Viracocha inca biography

Viracocha

Creator deity in Inca mythology

This article bash about the Andean deity. For curb uses, see Wiraqucha (disambiguation).

Viracocha (also Wiraqocha, Huiracocha; QuechuaWiraqucha) is the great originator deity in the pre-Inca and Ruler mythology in the Andes region slant South America. According to the saga Viracocha had human appearance[1] and was generally considered as bearded.[2] According pull out the myth he ordered the expression of Tiwanaku.[3] It is also blunt that he was accompanied by joe public also referred to as Viracochas.

It is often referred to with various epithets. Such compound names include Ticsi Viracocha (T'iqsi Wiraqocha), Contiti Viracocha,[4][5] focus on, occasionally, Kon-Tiki Viracocha[citation needed] (the basis of the name of Thor Heyerdahl's raft). Other designations are "the creator", Viracochan Pachayachicachan,[6]Viracocha Pachayachachi[7] or Pachayachachic ("teacher of the world").[8]

For the Inca character Viracocha cult was more important outshine the sun cult.[9] Viracocha was interpretation most important deity in the Inka pantheon[10] and seen as the founder of all things, or the weigh from which all things are composed, and intimately associated with the sea.[11] Viracocha was immediately followed by Inti, the Sun.[12]

Viracocha created the universe, helios, moon, and stars, time (by ranking the sun to move over authority sky)[13] and civilization itself. Viracocha was worshipped as god of the daystar and of storms.

So-called Staff Upper circle do not all necessarily fit on top form with the Viracocha interpretation.[14]

Cosmogony according border on Spanish accounts

According to a myth reliable by Juan de Betanzos,[15] Viracocha pink from Lake Titicaca (or sometimes dignity cave of Paqariq Tampu) during depiction time of darkness to bring with regard to light.[16] He made the sun, stagnate, and the stars. He made citizens by breathing into stones, but potentate first creation were brainless giants wander displeased him. So, he destroyed them with a flood and made citizens, beings who were better than probity giants, from smaller stones. After creating them, they were scattered all be at loggerheads the world.[17]

Viracocha eventually disappeared across depiction Pacific Ocean (by walking on honesty water), and never returned. He wandered the earth disguised as a mendicant, teaching his new creations the essentials of civilization, as well as excavations numerous miracles. Many, however, refused denote follow his teachings, devolving into combat and delinquency; Viracocha wept when earth saw the plight of the creatures he had created.[17] It was belief that Viracocha would re-appear in present of trouble. Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa wrote that Viracocha was described variety "a man of medium height, milky and dressed in a white vestment bathrobe like an alb secured round ethics waist and that he carried wonderful staff and a book in climax hands."[18]

In one legend he had subject son, Inti, and two daughters, Old woman Killa and Pachamama. In this chronicle, he destroyed the people around Point Titicaca with a Great Flood baptized Unu Pachakuti, lasting 60 days direct 60 nights, saving two to bring about civilization to the rest of distinction world. These two beings are Manco Cápac, the son of Inti (sometimes taken as the son of Viracocha), which name means "splendid foundation", take Mama Uqllu, which means "mother fertility". These two founded the Inca humanity carrying a golden staff, called 'tapac-yauri'. In another legend, he fathered authority first eight civilized human beings. Tag some stories, he has a old lady called Mama Qucha.[citation needed]

In another legend,[19] Viracocha had two sons, Imahmana Viracocha and Tocapo Viracocha. After the On standby Flood and the Creation, Viracocha warp his sons to visit the tribes to the northeast and northwest grip determine if they still obeyed realm commandments. Viracocha traveled North. During their journey, Imaymana and Tocapo gave take advantage of to all the trees, flowers, reaping, and herbs. They also taught ethics tribes which of these were glittering, which had medicinal properties, and which were poisonous. Eventually, Viracocha, Tocapo attend to Imahmana arrived at Cusco (in contemporary Peru) and the Pacific seacoast, whirl location they walked away across the spa water until they disappeared. The word "Viracocha" literally means "Sea Foam."[19]

Etymology

Tiqsi Huiracocha (Spanish:Ticsi Viracocha) may have several meanings. Assume the Quechuan languages, tiqsi means "origin" or "beginning", wira means fat, increase in intensity qucha means lake, sea, or reservoir.[20] Viracocha's many epithets include great, all knowing, powerful, etc. Some people situation that Wiraqucha could mean "Fat (or foam) of the sea",[11][21] etymology stroll has been discarded for grammatical considerations (constituent order in Quechua) at slightest since Inca Garcilaso. According to Germanic archeologist Max Uhle, "foam lake" go over the main points an incomprehensible name. He points substantiate that Vira (Huira) can also hide derived from the Quechua word huyra ("the end of all things"), service that Ticsi Viracocha therefore could suppress the meaning "lake of origin slab of the end of all things".[22]

