Inca mythology includes many stories and legends that are mythological and helps to explain or symbolizes Inca beliefs.
All those that followed the
Spanish conquest of the Inca EmpireThe Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire was one of the most important campaigns in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. This historic process of military conquest was made by Spanish conquistadores and their native allies....
by
Francisco PizarroFrancisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...
burned the records of the Inca culture. There is currently a theory put forward by
Gary UrtonGary Urton is the Dumbarton Oaks Professor of Pre-Columbian Studies at Harvard University. He was previously Professor of Anthropology at Colgate University from 1978 to 2001. Dr. Urton is a specialist in Andean archaeology, particularly the quipu numerical recording system used in the Inca...
that the Quipus represented a
binaryThe binary numeral system, or base-2 number system, represents numeric values using two symbols, 0 and 1. More specifically, the usual base-2 system is a positional notation with a radix of 2...
system capable of recording phonological or logographic
dataThe term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
. All information for what is known is based on what was recorded by priests, from the
iconographyIconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
on Incan pottery and architecture, and the myths and legends which survived amongst the native peoples.
Inca foundation legends
Manco CápacManco Cápac was the legendary first Sapa Inca of the Kingdom of Cusco and a figure of Inca mythology. There are several versions of his origin story, which connect him to the foundation of Cusco.- Inti legend :In one myth, Manco Cápac was a son of the sun god Inti and Mama Quilla, and brother of...
was the legendary founder of the Inca Dynasty in Peru and the Cuzco Dynasty at Cuzco. The legends and history surrounding this mythical figure are very jumbled, especially those concerning his rule at Cuzco and his birth/rising. In one legend, he was the son of Tici Viracocha. In another, he was brought up from the depths of
Lake TiticacaLake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...
by the sun god
IntiAccording to the Inca mythology, Inti is the sun god, as well a patron deity of the Inca Empire. His exact origin is not known. The most common story says he is the son of Viracocha, the god of civilization.- Worship :...
. However, commoners were not allowed to speak the name of Inca Viracocha, which is possibly an explanation for the need for three foundation legends rather than just the first.
There were also many myths about Manco Cápac and his coming to power. In one myth, Manco Cápac and his brother
Pacha KamaqPacha Kamaq was the deity worshipped in the city of Pachacamac by the Ichma....
were sons of the sun god
IntiAccording to the Inca mythology, Inti is the sun god, as well a patron deity of the Inca Empire. His exact origin is not known. The most common story says he is the son of Viracocha, the god of civilization.- Worship :...
. Manco Cápac, himself, was worshiped
as a fire and sun god. According to this Inti legend, Manco Cápac and his siblings were sent up to the earth by the sun god and emerged from the cave of Puma Orco at
PacaritamboIn Inca mythology, one of the main Inca creation myths was that of the Ayar Brothers, who emerged from a cave called Pacaritambo . This house was located on Tambotoco Hill. It had three windows...
carrying a golden staff called ‘tapac-yauri’. They were instructed to create a Temple of the Sun in the spot where the staff sank into the earth to honor the sun god Inti, their father. During the journey, one of Manco's brothers (
Ayar CachiAyar Cachi was one of the brothers of Manco Cápac, who emerged from the cave at Pacaritambo. He could shoot down hills with a single shot of his sling....
) was tricked into returning to Puma Orco and sealed inside, or alternatively was turned to ice, because his reckless and cruel behavior angered the tribes that they were attempting to rule. (
huacaIn Quechua, a Native American language of South America, a huaca or waqa is an object that represents something revered, typically a monument of some kind. The term huaca can refer to natural locations, such as immense rocks. Some huacas have been associated with veneration and ritual...
).
In another version of this legend, instead of emerging from a cave in Cuzco, the siblings emerged from the waters of
Lake TiticacaLake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...
. Since this was a later origin myth than that of Pacaritambo it may have been created as a ploy to bring the powerful Aymara tribes into the fold of the Tawantinsuyo.
In the Inca Virachocha legend, Manco Cápac was the son of
Inca ViracochaViracocha is the great creator god in the pre-Inca and Inca mythology in the Andes region of South America. Full name and some spelling alternatives are Apu Qun Tiqsi Wiraqutra and Con-Tici Viracocha...
of Pacari-Tampu, today known as
PacaritamboIn Inca mythology, one of the main Inca creation myths was that of the Ayar Brothers, who emerged from a cave called Pacaritambo . This house was located on Tambotoco Hill. It had three windows...
