Was it something that the natives in the new world told to the explorers? Was it just something that the explorers extrapolated based on what they had found? Did it come about by some sort of misunderstanding or mistranslation?
hi! there's lots of room for more responses here, but you might be interested in a couple of previous posts
What is the general consensus regarding the veracity of "El Dorado?" Do any credible archaeologists believe it ever existed, or is it purely myth? - /u/tayaravaknin suggests that the myth of a golden city stemmed from a search for a 'golden' king
Did the Spanish actively search for "El Dorado?" Or is it a story created after the exploration of the Americas? - /u/anthropology_nerd suggests that the Coronado's expedition was based on speculation & misdirection; /u/Yawarpoma clarifies terms
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