The Apu Pitusiray and Sawasiray, located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, in the province and district of Calca, are the most emblematic mountains of these lands. The Andean people consider these two peaks inseparable, deeply intertwining them in their spiritual and cultural traditions.
Sacred Symbolism in Andean Cosmovision
For the Apaza family of the Qero Nation, both mountains hold a sacred presence in their prayers and spiritual geography.
The Andean people see these two peaks as symbols of loving union, fertility, and marital well-being, believing they represent a pair of spouses.
The Myth of Pitusiray and Sawasiray
Among the local inhabitants and in the broader Andean imaginary, a powerful mythology surrounds these mountains. The legend tells the story of an Ñusta (Inka princess) named Sawasiray, who falls in love with a humble farmer, Pitusiray.
However, their love is forbidden, as her father, the Inka Urqu Waranqa, has already chosen another suitor for her: Rumi Maki.
In an effort to win Sawasiray’s hand, a contest is arranged—whoever can bring water to the dry community of Urco will marry the princess.
Rumi Maki emerges victorious by constructing a canal from the Qan Qan lagoon. However, during the wedding ceremony, Sawasiray and Pitusiray flee to the snowy mountains of Lares.
In punishment, the gods turn them into stone, forever standing as the peaks of Pitusiray and Sawasiray (Thornton, 2011).
Interpreting the Myth: Cosmic Balance and Order
This tragic love story symbolizes adultery or the disruption of social order. The gods’ act of transforming the lovers into stone serves as a cosmic restoration of balance.
These snow-capped mountains continue to provide water to the land, ensuring fertility and productivity.
Their peaks, covered in snow, eventually melt under the sun’s rays, nourishing the earth below and maintaining the cycle of life (Sanchez, 1992).
Author: Joan De la colina
References
- Thornton, Gillian, Las Montañas Respiran: La Cosmovisión de la Comunidad de Rayampata Representada a Través del Mito Pitusiray-Sawasiray (2011). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 1182.
- Sanchez Garrafa, Rodolfo (2006) Apus de los cuatro suyos: Construcción del mundo en los ciclos mitológicos de las deidades.
- Sanchez Garrafa, Rodolfo (2006) Pitusiray y Sawasiray: mitos de alianzas y restauración cósmica.
