December 12, 2008

The origin of "Cibola"

In Cibola in National Treasure 2 I noted the origin of the Cibola legend. But here's a bit on the origin of the word "Cibola" itself:

Cibola National Forest--About UsCibola, pronounced See ' -bo-lah, is thought to be the original Zuni Indian name for their group of pueblos or tribal lands. Later, the Spanish interpreted the word to mean, "buffalo."On This Day in HistoryMarcos de Niza was the first person to record the name Cibola, reported to him by Estevan the Moor, who learned it from native informants. The term probably comes from a native term for buffalo, and refers to the vigorous trade in buffalo hides and other buffalo products, conducted from Cibola.Comment:  So "Cibola" may have come from an Indian word for buffalo, and it became a Spanish word for buffalo. Hmm.

The connection between "Cibola" and "buffalo" is curious. To the Plains Indians, the buffalo was their treasure. To the Spanish, the lost city of gold was their treasure. Coincidence?

Below:  Uncle McScrooge and Donald Duck discover another version of the seven cities of gold.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

If I drive up into the Sacramento Mountains...

I CAN SEE IT FROM MY HOUSE!