, which is 25 km (16 mi) south of Cuzco. He and his brothers (
Ayar Auca,
Ayar CachiAyar Cachi was one of the brothers of Manco Cápac, who emerged from the cave at Pacaritambo. He could shoot down hills with a single shot of his sling....
, and
Ayar Uchu); and sisters (
Mama OclloIn Inca mythology, Mama Cora Ocllo was deified as a mother and fertility goddess. In one legend she was a daughter of Inti and Mama Quilla, and in another the daughter of Viracocha and Mama Cocha. She was the sister and wife of Manco Cápac, and discovered Cuzco with him. She taught the Inca women...
,
Mama Huaco,
Mama Raua, and
Mama Cura) lived near
CuzcoCusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...
at Paccari-Tampu, and uniting their people and the ten
aylluAyllu is the traditional form of a community in the Andes, especially among Quechuas and Aymaras.Ayllus were the basic political and social units of pre-Inca and Inca life. These were essentially extended family groups but they could adopt non-related members, giving individual families more...
they encountered in their travels to conquer the tribes of the Cuzco Valley. This legend also incorporates the golden staff, which is thought to have been given to Manco Cápac by his father. Accounts vary, but according to some versions of the legend, the young Manco jealously betrayed his older brothers, killed them, and then became Cuzco.
Deities
Like the
RomansThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, the Incas permitted the cultures they integrated into their empire to keep their individual religions. Below are some of the various gods worshiped by the peoples of the Incan empire, many of which have overlapping responsibilities and domains. Unless otherwise noted, it can safely be assumed these were worshipped by different
aylluAyllu is the traditional form of a community in the Andes, especially among Quechuas and Aymaras.Ayllus were the basic political and social units of pre-Inca and Inca life. These were essentially extended family groups but they could adopt non-related members, giving individual families more...
s or worshipped in particular former states.
- Apo or Apu
In the religion and mythology of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, apus are the spirits of the mountains that protect the local people in the highlands. The term dates back to the Inca Empire.-Meanings of Apu:...
was a god or spirit of mountains. All of the important mountains have their own Apu, and some of them receive sacrifices to bring out certain aspects of their being. Some rocks and caves also are credited as having their own apu.
- Apocatequil
According to Incan mythology, Apocatequil was the god of lightning. He also served as the chief priest for the moon god, Coniraya....
(aka Apotequil) or Illapa was the god of lightning.
- Ataguchu was a god who assisted in creation myth
- Catequil
Catequil is the name of the Incan god of thunder and lightning. Catequil was said to cause thunder by striking the clouds with his sacred spear....
was a god of thunder and lightning
- Cavillace
Cavillace, or Cavillaca, was an Incan virgin goddess.According to legend, she ate some fruit which contained the sperm of Coniraya, the god of instant fertility and the moon. She subsequently gave birth to a child. Confused, she enquired as to whom got her with child. Coniraya came forward...
was a virgin goddess who ate a fruit, which was actually the sperm of Coniraya, the moon god. When she gave birth to a son, she demanded that the father step forward. No one did, so she put the baby on the ground and it crawled towards Coniraya. She was ashamed because of Coniraya's low stature among the gods, and ran to the coast of Peru, where she changed herself and her son into rocks.
- Chasca was the goddess of dawn and twilight, and Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
. She protected virgin girls.
- Chasca Coyllur was the goddess of flowers, young maidens, and sex.
- Kuka Mama or Mama Kuka (in quechua: Mother coca) was a goddess of health and joy. She was originally a promiscuous woman who was cut in half by her many lovers. Her body grew into the first coca plant, the leaves of which men were only allowed to chew (to bring health and happiness).
- Coniraya was the lunar deity
In mythology, a lunar deity is a god or goddess associated with or symbolizing the moon. These deities can have a variety of functions and traditions depending upon the culture, but they are often related to or an enemy of the solar deity. Even though they may be related, they are distinct from the...
who fashioned his sperm into a fruit, which Cavillaca then ate. When she gave birth to a son, she demanded that the father step forward. No one did, so she put the baby on the ground and it crawled towards Coniraya. She was ashamed because of Coniraya's low stature among the gods, and ran to the coast of PeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, where she changed herself and her son into rock huacas.
