Inca gods: names and meaning

The pre-Columbian peoples they had in common a series of characteristics about their deities, the most notable being that all their gods were related to nature. In this lesson from a TEACHER we will talk about the names and meanings of the Inca godsThus, we will meet the most important gods of the Inca pantheon in addition to mentioning the lower gods, pointing out the activities that they carried out in the life of this people.

For the Inca people, the world is divided into three planes that communicate with each other, although these communications can only be made by divinities:

• Hanan pacha: It was him heavenly world, that is, where the gods lived. Only a few people could access this world, the fairest; therefore, we will find a judgment after the death of the person in which their actions in the earthly world were judged. That way we can even buy it with the Egyptian pantheon, which had the same idea of ​​a trial after death.
• Kay Pacha: is he underworld, the creation of the gods inhabits it and it is the acts that they do in it that will allow them to enter the world of the gods or not.
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• Uku Pacha: is he dead's world. Contrary to the Christian religion, it is not an evil world, but a place where unborn children go, as well as being the place where the dead went. According to his ideology, this world was communicated with the Kay Pacha through the caves or fountains that They flowed from the mountains, places where very important rituals were performed within life Andean.

In this other lesson we will discover the differences between the Aztecs, the Incas and the Mayanss.

Continuing with our lesson on names and meanings of the Inca gods We will focus, now, on the most important point of this because we will see one by one the most important Andean gods.

Viracocha

A god before the Inca world because he had known himself from time immemorial. He possibly he would be a deity belonging to the Peruvian nomadic peoples that inhabited the Andean area, hence, since his birth, he was moving through various areas.

He seems to be that he arises in the waters and after a long journey he decided to create heaven and earth, therefore, he is the god of creation. On his travels he was accompanied by Inti, a magical bird who knew what had happened and what would happen. For this reason, the Inca emperors adorned their crowns with large feathers to simulate that they belonged to Inti, which provided them with the necessary knowledge to reign.

This Inca god is represented with a rod in each hand as spears.

Inti

Besides being Viraocha's traveling companion, he was the God of the sun. The offerings he received were large, especially being gold / silver, young people and animals and his temples were all over the Inca empire.

This deity is represented with a golden disc and human features.

Pacha Mama

Goddess of the earth, to her the cults for the fertility of the crops were carried out, therefore, the offerings had to be be large, otherwise he might make the harvests not big enough.

Pachacamac

He is the God of earthquakes. He was also considered the creator of the world, therefore, it is usually associated with Viracocha. An unscrupulous god is how he is represented in his mythology, even going so far as to kill one of his sons and his own woman, would be dethroned by Wichama, another of his sons, who, thanks to his cunning, was able to deceive his father and thus end he.

We know that Pachacamac's wife was killed by her husband and sent to the land cut into small pieces, which fertilized the land.

Continuing with our lesson on names and meanings of the Inca gods, we have to mention some of the most worshiped lower gods.

Mama Cocha

Goddess of the seaThe fishermen entrusted themselves to her so that the waters remained calm, in addition to being able to fish in abundance. She was also highly revered by women, as she was the goddess of everything related to the female world.

Coco mama

Goddess of health and happinessAccording to legend, it was split in two and one of its parts originated the coca plant, widely consumed by the Andean people, according to their mentality, these plants gave health and happiness.

Supay

The god of the dead, besides being also the evil spirits of the underworld. At present, the demon is known by that name in the indigenous areas of Peru or Bolivia.