Inca Mythology

Originating from the varied topography of Peru, consisting of coastal plains, rugged mountains, and lowland jungles, the Incas, also spelled Inkas, were South American Indians who lived in the Andes mountains during the 1300s. Starting as one of many small groups of natives, the Incas would inevitably grow into the most powerful and largest empire of Pre-Columbian America. Cuzco, located in the Andes of what is now Peru, was the capital of the Inca empire. Over time, the Incas gradually expanded, majoritively using methods of conquest as opposed to diplomacy, which proved ineffective, to absorb surrounding villages. Pachacuti, an Inca ruler, is credited with founding the Inca empire as “he and his descendants made the Inca state into a vast empire that stretched from southern Colombia south into Chile and covered much of modern Bolivia and part of Argentina” (“Inca Mythology”). Flourishing throughout the 1400s and 1500s, the Inca empire would spread throughout South America. Additionally, at the height of the Inca empire, “the Incas built a network of roads as well as temples, fortresses, and other public buildings” (“Inca Mythology”). For example, the Inca Sun temple was built to pay tribute to the sun inside Machu Picchu (“Inca Mythology”).
 

Focusing on their foundations, the Inca’s bolstered a sense of superiority regarding themselves,” tailor[ing] their mythology to glorify their own culture and to reinforce the idea that they were a superior people destined to rule others” (“Inca Mythology”). The Inca’s superiority complex, bolstered by their mythology of ancestry, is depicted through their empire. Absorbing the myths of various cultures that were conquered during their reign, the Inca’s would often “rework” the newly acquired beliefs and rekindle them with a “pro-Inca” quality that reinforced Inca principles. Furthermore, “although they allowed their subjects to continue to worship their own gods, they expected everyone in the empire to participate in the state religion and to worship the Inca deities” (“Inca Mythology”). In other words, the conquered sects of the Inca Empire were provided a leniency that those directly affiliated with the empire were not (“Inca Mythology”).

 

Virtually all forms of empires and civilizations have suffered societal collapse regardless of size or influence. The Inca Empire, starting in 1531, endured assaults from Spanish conquistadors, causing the collapse of the empire just one year later. As a result of the demise of the Inca Empire, a majority of the Incas were converted to Christianity by the Spanish, virtually eradicating pagan belief in the area. Since the Incas had no written language and, therefore, their myths were not recorded in writing, Spanish converters and those of the military recorded what was known of the mythology. The Incas, who were majoritively now newly converted Christians, also recorded the mythology. Furthermore, “though somewhat colored by European and Christian views and values, these accounts offer a glimpse into the mythology of the Incas' mountain empire” (“Inca Mythology”). In other words, the recording of Inca mythology was marked, stained by Christian and European values, creating a composite mythology that is known today. Furthermore, “professional storytellers and performers recited the official state history, which contained both fact and myth” (“Inca Mythology”). In other words, Inca mythology, religion, society, and history remained interwoven as myth could not be discerned from history (“Inca Mythology”).