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(Ed note: This is a biography of one of the founding fathers of Chile. As a result, it's spiced with chilean patiotism. Do not think of it as in any way objective, definitive or complete. In fact it is inspired on what I read in chilean schoolbooks. I invite people from Peru, Bolivia, or indigenous decendents add their version. -- Marijn)
Above moved here by Ed Poor 19:17 Sep 26, 2002 (UTC)
I am Chilean and I had never heard that version of his dead. It is very strange also because Mapuches (the natives that killed him) didn't use gold, of course they could have acquired some quantities from the Incas or from the Spanish invaders, but this makes it less probable.
--Xavier andrade14:51, 17 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There are several versions about the way in which Valdivia met his death. Since there were no Spanish survivors to the Battle of Tucapel, we have only the versions that were collected from the mapuche warriors quite some time after the fact, and were undoubtedly tinged with legend. In "La Araucana", the version is that the Spaniard´s first notice of his death was when Caupolican appeared at a parliament dressed with his clothes. The "molten gold" one is just one of the most fanciful versions, but improbable as is, is impossible to disprove it. Other versions indicate that he was taken prisoner alive but badly injured, and as he was considered a brave soldier was kept as a prisoner for some days, then was killed with a maze, and his heart was equally divided and eaten by the warriors. Again, difficult to say where myth dissapears. Mel Romero16:25, 17 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]