onofrio_p438" />

The Guayupe society was organised around the ''[[cacique]]s''; chiefs of the community. The ''cacique'' was regarded as an important person who lived by strict norms in the ceremonial activities; births, marriages and burials. When a ''cacique'' of the Guayupe died, the body was cremated and his successor had to drink his ash mixed with [[Chicha#Colombia|chicha]].<ref name=Onofrio_p438/><ref name=ElTiempo1999/> The society of the Guayupe was egalitarian; ''[[cacique]]s'' only had the use of stools and more feathers on their blankets. At every marriage, half of the bride treasure was going to the ''cacique''.<ref name=Onofrio_p438/>

They built canoes of wood and consumed [[cassava|yuca]] and [[tapioca|casabe]], fish and meat. They didn't eat bird meat.<ref name=Onofrio_p438/><ref name=Cultura>{{in lang|es}} [http://culguayupe.blogspot.com.co/ Cultura Guayupe]</ref>

According to [[List of Muisca scholars|scholar]] [[Pedro de Aguado]], the Guayupe defecated in the rivers around and not near their houses.<ref>Mácha & Gómez, 2014, p.67</ref>

=== Religion ===
As in the [[Muisca religion]], the main gods were the [[Sun]] and the [[Moon]] who were husband and wife.<ref name=Onofrio_p438/><ref name=Granada>{{in lang|es}} [http://granadameta.com/cultura-guayupe/ The Guayupe of Granada, Meta] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824222923/http://granadameta.com/cultura-guayupe/ |date=2018-08-24 }}</ref> The supreme being of the Guayupe, in the Muisca religion called [[Chiminigagua]], was ''Inaynagui''.<ref name=Granada/>

The products the Guayupe used in their rituals were [[coca]] and [[tobacco]].<ref name=Onofrio_p438/> Cannibalism is not reported of the Guayupe.<ref name=Onofrio_p438/>

=== Modern age ===
In 1996, fifteen [[ceramic]] pots were found, pertaining to the Guayupe culture.<ref>{{in lang|es}} 1996 - [http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-436103 Fifteen Guayupe ceramic pots found in 1996] - [[El Tiempo (Colombia)|El Tiempo]]</ref> In 2011, after the excavation of a Guayupe burial site, the museum of the Guayupe in [[Fuente de Oro]] was opened, containing bones, burial [[urn]]s, artefacts and plates.<ref>{{in lang|es}} [http://museoscomunitariosencolombia.blogspot.com.co/2011/04/museo-arqueologico-guayupe-puerto.html Museo arqueológico Guayupe]</ref> As of 2009 yearly a ''Reina de Guayupe'', miss contest in Puerto Santander, located at {{convert|16|km|mi}} from the urban centre of Fuente de Oro,<ref name=ElTiempo1999>{{in lang|es}} 1999 - [http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-944198 Guayupe museum] - [[El Tiempo (Colombia)|El Tiempo]]</ref> is held among the Guayupe.<ref>Díaz Moreno, 2012, p.182</ref><ref>Díaz Moreno, 2012, p.187</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Colombia|Indigenous peoples of the Americas}}
*[[Muisca people|Muisca]]
*[[Achagua people|Achagua]], [[Tegua people|Tegua]], [[Sutagao people|Sutagao]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{citation |last=Díaz Moreno |first=Ingrid |year=2012 |title=Puerto Santander, cuna de la cultura guayupe: Patrimonialización y formación del Estado en el departemento del Meta - Puerto Santander, crib of the Guayupe culture: heritage and formation of the State in the Meta Department |url=http://www.revistatabularasa.org/numero-17/08diaz.pdf |journal=Tabula Rasa |issn=1794-2489 |volume=17 |pages=171–193 |doi=10.25058/20112742.132 |language=es |accessdate=2016-07-08}}
* {{citation |last1=Mácha |first1=Přemysl |last2=Gómez Pellón |first2=José Eloy |year=2014 |title=Masks of Identity: Representing and Performing Otherness in Latin America |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LaAxBwAAQBAJ&q=guayupes&pg=PA67 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |pages=1–185 |isbn=9781443860758 |accessdate=2016-07-08}}
* {{citation |last=Onofrio |first=Jan |year=1995 |title=Dictionary of Indian Tribes of the Americas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IGzgCQAAQBAJ&q=guayupe+meta+area&pg=PA438 |publisher=American Indian Publishers |isbn=9780937862285 |pages=1–1047 |accessdate=2016-07-08}}
* {{citation |last=Ruiz Churión |first=Jairo |year=2010 |title=Guayupes |format=video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJK_DHUMReo |language=es |accessdate=2016-07-08}}
*Fray Pedro Aguado. ''Recopilación Historial'', Parte 2, Vol. III. Bogotá 1957.
* {{citation | last1=Hutten | first1=Philipp von | last2=Schmitt | first2=Eberhard | title=Das Gold der Neuen Welt die Papiere des Welser-Konquistadors und Generalkapitäns von Venezuela Philipp von Hutten 1534 - 1541 | publication-place=Berlin | year=1999 |  language=de |isbn=978-3-87061-862-9}} {{oclc|254379651}}

== Further reading ==
* {{citation |last1=Moreno Romero |first1=Marisol |last2=Riaño Cardenas |first2=Ricardo |year=1998 |title=La cultura guayupe: presencia prehispánica en los llanos del Meta - The Guayupe culture: prehispanic presence in the plains of Meta |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yj_EZwEACAAJ&q=guayupe |publisher=Alcaldía Mayor de Villavivencio |location=[[Villavicencio]], Colombia |pages=1–102 |language=es |accessdate=2016-07-08}}

{{Ancestry and ethnicity in Colombia}}
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[[Category:Indigenous peoples in Colombia]]
[[Category:Culture of Colombia]]
[[Category:People from Meta Department| ]]