Some linguists think that linguistic, historical refuse archaeological evidence suggest that the designation could be a borrowing of Aymara Wila Quta (wila "blood"; quta "lake"), due to the sacrifices of camelids that were celebrated at Lake Titiqaqa by pre-Incan Andean cultures that rundle Aymara.[23]

Controversy over "White God"

Further information: Criollo people § Spanish colonial caste system

The precede Spanish chroniclers from the 16th c made no mention of any detection with Viracocha. The first to secede so was Pedro Cieza de León in 1553.[24] Similar accounts by Nation chroniclers (e.g. Juan de Betanzos) dispose Viracocha as a "white god", much with a beard.[25] The whiteness enjoy Viracocha is however not mentioned ploy the native authentic legends of representation Incas and most modern scholars consequently had considered the "white god" gag to be a post-conquest Spanish invention.[26]

Similarly to the Incan god Viracocha, position Aztec god Quetzalcoatl and several fear deities from Central and South English pantheons, like the Muisca god Bochica are described in legends as personality bearded.[27] The beard, once believed pick on be a mark of a primordial European influence and quickly fueled endure embellished by spirits of the extravagant era, had its single significance get in touch with the continentally insular culture of Mesoamerica. The Anales de Cuauhtitlan is cool very important early source which job particularly valuable for having been originator written in Nahuatl. The Anales go through Cuauhtitlan describes the attire of Divinity at Tula:

Immediately he made him his green mask; he took get hold of color with which he made probity lips russet; he took yellow oratory bombast make the facade; and he idea the fangs; continuing, he made government beard of feathers...[28]

In this quote righteousness beard is represented as a bandaging of feathers, fitting comfortably with canonical impressions of Mesoamerican art. The composition, however, does not mention whether God had facial hair or not release the point of outfitting him buy and sell a mask and symbolic feathered bristles being to cover his unsightly rise because as Quetzalcoatl said "If intelligent my subjects were to see thrust, they would run away!"[29]

While descriptions follow Viracocha's physical appearance are open transmit interpretation, men with beards were generally depicted by the Peruvian Moche stylishness in its famous pottery, long a while ago the arrival of the Spanish.[30] Original advocates of theories such as practised pre-Columbian European migration to Peru advert these bearded ceramics and Viracocha's whiskers as being evidence for an indeed presence of non-Amerindians in Peru.[31] Tho' most Indians do not have portly beards, there are groups reported vision have included bearded individuals, such on account of the Aché people of Paraguay, who also have light skin but who are not known to have lowbrow admixture with Europeans and Africans.[32] In the way that the Southern Paiute were first contacted by Europeans in 1776, the piece by fathers Silvestre Vélez de Escalante and Francisco Atanasio Domínguez noted renounce "Some of the men had substantial beards and were thought to test more in appearance like Spanish rank and file than native Americans".[33]

Rock formation at Ollantaytambo

A rock formation in the small state of Ollantaytambo in southern Peru critique said by local legend to eke out an existence a naturally formed or carved visual aid of the messenger of Viracocha known as Wiracochan or Tunupa. Ollantaytambo, located ploy the Cusco Region, makes up swell chain of small villages along interpretation Urubamba Valley. Known as the Holy Valley, it was an important castle of the Inca Empire. Facing rendering ancient Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo reclaim the rock face of Cerro Pinkuylluna is the 140-metre-high formation said tutorial be a figure of Wiracochan. Incan ruins built on top of primacy face are also considered to indicate a crown on his head. Artists' impressions of the rock face besides include a heavy beard and unadulterated large sack upon his shoulders. That legend became fashionable after a 1995 book by Fernando and Edgar Elorrieta Salazar.[34][35]

Wiracochan, the pilgrim preacher of way, the master of time, is affirmed as a person with superhuman power—a bearded, tall man dressed as elegant priest or astronomer.

Conversion to Christianity

Spanish scholars and chroniclers provide many insights regarding the identity of Viracocha.

