Inca mythology

The Inca mythology includes a number of stories and legends , which mythologically are and beliefs of the Incas represent and symbolize.

The Christian priests , which the Spanish conquest of Peru accompanied, burned the Quipus , leaving evidence of the Inca culture destroy. Garry Urton (Professor of Early Colombian History at Harvard University ) takes the view that Quipús is a binary system that is able to reproduce phonological or logographic data. All of the transmitted information is based on priests' records, iconographic Inca crockery and architecture, and the myths and legends that survived among the indigenous people .

Inca founding legends

Manqu Qhapaq was the legendary founder of the Inca dynasty, which from Cuzco built an empire that extended beyond Peru in its heyday. The legends and stories surrounding this mythical figure get pretty mixed up, especially when it comes to his birth, rise and rule in Cuzco. In one legend he is portrayed as the son of Qun Tiksi Wiraqucha , in another he was raised from the depths of Lake Titicaca by the sun god Inti . Common indigenous people were not allowed to pronounce the name Wiraqucha , which gives a possible explanation for the need for two founding legends.

There are various myths about the origins of Manco Cápac and his path to power. In one myth, Manqu Qhapaq and his brother Pachakamaq are sons of the sun god Inti. Manqu Qhapaq himself was worshiped as the god of fire and the sun. According to this Inti legend, Manqu Qhapaq and his siblings were sent to earth, where they climbed out of the cave of Paqaritampu and carried a golden staff they called "Tupaq yawri" . They were commissioned to build a sun temple at the place where the staff sank into the earth to honor their sun god Inti. They made their way to Cuzco through underground caves . During this trip one of Manqu's brothers and possibly a sister was turned into rocks.

According to another version of these legends, which goes back to the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega , the siblings Manqu Qhapaq and Mama Uqllu rose from the waters of Lake Titicaca on the sunny island at the ritual stone Titiqaqa . As civilized heroes, they would have brought culture to the wild, barbarian peoples, with Manco responsible for the development of agriculture and Mama Uqllu for the development of spinning and weaving. However, since a high culture had been spreading in the Altiplano for thousands of years and the peoples before the Inca were civilized, this story was certainly intended more for its European readers.

According to the Wiraqucha legend, Manco Cápac was the son of Qun Tiksi Wiraqucha. He and his brothers Ayar Awqa, Ayar Kachi ( kachi = quechua salt) and Ayar Uchu ( uchu = quechua pepper) and his sisters Mama Uqllu, Mama Waqu, Mama Sarawa ( sara = quechua corn ) and Mama Qura ( qura = quechua an originally wild grass variety from the east) lived in Paqaritampu, now known as Paritambo, 25 km south of Cuzco. The various descriptions differ from one another, but the young Manqu Qhapaq is said to have jealously cheated and killed his older brothers in order to become the only ruler of Cuzco. According to one of these versions, Ayar Kachi had unusual gifts that aroused the envy of his brothers, which is why the brothers tricked him into the cave and rolled a rock in front of it to imprison him. When Ayar Kachi invoked his creator god Wiraqucha, he was transformed into a condor that flew over the top of Mount Wanakawri Huanacauri , where it was turned into a rock. The siblings lived on the summit of Wanakawri, where they sowed corn until Ayar Uchu devoted himself to Wak'a , the cult of the sun and the creator god Wiraqucha. Upon arrival in the village of Aqamama, the rebel Ayar Awqa also turned into another rock. Mama Waqu, the sister-wife of Ayar Cachi symbolized the strong, combative and free women, while Mama Uqllu, the sister-wife of Ayar Manqu embodied the domestically submissive woman. They all united their people and the ten "Ayllus" ( Ayllu = quechua tribe, clan, people, household, family) they met on their journey to the unification of the Cuzco Valley (Valle Sagrado). This legend also includes the golden rod Tupaq yawri , believed to have been given to Manqu Qhapaq by his father.

According to an indigenous fairy tale, which at the beginning reminds a little of Hansel and Gretel , two child siblings are waiting for their parents to return. When hunger finally drives them into the forest in search of their parents, they get tired, lie down in a clearing to sleep and are transformed into the pair of a Qara-Qara, an Andean, carrion-eating bird of prey about the size of a sparrowhawk Because of the lifelong loyalty of the Qara-Qara couple and their intelligence, the Inca became the symbol of Manqu Qhapaq and Mama Uqllus and all the Incas who followed them, for they can fly as mediators between humans and the gods.

