The great Inca civilization of South America was ruled from 1438 to 1471 A.D. by Pachacuti (or Pachacutec). The drawing to the left is a 1615 portrayal of Pachacuti. The Incas had no writing system but their oral traditions and hymns were passed down through the centuries and later recorded by chroniclers and missionaries.
In 1575 Cristobel de Molia recorded Incan hymns and their associated traditions in the Inca language. These traditions trace back to the reign of Pachacuti. A 17th century Indian chronicler by the name of Yamqui Salcamayga Pachacuti also preserved a hymn from this time period.
These hymns reveal that Pachacuti abandoned Incan worship of the sun god Inti in order to worship an omnipotent God by the name of Viracocha. There is a shrine to Viracocha in the upper Vilcanota Valley and the hymns reveal that Pachacuti's father claimed to receive counsel from Viracocha. Viracocha told Pachacuti's father that he was the Creator of all things.
What are the qualities and attributes of Virocacha as revealed by these Incan hymns and traditions? That will be the topic of my next posting.
These hymns reveal that Pachacuti abandoned Incan worship of the sun god Inti in order to worship an omnipotent God by the name of Viracocha. There is a shrine to Viracocha in the upper Vilcanota Valley and the hymns reveal that Pachacuti's father claimed to receive counsel from Viracocha. Viracocha told Pachacuti's father that he was the Creator of all things.
What are the qualities and attributes of Virocacha as revealed by these Incan hymns and traditions? That will be the topic of my next posting.
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