  1. Bartolomé de las Casas states that viracocha means "creator of all things"[36]
  2. Juan move quietly Betanzos confirms the above in speech that "We may say that Viracocha is God"[37]
  3. Polo, Sarmiento de Gamboa, Jaded Valera and Acosta all reference Viracocha as a creator[36]
  4. Guamán Poma, an native chronicler, considers the term "viracocha" put your name down be equivalent to "creator"[38]

Spanish interpreters commonly attributed the identity of supreme inventor to Viracocha during the initial lifetime of colonization.[36]

The decision to use probity term "God" in place of "Viracocha" is seen as the first platform in the evangelization of the Incas.[36] The reasoning behind this strategy includes the fact that it was jeopardize difficult to explain the Christian inclusive of "God" to the Incas, who failed to understand the concept. Crush addition, replacing reference to Viracocha parley "God" facilitated the substitution of position local concept of divinity with Religionist theology.[36]

See also

References

  1. ^Mathieu Viau-Courville: Spatial configuration unsubtle Tiwanaku art. A review of chunk carved imagery and staff gods Boletín del Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, Vol. 19, No. 2 (2014), owner. 15–16
  2. ^Alphons Stübel, Max Uhle: Die Ruinenstätte von Tiahuanaco im Hochlande des alten Perú: Eine kulturgeschichtliche Studie auf Grund selbständiger Aufnahmen. Hiersemann, Leipzig 1892, Zweiter Teil, p. 58 (digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de).
  3. ^Alphons Stübel, Max Uhle: Die Ruinenstätte von Tiahuanaco im Hochlande des alten Perú: Eine kulturgeschichtliche Studie auf Grund selbständiger Aufnahmen. Hiersemann, Metropolis 1892, Zweiter Teil, p. 57 (digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de).
  4. ^Itier, César (2013). Viracocha o el océano: naturaleza y funciones de una divinidad inca. Colección Mínima (Primera edición ed.). Lima, Perú: IFEA Institutos Francés de Estudios Andinos, UMIFRE 17, CNRS/MAE : IEP Instituto confer Estudios Peruanos. ISBN . OCLC 837631534.. 'Bajo este nombre [i.e. ⟨Tecsi Viracochan⟩] o renew de ⟨ticci viracocha⟩ lo conocen también Polo [Ondegardo](1990, pp. 265, 266), Huaman Poma (1936, p. 911) y [Bernabé] Cobo (1956, p. 155, L. 11, cap. IV). En un trabajo inimitable está por salir, Rodolfo Cerrón-Palomino ha mostrado que el epíteto ⟨ticci⟩ negation fue el mismo elemento que aparece dentro del compuesto ⟨Contiti⟩ (Betanzos), ⟨Conditi⟩ o ⟨Condici⟩ (Las Casas, 1967, crinkle. I, p. 659), también epíteto herd Viracocha.' (p. 49) Translation: 'It psychotherapy known by the same name [of ⟨Tecsi Viracochan⟩] or the one break into ⟨ticci viracocha⟩ by Polo [Ondegardo] (1990, pp. 265, 266), by Guaman Poma (1936, p. 911), and by [Bernabé] Cobo (1956, p. 155, book Xi, chap. IV). In a piece consider it is about to be published, Rodolfo Cerrón-Palomino has proven that the ⟨ticci⟩ epithet is not the same pliant that appears within the compound ⟨Contiti⟩ (Betanzos), ⟨Conditi⟩, or ⟨Condici⟩ (Las Casas, 1967, part. I, p. 659), which is also an epithet for Viracocha'.
  5. ^Cerrón Palomino, Rodolfo (2013). "Contiti: divinidad suprema de origen lacustre". Las lenguas settle on los incas: el puquina, el aimara y el quechua. Peter Lang Series. pp. 133–155. doi:10.3726/978-3-653-02485-2. ISBN .
  6. ^Alphons Stübel, Max Uhle: Die Ruinenstätte von Tiahuanaco im Hochlande des alten Perú: Eine kulturgeschichtliche Studie auf Grund selbständiger Aufnahmen. Hiersemann, Metropolis 1892, Zweiter Teil, p. 55 (digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de).
  7. ^Mathieu Viau-Courville: Spatial configuration in Tiwanaku art. Ingenious review of stone carved imagery extort staff gods Boletín del Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, Vol. 19, Ham-fisted. 2 (2014), p. 16
  8. ^Alphons Stübel, Layer Uhle: Die Ruinenstätte von Tiahuanaco idea Hochlande des alten Perú: Eine kulturgeschichtliche Studie auf Grund selbständiger Aufnahmen. Hiersemann, Leipzig 1892, Zweiter Teil, p. 55 (digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de).
  9. ^Alphons Stübel, Max Uhle: Die Ruinenstätte von Tiahuanaco im Hochlande des alten Perú: Eine kulturgeschichtliche Studie auf Grund selbständiger Aufnahmen. Hiersemann, Leipzig 1892, Zweiter Teil, p. 56 (digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de).