Deities

Like the Romans, the Inca allowed the cultures they integrated to continue to practice their respective religions. Below are some of the numerous deities worshiped in the Inca Empire. Many of them had overlapping responsibilities and areas of activity. Unless otherwise stated, it can be assumed with certainty that they were worshiped by various ayllus or in certain earlier "señorías" :

• Amaru , the giant snake , was a symbol of knowledge and wisdom.
• Apu , actually "Lord", mountain deity.
• Apu Qatiqil or Apu Katikil (Apocatequil) was god of thunder and lightning .
• Ataguchu was a god who was involved in the founding myth.
• Awqakuq was the god of war and associated with the planet Mars .
• Ch'aska Quyllur (Chasca Coyllur) was the goddess of twilight , twilight and flowers. She protected the virgins and young girls. She was depicted with long hair and was associated with the planet Venus .
• Hawcha (Haucha) was the god of justice and retribution , the lord of time, who was associated with the planet Saturn .
• Illapa , Apu Illapa , Illap'u or Qhatuylla was a fairly popular weather god who was responsible for thunder and lightning. His holiday was July 25th . He was believed to reside in the constellation of the Great Bear on the Milky Way , where he held a jug to make rain. He appeared as a man in shiny clothing, carrying a club and stones. He was originally the main god of the Kingdom of Colla after the southern part of the empire was named Collasuyu of the Tahuantinsuyu .
• Inti or Tayta Inti (Father Sun) was the sun god, source of light and warmth and protector of people. Inti was considered the most important deity. The Inca rulers were seen as the direct descendants of the sun god and named themselves "Sapa Inka" after him.
• Iqiqu was a god of the hearth and wealth. The ancestors created idols that represented him and placed a miniature of their desire on this idol; it was believed that this would bring the believer's wish come true.
• K'uychi was the rainbow .
• Mama Allpa or Allpamama was a fertility goddess who possessed a multitude of breasts.
• Mama Killa (mother moon) was a moon goddess who watched over weddings and celebrations. She was both daughter of Wiraqucha and Mama Cocha, as well as wife and sister of Inti. She acted as the mother of Manco Cápac, Pachacámac, Kon and Mama Ocllo.
• Mama Kuka (Mama Coca) or Kukamama was the goddess of health and joy. She was originally a celeb woman who had been cut in half by her many lovers. The first coca plant grew out of her body , the leaves of which a man was only allowed to chew after he had helped a woman to orgasm . Then they should bring him health and joy.
• Mama Pacha or Pachamama was the wife of Pachakamaq and a dragon-like fertility goddess who watched over the seeds and the harvest. It caused earthquakes .
• Mama Qucha or Quchamama was the goddess of the sea and fish, protector of seafarers and fishermen . According to a legend, she fathered Inti and Mama Killa with Wiraqucha.
• Mama Sara or Saramama (grain mother , also Mama Zara ) was the goddess of grain . It was associated with the numerous types of corn (sara) . These strange plants were sometimes viewed as daughters of Mama Sara. It was also associated with willow trees .
• Pachakamaq (earth maker, Spanish Pachacámac ) was a chthonic creator god who was originallyworshipedby the Ichma until he was later included in the creation myth of the Inca.
• Parisya (Paricia) was a god who sent deluge to punish and kill those who did not show him adequate respect. Possibly another name for Pachakamaq.
• Paryaqaqa (Pariacaca) was the mountain deity of Pariacaca , reported in the Huarochirí manuscript as an opponent of the Wallallu Qarwinchu of the Wanka . He was the clock of the people of Huarochirí and punished the bad people with a storm rain. Born a hawk , he later became human.
• Pirwa (Peruya) was the god of abundance and associated with the planet Jupiter .
• Qawillaqa (Cavillaca) , according to the Huarochirí manuscript, was a virgin wak'a who ate a fruit that was actually the sperm of the Quniraya. When she gave birth to a son, she asked the father to come forward. When no one came forward, she threw her baby on the floor, and the baby crawled over to Quniraya. Ashamed of Quniraya's poor position, she ran to the coast, where she and her son turned into rocks.
• Qun (Kon) was god of rain and south wind. He was the son of Tayta Inti and Mama Killa .
• According to the Huarochirí manuscript, Quniraya (Coniraya) or Quniraya Wiraqucha was a deity ( Wak'a ) whose sperm had turned into a fruit from which Qawillaqa ate. When she gave birth to a son, she asked the father to come forward. When no one stepped forward, she threw her baby on the floor and it crawled over to Quniraya. Ashamed of Quniraya's poor position, she ran to the coast, where she and her son turned into rocks.
• Qupaqati (Copacati) was a deity of the lakes.
• Quwatahulya (Cuatahulya) was the messenger of the gods.
• Supay was both god of death and ruler of the Uku Pacha and a race of demons .
• Urkawari (Urcaguary) was god of metal , jewels and other valuable raw materials.
• Wiraqucha (Huiracocha, Viracocha) was a creator god in pre-Inca mythology who resided as a distant god in the Hanan Pacha.