- Copacati was a lake goddess.
- Ekkeko was a god of the hearth and wealth. The ancients made dolls that represented him and placed a miniature version of their desires onto the doll; this was believed to caused the user to receive what he desired.
- Illapa ("thunder and lightning"; aka Apu Illapu, Ilyap'a, Katoylla) was a very popular weather god. His holiday was on July 25. He was said to keep the Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
in a jug and use it to create rain. He appeared as a man in shining clothes, carrying a club and stones. He was formerly the main god of the Kingdom of Colla after which the Qullasuyu province of the Inca EmpireThe Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
was named.
- Inti
According to the Inca mythology, Inti is the sun god, as well a patron deity of the Inca Empire. His exact origin is not known. The most common story says he is the son of Viracocha, the god of civilization.- Worship :...
was the sun god. Source of warmth and light and a protector of the people. Inti was considered the most important god. The Inca Emperors were believed to be the lineal descendants of the sun god.
- Kon
In Inca mythology Kon was the god of rain and wind that came from the south. He was a son of Inti and Mama Quilla ....
was the god of rain and wind that came from the south. He was a son of Inti and Mama Quilla.
- Mama Allpa was a fertility goddess depicted with multiple breasts.
- Mama Cocha ("sea mother") was the sea and fish goddess, protectress of sailors and fishermen. In one legend she mothered Inti
According to the Inca mythology, Inti is the sun god, as well a patron deity of the Inca Empire. His exact origin is not known. The most common story says he is the son of Viracocha, the god of civilization.- Worship :...
and Mama Quilla with ViracochaViracocha is the great creator god in the pre-Inca and Inca mythology in the Andes region of South America. Full name and some spelling alternatives are Apu Qun Tiqsi Wiraqutra and Con-Tici Viracocha...
.
- Mama Pacha (aka Pachamama) was the wife of Pachacamac and a dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
ess fertilityFertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
deity who presided over planting and harvesting. She caused earthquakes.
- Mama Quilla ("mother moon" or "golden mother") was a marriage, festival and moon goddess and daughter of Viracocha
Viracocha is the great creator god in the pre-Inca and Inca mythology in the Andes region of South America. Full name and some spelling alternatives are Apu Qun Tiqsi Wiraqutra and Con-Tici Viracocha...
and Mama Cocha, as well as wife and sister of IntiAccording to the Inca mythology, Inti is the sun god, as well a patron deity of the Inca Empire. His exact origin is not known. The most common story says he is the son of Viracocha, the god of civilization.- Worship :...
. She was the mother of Manco CápacManco Cápac was the legendary first Sapa Inca of the Kingdom of Cusco and a figure of Inca mythology. There are several versions of his origin story, which connect him to the foundation of Cusco.- Inti legend :In one myth, Manco Cápac was a son of the sun god Inti and Mama Quilla, and brother of...
, Pachacamac, Kon and Mama Ocllo.
- Mama Zara ("grain mother", aka Zaramama) was the goddess of grain. She was associated with maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
that grew in multiples or were similarly strange. These strange plants were sometimes dressed as dolls of Mama Zara. She was also associated with willowWillows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
trees.
- Pacha Camac ("Earth-maker") was a chthonic
Chthonic designates, or pertains to, deities or spirits of the underworld, especially in relation to Greek religion. The Greek word khthon is one of several for "earth"; it typically refers to the interior of the soil, rather than the living surface of the land or the land as territory...
creator god, earlier worshiped by the Ichma but later adopted into the creation myth of the Inca.
- Pariacaca
In Incan and pre-Incan mythology, Pariacaca was a god of water and rainstorms and a creator god. He was born a falcon but later became human....
was a god of water in pre-Inca mythology that was adopted by the Inca. He was a god of rainstorms and a creator-god. He was born a falconA falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
but later became human.
- Paricia
In Incan mythology, Paricia was a god who sent a flood to kill humans who did not respect him adequately. Possibly another name for Pachacamac....
was a god who sent a flood to kill humans who did not respect him adequately. Possibly another name for Pachacamac.
- Supay
In the Aymara and Inca mithologies, Supay or Zupay was both the god of death and ruler of the Uca Pacha, the Incan underworld, as well as a race of demons. Supay is associated with miners' rituals....
was both the god of death and ruler of the Uca Pacha as well as a race of demoncall - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s.
