Research

The Capac Raymi' was one of many religous ceremonies that would occur in Incan Society. It
was celebrated around the time of the summer solstice. During this festival they would honor
the Inca sun god Inti. Who was said to be the father of the first Inca emperor Manco Cpac.
The 'Capac Raymi' was a ceremony for the young men of upper class society where they
would be accepted into the community. The boys' ears would be pierced and large spools
that were worn by Inca royalty would be inserted.
The 'Inti Raymi' was celebrated during winter and was also a festival that worshipped the sun
god. This was because in winter the sun is furthest away from the earth and because of the
Incas fear of famine they would feast for days on a a lavish banquet of meat and beg for the
sun to return A white llama would be sacrificed and a high priest would hold the heart up.
This is to ensure the fertility of the earth. The priest would then predict their future.

Capacocha was a sacrificial ceremony that was celebrated in the Inca society. A specific
selection of children would be choosen from all parts of the Inca Empire, order to be trained
and prepared for the ritual. This selection was made every year and those chosen were
destined to become sacrificial victims. These sacrificial victims were offerings to the sun god
'Inti' or to 'Viracocha'. It was also used in events like war and famine as they believed that this
was a sign that the gods were upset and the sacrifices would please the gods. The cermony
would take place in the Inca capital of Cuzco and the sacrifices would be sanctified by priests
who woud offer the sacrifices to 'Viracocha'. The sacrifices would then be taken along the
sacred roads that linked the capital to the provinces. Here they would be either clubbed to
death, strangled with a cord, or having a their throat slit, before a burial would take place.
Another alternative action would be being buried alive in a constructed tomb. These practices
served two main purposes: to renew the bond between the inca state and the people of the
provinces, and to confirm the Incas lordship.

As the Incas relied heavily on agriculture in order for their society to function effectively it was
very important to them to hold rituals that would honor the gods who make their crops grow.
During the feast each day a ritual chanting begins at dawn when the sun rises. It then grows
to a crescendo at noon, and finishes with silence by dusk. Burnt offerings of llamas are given
to the sun god. The Inca royalty are dressed in clothing that is comprised of both silver and
gold.

The Incas had used sacred objects, had held rituals on sacred locations.
Examples of sacred places, areas and objects: the Vilcanota or Wilcamayu,
the "Sacred River" , which is a section of the Urubamba River, the Sacred
Valley of the Incas , the Intihuatana Stone , the Golden Sun Disk (a diskshaped golden object representing the Sun - this was one of the most
important Inca treasures that the Spaniards and many explorers and
treasure hunters were looking for and some are still searching for.) The
sacred objects and elements of nature of the Incas were called "huaca".
These could be rivers, mountains or even man-made objects, like temples,

stones.
Periodically, ceremonies implicating the offering of huacas had take place
during the Inca times.
For example, inside houses, the huacas were placed into wall niches
(rectangular holes) and offerings were periodically brought to them. The Incas
believed that these offerings will contribute to the balance of nature and
society. The Incas believed that they can this way influence their well-being,
happiness and even crop production.
The Incas believed in afterlife. They cared deeply for their dead, whom they
had embalmed before burial, mummified and had placed into tombs.
Afterwards, the relatives had brought food and various other objects to their
beloveds' resting place. They believed that the dead could hear them and
would use the multitude of objects that were brought there.
The bodies of the dead were also considered to be huacas.
After the death of the emperor, the priests would come to their resting place
and talk to the dead ruler. It is believed that the priests had the ability to
communicate with the souls of the dead rulers, who were in another
dimension (another World, you might call it heaven).
Offerings were periodically brought to the dead ruler's tombs and servants
also came to attend.

