May 6, 2024 • 7 mins
Join us as we delve into the enthralling legend of El Dorado, the mythical city rumored to be overflowing with gold. We explore its origins, the countless expeditions launched in pursuit of its treasures, and how it captivated the imaginations of explorers and historians alike. Join us as we separate fact from fiction, examining the cultural and historical impact of this legend.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Imagine you're on an adventure through a dense jungle. You
walk carefully, your sense is alert to every rustle and
chirp around you. Ancient ruins emerge from the undergrowth, their
moss covered stones, telling tales of an ancient civilization. You
decipher the cryptic symbols and follow the clues left behind,
each step taking you closer to the hidden treasure you seek.
(00:26):
As you journey deeper, the sunlight filters through the canopy,
casting a magical glow on the path ahead. And then,
as if by some stroke of luck, you stumble upon
a clearing bathed in golden light. Before your eyes lies
a sight straight out of a dream. A magnificent city
with towering temples dressed with dazzling jewels and vibrant golden pillars,
(00:48):
stretching toward the heavens. The cobblestone pathways shine with gold,
illuminating each step you take. Emeralds, rubies, and sapphires create
a mesmerizing display of colors atop each building. You can
hardly contain your amazement, almost in disbelief, this is it,
the Last City, the legendary El Dorado. Have you ever
(01:09):
heard of the legend of the City of El Dorado.
It's a tale that's captured the imagination of people for centuries.
Has even made its way to popular culture, including the
animated movie called The Road to El Dorado. The City
of gold has become a symbol of adventure and riches,
inspiring many stories, books, and movies. But what's the true
story behind the legend of the Golden City? Is it
(01:31):
really out there? El Dorado was a mythical city that
people believed was hidden deep within the unexplored lands. Imagine
a place with streets made of pure gold, temples that
glimmered like the sun, and mines filled with sparkling gold
and silver. People couldn't resist the thought of this unimaginably
rich city, and adventurers from all over Europe set out
(01:51):
on daring expeditions to find it. From the fifteen thirties
to around sixteen fifty, brave explorers ventured into the dense jungles,
gass plains, towering mountains, and winding rivers of Latin America,
all in search of the mystical El Dorado. They were
determined to discover its hidden secrets and claim the incredible
treasures for themselves. But the journey was perilous, and many
(02:15):
explorers even lost their lives in pursuit of this legendary city.
Some people believed El Dorado was nothing more than a
product of people's wild imaginations. The city's never been found,
making it one of history's greatest mysteries. But the roots
of El Dorado's myth can be traced back to the
gold discovered in Mexico and Peru during the sixteenth century.
(02:37):
The Spanish conquistadors played a role in the creation of
this telle. Do you know what a conquistadore is? Spanish
conquistadors were explorers and soldiers from Spain who lived a
long time ago. They embarked on daring adventures to discover
new lands and find treasures in the Americas, across the
ocean from their home. When these conquistadors arrived in the Americas,
(02:59):
the encountered different civilizations such as the Incas and the Aztecs.
In fifteen nineteen, a Spanish conquistador named Hernan Cortes led
an expedition to Mexico where he captured Emperor Montezuma, who
was the king of the mighty Aztec Empire. After he
captured Montezuma, he stole all of his gold. The conquerors
(03:21):
gained large amounts of gold and silver, becoming very wealthy
when they returned to their homes in Spain. Their success
has inspired others to dream of riches in the Americas.
In fifteen thirty three, Francisco Pizarro embarked on a journey
that led him to the Inca Empire in the Andes
Mountains of South America. Following in cortez footsteps, Pizzaro captured
(03:44):
the Inca emperor Ottawalpa, holding him for ransom. Holding someone
for ransom is when a person is captured or taken
against their will and the captors demand something in exchange
for their release. Usually they asked for something valuable, like
money or treasure. They wanted his gold and silver to
be given to them in exchange for the release of
(04:04):
his capture. Through this cruel act, Pizarro became very wealthy.
Other civilizations in the New World, such as the Maya,
also had treasures that the Spanish conquisadors wanted. The tales
of these conquests gave birth to the legend of El Dorado.
As a result, many European discoverers traveled to the New World,
(04:24):
eager to discover gold. Although they were very poor, these
individuals possessed immense ambition. However, many of them were driven
by violence, greed, and ruthlessness. With nothing to lose, their
ultimate goal was to gain riches through the discovery of gold,
even if it meant risking their lives. These hopeful conquers
flooded to the Americas and followed even the smallest rumor
(04:47):
about where the city might be hidden. Like any legend,
there is often some kernel of truth in these wild stories.
