Religion Inca Empire

diorite inca sculpture amarucancha

inca myths transmitted orally until spanish colonists recorded them; however, scholars claim recorded on quipus, andean knotted string records.

the inca believed in reincarnation. death passage next world full of difficulties. spirit of dead, camaquen, need follow long road , during trip assistance of black dog see in dark required. incas imagined after world of european notion of heaven, flower-covered fields , snow-capped mountains.

it important inca not die result of burning or body of deceased not incinerated. burning cause vital force disappear , threaten passage after world. obeyed inca moral code – ama suwa, ama llulla, ama quella (do not steal, not lie, not lazy) – went live in sun s warmth while others spent eternal days in cold earth . inca nobility practiced cranial deformation. wrapped tight cloth straps around heads of newborns shape soft skulls more conical form, distinguishing nobility other social classes.

the incas made human sacrifices. many 4,000 servants, court officials, favorites , concubines killed upon death of inca huayna capac in 1527. incas performed child sacrifices around important events, such death of sapa inca or during famine. these sacrifices known qhapaq hucha.

deities

the incas polytheists attempted please many gods. these included:

viracocha, great creator god in inca mythology



viracocha (also pachacamac) – created living things
apu illapu – rain god, prayed when need rain
ayar cachi – hot-tempered god, causes earthquakes
illapa – goddess of lightning , thunder (also yakumama water goddess)
inti – sun god , patron deity of holy city of cusco (home of sun)
kuychi – rainbow god, connected fertility
mama killa – wife of inti, called moon mother
mama occlo – wisdom civilize people, taught women weave cloth , build houses
manco cápac – known courage , sent earth become first king of incas. taught people how grow plants, make weapons, work together, share resources , worship gods.
pachamama – goddess of earth , wife of viracocha. people give offerings of coca leaves , beer , pray major agricultural occasions
quchamama – goddess of sea
sachamama – means mother tree, goddess in shape of snake 2 heads
yakumama – means mother water. represented snake. when came earth transformed great river (also illapa).




^ urton, gary (6 march 2009). signs of inka khipu: binary coding in andean knotted-string records. university of texas press. isbn 978-0-292-77375-2. 
^ incas of peru
^ inca moral code | heart of initiate - shamanic retreats . www.heartoftheinitiate.com. retrieved 2017-09-18. 
^ burger, richard l.; salazar, lucy c. (2004). machu picchu: unveiling mystery of incas. yale university press. isbn 978-0-300-09763-4. 
^ davies, nigel (february 1981). human sacrifice: in history , today. morrow. pp. 261–262. isbn 978-0-688-03755-0. 
^ reinhard, johan (november 1999). 6,700 metros niños incas sacrificados quedaron congelados en el tiempo . national geographic, spanish version: 36–55.