El Dorado

The legend of El Dorado is an interesting one indeed. The legend generally has come to refer to a city or place in the Americas, made of solid gold. Early Spanish explorers found the new world full of gold and silver and they heard stories of gold places, perhaps led by misinterpretation to search for a city of gold.

The origins of El Dorado likely refer to a ritual near a lake in South America. The native chief would cover himself in gold dust, prompting the Spanish to conquer the area. Upon inspection of the area the Spanish noted the quantity of gold yet lack of mines. They assumed that the natives were importing the gold and there must be a place nearby that was loaded with gold ore.

: Image via Wikipedia

Many expeditions were made to search for the source of the gold, leading to the legend of El Dorado. Every different village they would encounter would result in them hearing stories of a town or place over the next mountain that was the place they would find the gold. Thus the search was always continued, but El Dorado was never found.

It is possible that there was once a place, full of gold, that the Spanish simply did not find. It is also possible that the natives used the tactic of sending the Spanish over the next mountain in search of gold so that they may be left alone. Either way the city is now a place of legend and myth and only time will tell if there is any such place.

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