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Welcome to the fourth part of the description of the elements of the inca altar of the Qoricancha! A representation of the Andean cosmovision.

It shows us the hierarchies of the Andean criteria; moreover, it explores the reasons for correspondence and equality, presenting a symbol that is still being studied.

If you haven’t seen Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3 yet, we remind you to read them first and then come back here.

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Symbols Description

Pachamama

It is the place where humans live, surrounded by all living beings, spiritual entities, ancestors, Huacas, timeless beings, and the spirits of Ukhu pacha or the inner world of the Earth.

Alongside them, humans live and share the created world with all creatures.

For the Andeans, they imagine the earth as a living being, a coiled serpent that sleeps deeply. Furthermore, within its depths, it harbors a strange red sun that once tried to dominate Ccorinti, the golden sun; however, the serpent swallowed it, and now it resides within her.

Amaru Mayu

The serpent river.

It is the symbol of the eternal journey; the river is movement and gives rhythm to the lives of men.

Many years after founding Cusco, Manco Capac heads to Paucartambo. From there, he follows the course of the Yavero River until it meets the Upper Urubamba very close to the Pongo de Mainique.

The Inca returns by ascending the Alto Urubamba to the Pampa de la Luna or Killapampa.

From there, he returns on foot to Cusco, passing through the Plain of the Gods or Villacapampa and through of the Old Mountains or Machu Picchu.

Willca Mayu

The sacred river.

It is an underground river that is traversed by beings from the inner world or Ukhu Pacha.

Along this river, Andean priests travel to treat the souls of the dead or to converse with them.

According to Inca mythology, underground rivers were illuminated by thousands of precious stones and inhabited by Utis or elves, where the souls of children, known as “opas” or fools, would become lost.

The underground rivers were the path of the Apus or Soccas.

Apus

The Apus are the angels of the Andean religious cosmology.

God entrusts them to protect human beings and act as shepherds of people, known as “Runa Micheq,” guiding them through life by providing information about the past and present.

The Apus individually protect each being, as well as communities, cities, entire nations, or the entire earth.

Among them, there are hierarchies:

• A familiar Apu is called “Runa Micheq”
• The Apu of a community (ayllu) is called “Ayllu Apu”
• For a city (llacta) it is “Llacta Apu”
• For a region (suyo) it is “Suyuyoc Apu”

The Apus have their feminine counterparts in the Ñustas, female spirits who care for animals and plants. They also live in mountains or in rocks with strange characteristics.

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References:

• Candia M, C; Del Solar, M y Iwaki O, R. (1994). Altar Inka del Ccorik’ancha. Cuadernos Andinos Nº10.
• Estermann, J. (1998) Filosofía Andina. Un estudio intercultural de la sabiduría autóctona andina. Biblioteca Seminario San Antonio Abad, Cusco.

In this blog, we will address some topics of Andean cosmology, understood as a body of beliefs that people hold about the nature and origin of the universe.

The Andean Cosmovision refers to the doctrine of the Andean world. It is a vision of the whole cosmos or universe, all interconnected.

Andean cosmology encompasses the general nature of the universe as a whole: what it was in the past, what it is now, and what it is likely to be in the future.

It is the totality of the spiritual world of the Quechua people living in the Cusco and Machu Picchu areas. It is a non-fixed, magical world and incorporates all of Nature.

Andean initiations and ceremonies differ from those of the jungle and desert regions.

The Andean Quechua have their own traditional healers, and they follow an ancient cosmology and way of life that has been practiced for thousands of years.

The profecy of Pachacuteq

The Quechua regard history as a sequence of worlds, or pacha, each governed by a set of assumptions about their order. A hero named Pachacuteq reorganized the Inca state.

If you wish to learn more about this prophecy, we invite you to read it beforehand.

The Three Worlds

According to Andean cosmology, the Andean universe arranges itself on three planes of existence.

The universe divides into three “worlds”:

Kay pacha

It is the world where runakuna (humans) live together with Pachamama, alongside the apukuna, wild and domesticated animals, plants, and all natural forces such as rain, thunder, and lightning.

It represents the world of the four elements.

Hanaq Pacha

Hanaq pacha, the upper world of superior energy. The residence of Pachakamac, Pachacutec, Christian saints, and spirits of the ancestors.

Men or women in the roles of Altomisayoq serve as mediators between Hanaq pacha, the upper world, and Kay pacha.

We interpret this as a realm where beings of a higher state of consciousness or higher dimensional vibration exist.

From Hanaq pacha, celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars shine their eternal light down upon Kay pacha.

Ukhu Pacha

The inner world of Pachamama or the Andean underworld, Ukhu Pacha, is inhabited by many types of supernatural spiritual beings in caves, rocks, and ravines.

Ukhu Pacha may also be known as the inner world of the runakuna.

Moreover, they may include the spirits of dead Incakuna and Spanish conquistadors.

Some of these beings are evil and negative characters; however, others are harmless and described as dwarf-like men.

The serpent ascends and descends through the three worlds by transmutting itself according to its relationship with each world.

