Inca Deities of Mythology
Inca mythology was a system of beliefs and rites related to a way of life, that evolved from pre-Inca times to the Inca Empire, with the Sun as the empire's god and soul. The Inca's religion strived to be in harmony with nature, and they deified every aspect of their surroundings. Initially, Inca beliefs were simple; they only worshiped the Sun god Inti, and the Earth goddess Pachamama, to whom they offered rites and sacrifices. Some deities were known by different names in different provinces of the Inca Empire, but all of them were eventually unified, to form the true Inca pantheon of divinities. The Incas absorbed the myths and legends of the cultures they conquered as their empire grew. Although the Inca allowed their subjects to continue worshiping their own deities, they expected everyone in the empire to participate in the state religion, and worship the Inca pantheon. They crafted their mythology to glorify their own culture, and reinforce the notion that they were superior people destined to rule over others. Since the Incas had no written language at the time, they did not record their myths in writing. Instead, a group of storytellers recited these tales, which included both fact and myth, to prevent them from being lost to time. Let us travel to the Andes Mountains, home of the Inca civilization, and learn more about their extraordinary divine beings, on this new chapter, Inca Mythology.