There were two main Inca gods: Inti and Viracocha (Wiracocha).
Viracocha was the supreme god. The word "Viracocha" meant something like
"sea foam".
The Incas believed that after God Paricia had flooded the World, Viracocha
had revived it. The flooding was created by Paricia because people had been
unkind and unfaithful to him.
After the flood, Viracocha had created people out of clay and had created
languages and songs for them.
The Sun, Moon and stars were also created by Viracocha, who has assigned
them places on the sky.
When Viracocha wasn't venerated by its followers who has lost their faith, the
god punished them by turning them into stone.
Viracocha has two sons. The Incas believed that his sons could walk on
water.

The other important god was Inti, the Sun God.

The Incas believed that Inti had descendants on Earth, this was the royal Inca
family.
Inti was often represented on gold-made Sun-representing disks. On those
disks, the sun had a human face.
Inti had 4 sons and was believed to have been the ancestor of the Incas.

Here is a list of other important Inca gods:

Apu or Apo: the mountain god
Apocatequil: the god of lightning
Apu Illampu: the god of thunder
Apu Punchau: the "head of the day"
Ca Ata Quilla or Ka Ata Quilla: goddess of the Moon
Catequil: god of thunder and lightning
Cavillaca: virgin goddess, impregnated by the Moon God, Coniraya
Chasca: goddess of the planet Venus of the dawn and the dusk, protector of
young girls
Chasca Coyllur: god of flowers and protector of maidens
Cocomama or Coco Mama: goddess of health, wellbeing, wealth and
happiness
Con or Kon: god of rain and southern wind
Conira Viracocha or Konira Viracocha: Viracocha disguised as a traveler.
He thought to have disguised himself into a traveler in rags and walked
between people, observing and creating. He created the agricultural
terraces (andinas) and he made the water flow.
Coniraya: the Moon god
Copacati: lake goddess
Ekkeko: god of personal property, wealth
Illapa: weather god (rain, storm, lightning, thunder)
Imahmana Viracocha or Imaymana Viracocha: son of Viracocha. Together
with his brother, he was sent by his father to Earth to verify if people follow his
commandments. He and his brother taught people essential things about life,
like: which plants can be eaten and which are poisonous, they also gave
names to the plants.
Mama Allpa: goddess of earth and harvest.
Mama Cocha or Cochamama: goddess of the sea, venerated by fishermen
and sailors
Mama Oello: the mother goddess of the Incas, she taught the Incas spinning
Mama Pacha or Pachamama: earth goddess, venerated by those who
planted crops
Mama Quilla: wife of Inti, linked to marriages and feast days, she was the
protector of married women. She is represented on a silver disc with a human

face.
Manco Cpac: god of fire, son of Inti. He is the youngest of Inti's 4 sons, he
killed one of his brothers, closed one forever in a cave and exiled the third. He
is believed to have created the city of Cuzco (Cusco) .
Pachacmac: earth god, a creator god, son of Inti
Pariacaca: god of rain and water
Paricia: he had once flooded Earth because mankind made him angry
Punchau: sun god ,warrior
Tocapo Viracocha: son of Viracocha. Together with his brother, he was sent
by his father to Earth to verify if people follow his commandments. He and his
brother taught people essential things about life, like: which plants can be
eaten and which are poisonous, they also gave names to the plants.
Supay: god of death and the greedy leader of the underworld
Urcaquary: god of underground treasures and buried riches
Vichama: son of Inti and god of death
Zaramama: goddess of grain and corn

-Priests and priestesses were thought to be able to do the bidding

of the gods, so they were highly honored and often part of the royal
family.
-Priestesses were expected to perform the hair combing ceremony
which celebrated the coming of age for a girl.
-A girl would become a women during her hair combing ceremony
and would choose her new name.
-The most beautiful and talented girls were sent to Cuzco to
become princesses or the brides of rulers.
-When the ceremonies were performed, many people gathered to
celebrate with dancing that generally followed all of the religious
ceremonies.
-The priests were mainly advisers and counselors to the royal
family, but they would counsel others on occasion.
-They also helped heal the sick and performed ceremonies.
-They also did what most priests do today, telling people about the
gods and relaying messages and good or bad fortune to the people.
-The Sapa Inca led the government and religion.
-He married his sister. She was called the Coya. She was the most
important wife.
-One of their sons became the next Sapa Inca when his father
died.
-The high priest was a brother of the Sapa Inca. He and his priests
came from the upper classes.
-They also helped the government.Other priests worked at the