Welcome to the third part of the description of the elements of the inca altar of the Qoricancha! A representation of the Andean cosmovision. It shows us the hierarchies of the Andean criteria; the reasons for correspondence and equality, a symbol that is still being studied.

If you haven’t seen Part 1 or Part 2 yet, we remind you to read them first and then come back here.

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Symbols Description

The Lightning

Below the Pleiades was ‘Chuqui Illapa’ or the Lightning.

They considered lightning to be the shepherd of the sun’s flocks, directing them with its great whip when they grazed in their fields in the Milky Way.

Lightning announces the arrival of storms and precedes the rains. But sometimes it comes on sunny days; on these days, people say it chooses its priests who will serve it.

Lightning is an important deity and is attributed three identities:

• The light, called ‘illapa‘

• The sound, known as ‘Ccunno Illapa‘

• The zigzagging flash ‘Inti Illapa‘.

It served to warn humans that these thunderous events came from the sky, to reward or punish them. There are significant accounts of Andean cities burned by lightning strikes.

Clouds

The clouds known as “Pocoy,” were also revered deities.

They imagined the clouds as elderly women who weave wool to clothe the Moon, and when they take woven fabrics to be washed and tend to them at the peaks of the hills, it surely means it will rain.

The Incas had techniques to aggregate clouds and produce artificial rain through burning plants and mineral powders.

They also believed that clouds were the tears of the moon that gathered in large quantities when they argued with the sun. Clouds ward off frost and protect fields from snow and frost.

Clouds are also communicative vessels between the earth and the sky.

Andeans, originating from a pacarina, whether a spring or river, fulfill the water cycle and believe they transform their bodies into water, vapor, clouds, and dew.

Rainbow

People widely worshipped the rainbow or “Cuichi” as a celestial signal heralding good tidings.

If two rainbows appeared, it symbolized a significant event (such as the birth of a royal infant or the conclusion of a military campaign).

During times when three rainbows foretold a string of calamities, people made offerings to the rainbow, such as bright flowers, dyed yarns, and exotic soils.

They sheltered young children to ward off the evil eye, and adorned their doors with crimson cloths. The Cuichi adorned the shields of almost all Inca royalty.

Manco Capac‘s shield depicted Cerro Huanacauri with the Qosqo founder shining like the sun itself, flanked by two rainbows above and below his figure.

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We have completed the description of the celestial vault, which contains all celestial bodies, known as the Hanaq Pacha or world above, including the elements of fire and air.

References

• Candia M, C; Del Solar, M y Iwaki O, R. (1994). Altar Inka del Ccorik’ancha. Cuadernos Andinos Nº10.
• Estermann, J. (1998) Filosofía Andina. Un estudio intercultural de la sabiduría autóctona andina. Biblioteca Seminario San Antonio Abad, Cusco.

For more than 460 years of Christian indoctrination, all men and women have continued to adore:

The Goddess Mother Earth, Pachamama

Pachamama is a living planet, and without our care and love there will be no future for us.

As this millennium draws to a close, humanity is beginning to realize the importance of treating our planet with care and understanding.

Since the days os their pre colombian ancerstor, the Andean people have know that Mother Earth is of great importance. The Quechua word “Pacha” means “planet earth, world, universe that we inhabit”.

Our relationship with Pachamama is so intimate that we consider her an extension of ourselves:

A being requiring care, nourishment, and protection to prevent her from perishing.

Traditions of Pachamama

Because of her importance to a community that is primarily agricultural, the quechua share the food and drink they love with Pachamama.

• Before consuming any alcohol or drink: We spill a few drops on the earth as an offering to Mother Earth. They also offer her small portions of food before consuming it.
• Before consume any kind of food: We offer her small portions by burying them in the earth.

Pachamama loves to receive offerings of flowers, food, and coca leaves from her children.

They summon Pachamama on all special occasions and seek her permission before any activities commence in the community.

• Before constructing a house: We perform a special ritual to ensure Pachamama’s goodwill towards the new residents and her protection.

Pachamama is kind and tolerant, but she may also turn vengeful to those who forget her.

If they do not perform the rituals with integrity, she may manifest as an aggressor and require offerings for matters of importance, known as “Haywarikuy“.

Since ancient times the quechua have believed Pachamama is the biological mother of children. She is connected to everything, and all things are a part of her.

Some Quechua believe that deities leave pre-human children in places such as caves, rocks, and rivers before the elements guide them into a woman’s womb.

They believe that the deity’s union with Pachamama, the mother, transmits the miracle of life with intelligence and love.

The Pachamama affirms her maternity by assuming the role of protector of the children, the weak and the sick.

We are tied to Mother Earth by an umbilicus or life cord that connects us to her womb of creation. If part of Mother Earth is suffering, then the world suffers too.

We see her in everything:

In the wind, the clouds, the rain, the sacred rivers, the lands, the eyes of pumas, condors and serpents.

The Earth is suffering, so we suffer.

We acknowledge the birth and death present in every moment, understanding that Mother Earth has the power to give and take.

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References:

Cumes, C and Lizárraga Valencia, R (1995) Pachamama’s Children. Mother Earth and her Children of the Andes in Peru. Llewellyn Publications.