In present day Columbia, there was a group of people
called the Musca. Their kings had a special tradition. They
would cover themselves in a sticky sap and then sprinkle
gold and powder all over their bodies. The king would
then get in a canoe and go to the middle
(05:08):
of the lake. Thousands of people would watch from the
shore as the king jumped into the lake and came
out completely clean. Afterward, everyone would celebrate with a big festival.
When the Spanish explorers arrived in fifteen thirty seven, the
Musca had stopped practicing this tradition, but rumors about it
had already spread among the greedy explorers and cities all
(05:29):
across the continent. The Spanish explorers started calling this king
El Dorado, which means the gilded one in Spanish. It
was because he was covered in gold. Once the land
of the Musca was taken over by the Spanish, they
became very interested in finding the city. They thought they
would discover huge amounts of gold when they looked in
the lake. While they did find some gold, it wasn't
(05:51):
as much as they'd hoped for, so they thought maybe
the Musca people weren't the true kingdom of El Dorado.
They believed that somewhere out there the real city was
waiting to be found. So did the explorers ever find
El Dorado? Well, the answer isn't very straightforward. The conquistadors
followed stories about El Dorado to a place called Kundinamarca,
(06:12):
but they didn't believe they had found the legendary city,
so they kept searching. What they didn't know was that
the Musca civilization was the last major native culture with riches.
The legendary El Dorado they were looking for after fifteen
thirty seven turned out to not exist, but they didn't
give up easily. Many expeditions continued to explore South America,
(06:33):
and while they didn't find gold, they did uncover many ruins,
and we now realized that the Maya and many of
these civilizations were huge, complex, and very powerful. At some point,
they did probably have large amounts of gold, but as
the cities turned to ruin, the riches disappeared. The legend
of El Dorado has remained a popular folk tale. People
(06:54):
loved the idea of lost cities of treasure, just like
they seek out lost pirate treasures and sunken ships. An
archeologist still hunt for these places today, although the goal
is to learn more about ancient people and how they lived,
not just in search of gold. We hope you enjoyed
this episode about the city of El Dorado. Be sure
to tune in next Monday for a new episode.
Imagine you're on an adventure through a dense jungle. You
walk carefully, your sense is alert to every rustle and
chirp around you. Ancient ruins emerge from the undergrowth, their
moss covered stones, telling tales of an ancient civilization. You
decipher the cryptic symbols and follow the clues left behind,
each step taking you closer to the hidden treasure you seek.
(00:26):
As you journey deeper, the sunlight filters through the canopy,
casting a magical glow on the path ahead. And then,
as if by some stroke of luck, you stumble upon
a clearing bathed in golden light. Before your eyes lies
a sight straight out of a dream. A magnificent city
with towering temples dressed with dazzling jewels and vibrant golden pillars,
(00:48):
stretching toward the heavens. The cobblestone pathways shine with gold,
illuminating each step you take. Emeralds, rubies, and sapphires create
a mesmerizing display of colors atop each building. You can
hardly contain your amazement, almost in disbelief, this is it,
the Last City, the legendary El Dorado. Have you ever
(01:09):
heard of the legend of the City of El Dorado.
It's a tale that's captured the imagination of people for centuries.
Has even made its way to popular culture, including the
animated movie called The Road to El Dorado. The City
of gold has become a symbol of adventure and riches,
inspiring many stories, books, and movies. But what's the true
story behind the legend of the Golden City? Is it
(01:31):
really out there? El Dorado was a mythical city that
people believed was hidden deep within the unexplored lands. Imagine
a place with streets made of pure gold, temples that
glimmered like the sun, and mines filled with sparkling gold
and silver. People couldn't resist the thought of this unimaginably
rich city, and adventurers from all over Europe set out
(01:51):
on daring expeditions to find it. From the fifteen thirties
to around sixteen fifty, brave explorers ventured into the dense jungles,
gass plains, towering mountains, and winding rivers of Latin America,
all in search of the mystical El Dorado. They were
determined to discover its hidden secrets and claim the incredible
treasures for themselves. But the journey was perilous, and many
(02:15):
explorers even lost their lives in pursuit of this legendary city.
