Wiraqucha

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Illustration based on a presumed representation of Wiraqucha on the frieze of the sun gate in Tiahuanaco

In Viracocha (Language: Quechua , in Spanish spelling: Huiracocha , Viracocha or Wiracocha ) is a pan-Andean creator deity before the conquest by the Spaniards ( Conquista ) by all peoples of the culture areal Central Andes was worshiped. Wiraqucha is often (but not by the Inca ) equated with the creator of the world Pachakamaq (Pachacámac), and the double name Pachakamaq Wiraqucha appears here and there . With the Aymara it is revered in a similar form as Willkatata .

In Inca mythology, Qun Tiksi Wiraqucha (in the Huarochirí manuscript : Quniraya Wiraqucha ) is the creator of civilization and one of the most important deities in Inca mythology . A legend tells that he and his wife Mama Qucha (mother sea) had a son, Inti (sun), and a daughter, Mama Killa (moon). In this legend, Wiraqucha causes almost everyone around Lake Titicaca to die in a deluge called Unu Pachakuti (the turn of the water). He lets two survive in order to bring civilization into the world. In another legend, Wiraqucha created the first eight civilized humans.

Tiksi (also tiqsi ) means “basis” in the Quechua language, wira means “fat” (which the Incas knew as a source of energy) and qucha means “lake” (as mama qucha : “sea”). Pacha means “world” or “time”, kamaq “creator”.

See also

literature

  • María Rostworowski de Diez Canseco: Estructuras andinas del poder / Ideología religiosa y política . IEP Instituto de estudios peruanos. Lima 1988 (3rd edition).
  • Waldemar Espinoza Soriano: Los Incas / Econonomía sociedad y estado en la era del Tahuantinsuyo . Amaru editores, Lima 1987 (1st edition).
  • Fernando Armas Asín: Wiracocha, pastoral católica y mitología del Titicaca Consideraciones desde la mitografía y la Andinística . Anuario de Historia de la Iglesia, No. 11 (2002), pp. 191-213.
  • Arthur Andrew Demarest: Viracocha - the nature and antiquity of the Andean High God . Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge (Massachusetts) 1981.
  • Verónica Salles-Reese: From Viracocha to the Virgin of Copacabana: Representation of the Sacred at Lake Titicaca . University of Texas Press, Austin (Texas) 1997.
  • Paul Richard Steele: Handbook of Inca Mythology , ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara (California) 2004, pp. 149–151: Cuniraya Viracocha (Coniraya Wiraqucha) .

Web links

Commons : Viracocha  - collection of images, videos and audio files