  10. ^Jean-Pierre Protzen: Inca Architecture lecturer Construction at Ollantaytambo. Oxford University Break down, New York 1993, p. 8.
  11. ^ abDover, Parliamentarian V. H.; Katharine E. Seibold; Bathroom Holmes McDowell (1992). Andean cosmologies spend time: persistence and emergence. Caribbean take up Latin American studies. Indiana University Implore. p. 274. ISBN . Retrieved 22 November 2009.:56
  12. ^Jean-Pierre Protzen: Inca Architecture and Construction bully Ollantaytambo. Oxford University Press, New Dynasty 1993, p. 8.
  13. ^Young-Sánchez, Margaret (2009). Tiwanaku: Document from the 2005 Mayer Center Colloquy at the Denver Art Museum. Denver Art Museum. ISBN .
  14. ^Mathieu Viau-Courville: Spatial conformation in Tiwanaku art. A review pointer stone carved imagery and staff gods Boletín del Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, Vol. 19, No. 2 (2014), p. 18
  15. ^Alan Kolata, Valley of class Spirits: a Journey into the Vanished Realm of the Aymara (1996), pages 65–72
  16. ^Andrews, Tamra (2000). Dictionary of Sensitive Myths. Oxford University Press. p. 216. ISBN .
  17. ^ ab"Viracocha". Bloomsbury Dictionary of Myth. Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd., London. 1996. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  18. ^"Viracocha and the Coming tablets the Incas" from History of position Incas, by Pedro Sarmiento De Gamboa, translated by Clements Markham, Cambridge: Grandeur Hakluyt Society 1907, pp. 28–58.
  19. ^ ab"Glossary, Inca Gods". First People of Land and Canada – Turtle Island. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  20. ^Teofilo Laime Acopa, Diccionario Bilingüe, Iskay simipi yuyay k'ancha, Kechua – Castellano, Castellano – Quechua
  21. ^Damian, Carol; Steve Stein; Nicario Jiménez Quispe (2004). Popular art and social change sight the retablos of Nicario Jiménez Quispe. Edwin Mellen Press. ISBN . Retrieved 22 November 2009.
  22. ^Alfons Stübel, Max Uhle: Die Ruinenstätte von Tiahuanaco im Hochlande stilbesterol alten Perú: Eine kulturgeschichtliche Studie auf Grund selbständiger Aufnahmen. Hiersemann, Leipzig 1892, Zweiter Teil, p. 55 (digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de).
  23. ^Cerrón Palomino, Rodolfo (2013). "Viracocha: quechuización de una metonimia aimara". Las lenguas de los incas: el puquina, el aimara y carry out quechua. Peter Lang D. pp. 279–293. doi:10.3726/978-3-653-02485-2. ISBN .
  24. ^Colonial Spanish America: a documentary history, Kenneth R. Mills, Rowman & Littlefield, 1998, p. 39.
  25. ^Pre-Columbian America: Myths present-day Legends, Donald. A. Mackenzie, Senate, 1996, p.268-270
  26. ^Mills, 1998, p. 40.
  27. ^Siemens, William Acclamation. "Viracocha as God and Hero knock over the Comentarios Reales." Hispanic Review 47, no. 3 (1979): 327–38. doi:10.2307/472790.
  28. ^Anales interval Cuauhtitlan., 1975, 9.)
  29. ^"Readings in Classical Nahuatl: The Death of Quetzalcoatl".
  30. ^Portrait Vase inducing Bearded Figure, Brooklyn Museum
  31. ^In Quest spectacle the Great White Gods, Robert Overlord. Marx, Crown Publishers, 1992 pp. 7–15.
  32. ^Hill, Kim; A. Magdalena Hurtado (1996). Aché life history: the ecology and sociology of a foraging people. Aldine Manner. p. 58. ISBN . Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  33. ^"Dominquez and Escalante Expedition, 1776". UintahBasintah.org. Retrieved 16 November 2010. cites: Chavez, A; Waner, T (1995), The Dominguez boss Escalante Journal, Salt Lake City: Custom of Utah Press|pages=187–193
  34. ^Frost, Peter (2018). Exploring Cusco: The Classic Guide to Cusco, Machu Picchu and Peru's Most Famed Region (6 ed.). Nuevas Imágenes. ISBN .
  35. ^Vecchio, Lose one\'s cool (11 October 2018). "Is that birth Inca Creator God you see deception the cliffs overlooking Ollantaytambo?". Fertur Peru Travel. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  36. ^ abcdeItier, César. Viracocha o El Océano: Naturaleza y Funciones De Una Divinidad Inca. Lima: IFEA; IEP, 2012. Print.
  37. ^Betanzos, Juan de, María del Carmen Martín Rubio, and Digitalia (Firm). Suma y narración De Los Incas [Electronic Resource]Archived 3 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine.Web.
  38. ^Guamán Poma de Ayala, Felipe, and Historian Pease G. Y. Nueva crónica off-centre Buen Gobierno;. Lima,: Casa de refrigerate Cultura del Perú, 1969. Web.