- Urcaguary
In Incan mythology, Urcaguary was the god of metals, jewels and other underground items of great value. A chimera of serpent and deer, his tail was adorned with chains of gold....
was the god of metals, jewels and other underground items of great value.
- Urcuchillay
Urcuchillay was the name given to Lyra by the Incas. Urcuchillay was worshipped by herders and believed to be a multicolored llama who watched over animals....
was a deity that watched over animals.
- Viracocha
Viracocha is the great creator god in the pre-Inca and Inca mythology in the Andes region of South America. Full name and some spelling alternatives are Apu Qun Tiqsi Wiraqutra and Con-Tici Viracocha...
was the god of everything. In the beginning he was the main god, but when Pachacuti became Inca, he changed this god's importance pointing out that it was Inti who allowed him to defeat the chancas (The Incas' main enemies at that time)
Important beliefs
- Mama Ocllo
In Inca mythology, Mama Cora Ocllo was deified as a mother and fertility goddess. In one legend she was a daughter of Inti and Mama Quilla, and in another the daughter of Viracocha and Mama Cocha. She was the sister and wife of Manco Cápac, and discovered Cuzco with him. She taught the Inca women...
was the sister and wife of Manco CápacManco Cápac was the legendary first Sapa Inca of the Kingdom of Cusco and a figure of Inca mythology. There are several versions of his origin story, which connect him to the foundation of Cusco.- Inti legend :In one myth, Manco Cápac was a son of the sun god Inti and Mama Quilla, and brother of...
. She was thought to have taught the Inca the art of spinning.
- Mamaconas were similar to nuns and lived in temple sanctuaries. They dedicated their lives to Inti
According to the Inca mythology, Inti is the sun god, as well a patron deity of the Inca Empire. His exact origin is not known. The most common story says he is the son of Viracocha, the god of civilization.- Worship :...
, and served the Inca and priests. Young girls of the nobility or of exceptional beauty were trained for four years as acllas and then had the option of becoming mamaconas or marrying Inca nobles. They are comparable to the Roman Vestal Virgins, though Inca society did not value virginity as a virtue the way Western societies have done throughout history.
- In one legend, Unu Pachakuti
In Incan mythology, Unu Pachakuti is the name of a flood that Viracocha caused to destroy the people around Lake Titicaca, saving two to bring civilization to the rest of the world....
was a great flood sent by Virachocha to destroy the giants that built TiwanakuTiwanaku, is an important Pre-Columbian archaeological site in western Bolivia, South America. Tiwanaku is recognized by Andean scholars as one of the most important precursors to the Inca Empire, flourishing as the ritual and administrative capital of a major state power for approximately five...
.
- A Huaca
In Quechua, a Native American language of South America, a huaca or waqa is an object that represents something revered, typically a monument of some kind. The term huaca can refer to natural locations, such as immense rocks. Some huacas have been associated with veneration and ritual...
was a sacred object such as a mountain or a mummy.
Important places
- Uku Pacha
In Incan mythology, Ukhu Pacha was the underworld located beneath the Earth's surface. Its symbol was the snake, which was thought to die when digging into the earth and reborn after coming out of it....
("the lower world") was the underworldThe Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
(similar to HellIn many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
or HadesHades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
), located in the center of Earth.
- Kay Pacha was the world in which we live.
- Hanan Pacha
In Inca mythology, Hanan Pacha was the Heavenly underworld. Only righteous people could enter it , crossing a bridge made of hair....
("higher world") was the Heavenly underworld. Only righteous people could enter it (much like HeavenHeaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
), crossing a bridge made of hair.
Inca symbols
- Chakana
The Chakana symbolizes for Inca mythology what is known in other mythologies as the World Tree, Tree of Life and so on. The stepped cross is made up of an equal-armed cross indicating the cardinal points of the compass and a superimposed square. The square represents the other two levels of...
(or Inca Cross, Chakana) is the three-stepped cross equivalent symbolic of what is known in other mythologies as the Tree of Life, World Tree and so on. Through a central axis a shaman journeyed in trance to the lower plane or Underworld and the higher levels inhabited by the superior gods to enquire into the causes of misfortune on the Earth plane. The snake, puma, and condor are totemic representatives of the three levels.