Welcome to the second part of the description of the elements of the inca altar of the Qoricancha! A representation of the Andean cosmovision. It shows us the hierarchies of the Andean criteria; the reasons for correspondence and equality, a symbol that is still being studied.

If you haven’t seen Part 1 yet, we remind you to read it first and then come back here.

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Symbols Description

Venus

Below the sun shines the morning star, also known as “chasca,” “coyllor,” or the bright star.

Inca comunity honored this drawing because it represented the planet Venus, which served as the sun’s page.

At times, Venus led ahead to guide its lord along the path, and at other times, it followed behind, retrieving what the sun absentmindedly overlooked.

Mars

Below the moon is the evening star, also known as “Apachi Orori.”

This drawing represents Mars, the red planet, which is also visible in the evenings. It was also called the walker or púreq.

They said it carried all the missions entrusted by the gods of the sky. It’s not known if it had its own temple, but in any case, it held a special place in the cosmogonic altar.

Pleiades

The Incas also referred to these stars as “las cabrillas” and named them “collqas,” meaning granary.

The collqas can be observed in Cusco with the naked eye during the sunsets of May and June, coinciding with the festivals of Inti Raymi.

The best ears of corn were separated for the chica harvest, potatoes, oca, and olluco were harvested.

Also during this month, quinoa is harvested, villages are cleaned, ditches are repaired, and pairs are prepared to marry Huarmi Ccocuc.

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References:

• Candia M, C; Del Solar, M y Iwaki O, R. (1994). Altar Inka del Ccorik’ancha. Cuadernos Andinos Nº10.
• Estermann, J. (1998) Filosofía Andina. Un estudio intercultural de la sabiduría autóctona andina. Biblioteca Seminario San Antonio Abad, Cusco.

After the sun, in the cosmic order of the Incas, there was the Moon – Killa.

We have no information about the knowledge our ancestors might have had to determine whether they knew that the Moon – Killa was a satellite of our planet.

What is very clear is that they saw it as the wife and companion of the sun. They also believed that it was the progenitor of all the stars and that they were at its service.

This second level in the celestial order was due to the fact that the Moon Killa, which does not have the same brightness as the sun, only governed the night.

In the world of the Incas, the sun was represented with gold, and the moon corresponded to the second precious metal: SILVER. This corresponded with the sunlight and the bright white of the moon.

However, the most valuable aspect of this cosmology is that the Moon – Killa was the personification of Mother Earth Pachamama (A reminder that you can take a look at the blog where we explain a bit more about “What is Pacha“), the soil that provides us with the elements through which agriculture thrives.

Therefore, the presentation of phases in its constant movement across the celestial sphere served to create a primordial calendar that guided their agricultural activities.

In the Andean world, an agricultural schedule that does not reference the lunar phases for both planting and harvesting is inconceivable. Despite its precision, the solar calendar alone does not determine agricultural tasks.

Farmers must consider the moon’s phase to decide whether it is favorable or adverse. Only then can they begin planting to harness the moon’s influence.

For example, if llamas mated during a new moon, the offspring would be female, whereas mating during a full moon would result in male offspring. This practice remains common today.

To complement other aspects related to the importance of the Moon – Killa, it is important to know that during the time of the Incas, it was prohibited to perform manual or productive activities at night. The Incas reserved the night for resting after the intense daily work.

Even in warfare, they halted combat actions at night and resumed them the next day out of respect for Mama Killa.

Phases of Mama Killa

The lunar phases have many names, depending on how the Moon-Killa gradually reveals a larger visible surface.

Waxing moon

It goes from the appearance of the moon on the western horizon to 7 days after the New Moon phase.

They call it: K’ata Killa, Musuq Killa, and Llullu Killa.

Three names for three specific moments of the lunar figure’s growth in the sky.

First quarter

It has two names: Chaupi Killa and Killa Wiñariy.

Farmers favor this stage and find it suitable for planting all crops, particularly corn, vegetables, and any plant that grows above ground.

Full moon

There are three names for it: Hunt’a Killa, Killa Pura, or Paqas Killa.

During these days, potatoes are not planted because tradition dictates that they would produce small and tasteless potatoes.

Waning moon:

It also has three names: Qhasqakuy Killa, Allaq Killa, and Wañumariq Killa.

During this period, farmers favor planting tubers and harvesting, but only until the moon is visible as a thin crescent. It is believed that this time is suitable for planting all plants that produce their fruits underground, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, and others.

In Inca times, Martín de Murúa chronicled that the waning moon held special importance because people conducted sacrifices in Cusco at the Temple of the Sun, dedicating them to three sacred entities associated with thunder, lightning, and the sun.

New moon

It is called Wañuq Killa or dead moon.

These are the days when its proximity to the sun makes it invisible. During these days, nothing is planted because it is believed that any seed will either die in the ground or fail to produce any fruit.

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References:

• Candia M, C; Del Solar, M y Iwaki O, R. (1994). Altar Inka del Ccorik’ancha. Cuadernos Andinos Nº10.

• Salazar Garcés, E. (2014). Astronomía Inka. Arqueoastronomía & Etnoastronomía. Colección Enigmas dl Antiguo Perú. Museo Andrés del Castillo.