who was el dorado

El Dorado was originally the legendary title given to a ruler or king, specifically the "Golden One," who was said to cover his body in gold dust during ceremonial events and dive into a sacred lake to wash it off. This ritual was part of the Muisca people's culture in the Colombian Andes, where gold and emerald treasures were offered to the gods in a lake called Laguna de Guatavita. Over time, the term El Dorado grew to represent not just this golden king but also a mythical city or country of immense wealth and gold somewhere in South America, sparking numerous expeditions by Spanish conquistadors and explorers in search of this fabled riches. The legend stems from indigenous Muisca traditions but was amplified by Spanish colonists during the 16th century who misunderstood and exaggerated these practices as they sought gold. Despite many attempts by explorers including Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, Gonzalo Pizarro, Francisco de Orellana, and Sir Walter Raleigh, no actual city or king matching the myth was ever found. The story of El Dorado symbolizes a mixture of indigenous cultural rites and European gold fever, becoming an enduring legend of a lost city of gold in South America.