Laches (people)
Encyclopedia
The Laches were an indigenous, agrarian people in the highlands of what is now central Colombia
's northern Boyacá
and Santander
departments. They were part of the Cocuy Confederation and spoke a Chibchan language, trading predominantly with other Chibchan speakers, such as the Muiscas, Guanes
, Pijaos and Chitareros. They farmed maize, potato, quinoa and cotton, among other crops.
In the 17th century, Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita wrote of the habit of the Laches in bringing up younger male children as culturally female, that is, as berdaches.
The name Laches is preserved in a suburb, or barrio
, of Bogotá known as Los Laches.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
's northern Boyacá
Boyacá Department
Boyacá is one of the 32 Departments of Colombia, and the remnant of one of the original nine states of the "United States of Colombia".Boyacá is centrally located within Colombia, almost entirely within the mountains of the Eastern Cordillera to the border with Venezuela, although the western end...
and Santander
Santander Department
Santander is a department of Colombia. Santander inherited the name of one of the nine original states of the United States of Colombia. It is located in the central northern part of the country, east of the Magdalena River, bordered to the south and southeast by Boyacá, to the northeast by Norte...
departments. They were part of the Cocuy Confederation and spoke a Chibchan language, trading predominantly with other Chibchan speakers, such as the Muiscas, Guanes
Guanes
The Guanes were a South American people that lived mainly in the area of Santander and north of Boyacá, both modern departments of Colombia. They were farmers cultivating cotton, pineapple and other crops, and skilled artisans working in cotton textiles....
, Pijaos and Chitareros. They farmed maize, potato, quinoa and cotton, among other crops.
In the 17th century, Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita wrote of the habit of the Laches in bringing up younger male children as culturally female, that is, as berdaches.
The name Laches is preserved in a suburb, or barrio
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
, of Bogotá known as Los Laches.
External links
- "La Coctelera: Realidades Colombianas - Historia y Geografía: Asi es Santander 3" (21 June 2003) in Spanish, accessed 5 August 2006, Web archive version 30 December 2005.