Some people believed El Dorado was nothing more than a
product of people's wild imaginations. The city's never been found,
making it one of history's greatest mysteries. But the roots
of El Dorado's myth can be traced back to the
gold discovered in Mexico and Peru during the sixteenth century.
(02:37):
The Spanish conquistadors played a role in the creation of
this telle. Do you know what a conquistadore is? Spanish
conquistadors were explorers and soldiers from Spain who lived a
long time ago. They embarked on daring adventures to discover
new lands and find treasures in the Americas, across the
ocean from their home. When these conquistadors arrived in the Americas,
(02:59):
the encountered different civilizations such as the Incas and the Aztecs.
In fifteen nineteen, a Spanish conquistador named Hernan Cortes led
an expedition to Mexico where he captured Emperor Montezuma, who
was the king of the mighty Aztec Empire. After he
captured Montezuma, he stole all of his gold. The conquerors
(03:21):
gained large amounts of gold and silver, becoming very wealthy
when they returned to their homes in Spain. Their success
has inspired others to dream of riches in the Americas.
In fifteen thirty three, Francisco Pizarro embarked on a journey
that led him to the Inca Empire in the Andes
Mountains of South America. Following in cortez footsteps, Pizzaro captured
(03:44):
the Inca emperor Ottawalpa, holding him for ransom. Holding someone
for ransom is when a person is captured or taken
against their will and the captors demand something in exchange
for their release. Usually they asked for something valuable, like
money or treasure. They wanted his gold and silver to
be given to them in exchange for the release of
(04:04):
his capture. Through this cruel act, Pizarro became very wealthy.
Other civilizations in the New World, such as the Maya,
also had treasures that the Spanish conquisadors wanted. The tales
of these conquests gave birth to the legend of El Dorado.
As a result, many European discoverers traveled to the New World,
(04:24):
eager to discover gold. Although they were very poor, these
individuals possessed immense ambition. However, many of them were driven
by violence, greed, and ruthlessness. With nothing to lose, their
ultimate goal was to gain riches through the discovery of gold,
even if it meant risking their lives. These hopeful conquers
flooded to the Americas and followed even the smallest rumor
(04:47):
about where the city might be hidden. Like any legend,
there is often some kernel of truth in these wild stories.
In present day Columbia, there was a group of people
called the Musca. Their kings had a special tradition. They
would cover themselves in a sticky sap and then sprinkle
gold and powder all over their bodies. The king would
then get in a canoe and go to the middle
(05:08):
of the lake. Thousands of people would watch from the
shore as the king jumped into the lake and came
out completely clean. Afterward, everyone would celebrate with a big festival.
When the Spanish explorers arrived in fifteen thirty seven, the
Musca had stopped practicing this tradition, but rumors about it
had already spread among the greedy explorers and cities all
(05:29):
across the continent. The Spanish explorers started calling this king
El Dorado, which means the gilded one in Spanish. It
was because he was covered in gold. Once the land
of the Musca was taken over by the Spanish, they
became very interested in finding the city. They thought they
would discover huge amounts of gold when they looked in
the lake. While they did find some gold, it wasn't
(05:51):
as much as they'd hoped for, so they thought maybe
the Musca people weren't the true kingdom of El Dorado.
They believed that somewhere out there the real city was
waiting to be found. So did the explorers ever find
El Dorado? Well, the answer isn't very straightforward. The conquistadors
followed stories about El Dorado to a place called Kundinamarca,
(06:12):
but they didn't believe they had found the legendary city,
so they kept searching. What they didn't know was that
the Musca civilization was the last major native culture with riches.
The legendary El Dorado they were looking for after fifteen
thirty seven turned out to not exist, but they didn't
give up easily. Many expeditions continued to explore South America,
(06:33):
and while they didn't find gold, they did uncover many ruins,
and we now realized that the Maya and many of
these civilizations were huge, complex, and very powerful. At some point,
they did probably have large amounts of gold, but as
the cities turned to ruin, the riches disappeared. The legend
of El Dorado has remained a popular folk tale. People
(06:54):
loved the idea of lost cities of treasure, just like
they seek out lost pirate treasures and sunken ships. An
archeologist still hunt for these places today, although the goal
is to learn more about ancient people and how they lived,
not just in search of gold. We hope you enjoyed
this episode about the city of El Dorado. Be sure
to tune in next Monday for a new episode.
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