Incan

Incan

Valerie Makri Randall Hornbaker George gunter

**UNIVERSE **
 In the beginning of time, everything was dark. There was a lake called Collasuyu. From this lake Con Tiqui Viracocha emerged, and with him followed some human beings. Then Viracocha created the universe. He first created Enti, the sun. Then he created the moon and the stars, and people (StasoSphere).

**HUMANS **
 Con Tiqui Viracocha (StasoSphere) emerged from below Lake Titicaca and saw the time fit for creating the sky and Earth. After creating these, he found it appropriate to create people who inhibited the land. These people were made too large, and their only offense being their gigantic size, the Creator changed them to stone, now being the giant stone statues in Tiahuanaco (Bierhorst, 202). Later, Con filled the earth with things that his people would need, but the people forgot about how kind he was to them and rebelled. As a punishment for their misbehavior, he prevented their rainfall from falling, causing them to work direly, leading to the takeover of god Pachachamac, who in turn drove Con out and turned all his people into monkeys (StasoSphere). A great flood occurred, wiping off all life forms on Earth. Eventually, the water receded and the Creator, Wirakocha, emerged a second time and produced lesser Wirakochas. He made these figures out of clay at the sacred city of Tiahuanco. Men and women were made to have a unique dress, but common among their cultures, and a hairstyle that was painted on by the Creator. Each of these nations of cultures received a language, songs, and seeds for planting. After all these wonderful things were bestowed upon them, the people were finally brought to life. Then, the Creator sent all of his nations underground, so that they would emerge by themselves in different places and in their own ways, whether from under rocks, so their culture considered rocks sacred, or from the ocean (Bierhorst 200-202). Now the world was covered in darkness (StasoSphere). The Creator took note of this and created Inti, the sun and ancestor of great emperor Tahuantisuyo (Stasosphere), along with the moon and the stars, so that his people had light to live by (Bierhorst, 200). They thrived and populated the Earth for centuries to come. Before disappearing, he was last seen among the waves with firearms, so when the Spaniards arrived on their boats with firearms, the natives believed it was their returning god (Bierhorst, 203).

**PLANTS **
Viracocha descended to Earth after the floods receded and created plants (Kulmar & Realo, 1999). His son and daughter, children of the moon goddess, descended with him and helped teach the people how to plant along with how to create houses and weave (Leeming, 140).

**ANIMALS**
As Viracocha created his first race of giants, he created some animals. When he flooded the earth, all life was destroyed, until he created new creatures and birds along with the new race of cultured humans (Cantaremusic.com). Llamas are sacred animals, and remember the flooding at the very beginning of the existence of humans and Earth, so they stay put in the highlands so that they don’t get wiped away (Advameg).

**UNIVERSE STRUCTURE **
The universe is controlled by the god Viracocha. He gave the world Enti, the sun, and the source of light and warmth, but he can also take it away, when he feels that the people do not deserve it (Gibson). The earth is the center of the universe. The sun, moon, stars, and gods all came from the earth, through a lake (StasoSphere).

**TIME **
The Incan calendar is one a lot like our own, in that it has 12 months to a year. This calendar is based off of lunar progression. This is not surprising considering the Inca worshipped a Moon god (Encyclopedia Brittanica Inc. 443-444). A slight difference is that the Inca Calendar consists of 30-day months instead of alternating 30 and 31. In each month there are rituals or festivities suggested to take place. This can consist of things such as when to pray to the gods for rain, or when to celebrate certain things, such as the harvest.

 The first month, as we would know it as January was designated for the Inca’s penance and sacrifices. To do this they would fast, offer sacrifices, and cover themselves in ash then make a procession to their temples and all other sacred places none as huacas. In February there were offerings made of silver and gold to the gods. As well as making offerings Inca’s would travel to the huacas in the high mountains and the snows, since this was a wet season. In March the priest did a lot of ceremonies and deprived themselves of salt, and women. In April there was the Great Feast of the Incas in which all the nobles and people of importance were invited to. In May there was the feast of Aimara, in which there was a good bit of drunkenness. In June it was none as the month of Inti-Raimi and contained the Feast of the Sun. July is the month of Harvest, and in this month priests make agrarian related sacrifices. In August tilling takes place, and of course a corresponding feast. In September there is the great Feast of the Moon, in which priests banish all the evil spirits in Cuzco, the capital city. In October there is a procession made to request water from the gods. In November there is the Feast of the dead in which the dead mummies of previous kings are paraded and worshipped. In December there is a grand feast of the Sun held. The sun is the king of the heavens for the Inca. In this feast there are many human sacrifices as well those of gold and silver. Anyone disorderly at this feast would be put to death. This was the calendar that the ancient Inca living in Cuzco based their life style off of (Inca Calendar).

**BIBLIOGRAPHY**
Advameg, Inc. "Inca Mythology." Myths Encyclopedia: Myths and Legends of the World. N.p., 2010. Web. 7 Nov. 2010. [|].

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bierhorst, John. The Mythology of South America. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1988. Print.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cantaremusic.com. The Legend of Viracocha. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2010. [|<http://cantaremusic.com/stories/viracocha.htm>].

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Encyclopedia Brittanica Inc. "Peru: the Inca Calender." The New Encyclopedia Brittanica. Ed. McHenry Robert. 15th ed. 1768. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britanica Inc., 1992. 443-444. Print. Vol. 15 of Calendar.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Gibson, Anne. "Golden Light." Astronomy Pomona. Pomona College, n.d. Web. 7 Nov. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2010. [|<http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/archeo/stonehengeinca/Inca1.htm>.]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Inca Calendar." Agutie Homestead. N.p., 6 Nov. 2010. Web. 7 Nov. 2010. [|<http://agutie.homestead.com/Files/incas/inca_calendar.htm>.]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kulmar, Tarmo, and Kait Realo. ON THE ROLE OF CREATION AND ORIGIN MYTHS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INCA STATE AND RELIGION. N.p., Dec. 1999. Web. 4 Nov. 2010.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Leeming, David Adams. "Inca." Creation Myths of the World: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Santa Barbara, Claifornia: ABC-CLIO, LLC, 1937. 140. Google Book Search. Ed. Google. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. [|<http://books.google.com/booksid=9I62BcuPxfYC&pg=PA140&lpg=PA140&dq=inca+plant+creation+myth&source=bl&ots=4VSEXka2fR &sig=e1bQbwoqfxyW5Cto4fgG61AL1c4&hl=en&ei=u17TTLqVHsilngehtHVBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCIQ6] [|AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=inca%20plant%20creation%20myth&f=false>.]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">StasoSphere. "The Inca Creation Myth." Meta Religion. N.p., 27 Oct. 2010. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. [|<http://metareligion.com/World_Religions/Ancient_religions/South_america/inca_creation_myth.htm>.]