Important facts

• Mama Uqllu was the sister and wife of Manqu Qhapaq. She is said to have taught the Inca the art of weaving.
• Mamakuna were not unlike nuns and lived in temple shrines . They had dedicated their lives to Inti, lived in chastity, and served the Inca and the priests. Young girls of nobility and exceptional beauty were raised as Aklla ("chosen ones ") for four years , after which a further choice decided whether they were to become mamaconas or married to a nobleman. They have been compared to Roman vestals .
• Wak'a is a sacred place or a sacred object, such as a snow-capped mountain top or a mummy . In Quechua, the term Wak'a can mean anything that protrudes from the ordinary, also because of its expansion, everything thatis suitablefor a cult object in an animistic cult. The wak'as are real sacred or divine places in geography (like a mountain range, a cave, a river or even a tree) associated with a single deity, more precisely places where the spirit of personalities, as in all animistic ethnic religions can be felt. Behind this is the idea of magical energy storage.
• In a legend, Wiraqucha sent Unu pachakuti , the Andean Flood, to destroy the giants he had created and who erected Tiwanaku .

Levels

Pacha (in Quechua and Aymara ) is originally the point that connects time and space and means the totality of being, the totality . Pacha can be broken down into three levels of being:

• Hanan Pacha , Hanaq Pacha , Hawa Pacha (Quechua: "upper world") or Alax Pacha (Aymara: "upper world") was the heavenly, transcendent upper world. Only righteous people could reach them (like heaven) over a bridge made of hair.
• Kay Pacha (Quechua: "this world") or Aka Pacha (Aymara: "this world") is the world of the living, which is enclosed between Uku Pacha and Hanan Pacha.
• Ukhu Pacha , Uku Pacha (Quechua: "inner", also "lower world"), Uka Pacha (Aymara: "that world") or Manqha Pacha (Aymara: "inner world") was the Andean underworld (the Christian hell or corresponding to the Greek Hades ), which was located in the center of the earth.

Inca symbols

• Chakana is the three-tiered Inca cross that represents the Southern Cross and symbolizes the three stages of Inca life, Uku Pacha, Kai Pacha and Hanan Pacha. These three levels are also symbolized by the snake , the puma and the condor .

swell

1. ↑ Guidoni, Enrico; Magni, Roberto: Inka - Monuments of Great Cultures, Erlangen, 1987, p. 109.
2. ↑ Rostworowski, María: Die Inka, in: Die Ankvölker der Inka und das Inka-Reich , Zurich, 1994, ISBN 3-905137-40-2 , p. 143f

literature

• Les Incas , Alfred Métraux, Seuil , coll.Points Histoire, 1983, ISBN 2-02-006473-1 , 190 p.
• Histoire des Incas , Franklin Pease GY, Maisonneuve et Larose, 1995, ISBN 2-7068-1138-2 , 187 p.
• La Découverte et la Conquête du Pérou d'après les sources originales , Albert García, Libr. C. Klincksieck, 2000, ISBN 2-252-01801-1 , 778 p.
• Le secret des Incas. Un peuple en guerre contre le temps , William Sullivan, Ed. du Rocher, 2000, ISBN 2-268-03533-6 , 266 p. (La civilization inca par le prisme de sa pensée religieuse)
• Les Incas: énigmes et mystères , Didro, Les mystères de l'histoire, 2001, ISBN 2-910726-25-8 , 220 p.
• Les Incas , Henri Favre, PUF , Que sais-je? , huitième édition mise à jour, 2003, ISBN 2-13-053297-7 , 127 p.
• Les Voyages d'Alix, les Incas de Jacques Martin et Jean Torton, Casterman, 2006
• La conquête des Amériques au XVI ème siécle, Eric Roulet, 2000, PUF, Que Sais-je?, Paris