Did Honduran ancestors once reside in a metropolis constructed entirely of white stone? Archaeologists have been baffled by the query for ages. The White City, often called the City of the Monkey God, is a long-lost city formerly covered in dense jungle. This unknown location, with its structures made entirely of white stones and gold, wasn’t found until 1939 by explorer and researcher Theodore Morde; still, it is lost in time. What enigma lurks deep within the Honduran rainforest?
The White City of Honduras
The White City, a mythical lost city in eastern Honduras’ dense forest, is known for its white buildings and golden statues of a monkey god. A rumored discovery of its ruins in 2015 prompted a contentious discussion that is still going on today.
The plot centers on gruesome mysteries, such as the explorers’ mysterious deaths. The Pech Indians believe that the city is cursed and that the gods built it. Arcane deities that are half human and half spirit are mentioned in another related folktale. The “City of the Monkey God” is another name for the citadel. On Honduras’ Caribbean coast, it is predicted to be found in the La Mosquitia region.
The White City: Brief review of the legend
The Pech Indian legends, which describe the White City as a city with enormous white columns and stone walls, can be used to trace the origins of the White City. The large stones would have been chiseled by the gods, who would have constructed them. The Pech Indians claimed the city was abandoned due to a strong Indian’s “spell.”
Honduran Payas Indians also mention a sacred city honoring the monkey god called Kaha Kamasa. It would have enormous golden statues of a monkey god and monkey effigies.
The Spanish Conquest strengthened the legend. Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador who oversaw an expedition that placed much of what is now mainland Mexico under the control of the King of Castile in the early 16th century, recognized the statue and mentioned a significant amount of money in the citadel. He combed the bush but was unable to locate the White City.
Theodore Morde’s exploration and his unexpected death
Theodore Morde was a well-known explorer who explored the forest of La Mosquitia in search of the White City in 1939, unearthing thousands of artifacts along the way. More claims to have discovered the citadel, which would have been the capital of the Chorotegas, a pre-Maya tribe:
More appears to have found the overgrown but in sound condition walls. Because the Chorotegas were “very skilled in stonework,” it’s possible they built right in Mosquitia.
More draws an interesting parallel between the prehistoric Mono-God and Hanuman, the Hindu monkey deity. He claimed that they were strikingly similar!