temples in the villages. They did the rituals, they led worship, and
they offered sacrifices.
-Some priests predicted the future.
-Beautiful young girls went to live at the temple. They learned to
weave fine cloth. They also brewed beer from maize (corn).Some of
these girls married nobles. One might even marry the Sapa Inca.
Others stayed in the temple and became priestesses.

The Inca priests prayed daily to the

gods.They also led the festivals. Priests were
powerful because they could read signs the
signs from the gods.They saw signs from the
gods in just about anything. Inca Religion &
Priests
the high priests confirmed the choice of who
will be the next spa inca ( the emperor) They
were also military leaders others also took
care of royal mummies
Inca medicine is a complicated mix of many practices and beliefs. They
believe that sicknesses were the work of supernatural forces. Also if an Inca
broke a law, sinned against any god or lied, it was enough reason to become
sick. Their religion and healthcare were very closely intertwined, as Inca
priests were also doctors, and the cures they used were often more magic than
medicine since they used charms, chants and spells. Still, to cure someone,
they used herbs and minerals with prayers and magic spells. Yet the Inca
doctors were more advanced than the Europeans at the time.

In the Inca society, a wedding was not a joyous celebration. [ citation

needed ]
Instead, it was looked at more as a business-like agreement.
Therefore, for the Inca, marriage was an economic agreement
between two families. Once a woman was married, she was
expected to collect food and cook, watch over the animals and the
children. [ citation needed ] A womans household obligations would not
change after she became pregnant. When she did find out she
was pregnant she prayed and made offerings to an Inca god,

Kanopa

Priestesses would the hair combing ceremony, which was when a girl coming of age would
be sent to the capital Cuzco they would become either brides or princesses.of rulers and
would choose their new name. Only the most beautiful girls would be chosen. Many people
would gather to watch and dance

Social organisations
The sapa inca which means unique or only inca was the head of power of the
inca empire, who was viewed as a living god, sun of the sun god inti. The title
was passed down to the sapa incas sisters son so the only way for the title to be
handed down to his own son so was by marrying his own sister. The emperer
was allowed many wives but his queen would be called coya who was also a
desent from inti, the sapa inca would still have more power and respect over the
coya. His desicons were helped by inca nobles who were highly eductaed priests
and army of>icals. Women would usllay end up working in >ields and men
becoming warriors people at this social level were called Ayllu, and they were
expected to work the land and take care of the cattle.
, women were premitted to be married at the age of 16 and men at the age of 20,
men of a lower rank in society were only allowed one wive unlike the sapa inca.
Women could only marry men of the same social class but if they were choosen
as acllamus which means choosen girl this is judged on beauty when they are
aged 10 they are then taken to serve the sapa inca or preists and nobles. Manual
laborer were usllay done by the incas slaves who were from conqured lands.,
people were divided into groups and given jobs decideing on their age even
children were given jobs wether that be picking wild plants in woods or >locking
llamas, the incas had schools were they learned about reliqoun and math only
inca people or nobles were allowed to go, also fathers taught their sons their
skills and mothers taught their dutfghters their skills. Every able bodied man
was to serve in the army as part of their tax in some time of their lives. Nobles
were reffred as royal famiy only inca people good move up in oscitey to become
a noble they could do this by being well educated or be a succesful warrior you
could also move up I the social levels if you arried some on ein the social class
above you even though you cannot marry some one in different classes but if
some one above you chooses you then you can.

Cheif god is viracocha, the creator. He was said to have created everything
including the other gods. People only prayed to him in times of very great
trouble.
The Incas also worshipped Inti, the sun. this is the most important god after
Viracocha and as the father of the royal family. The wife of the sun was the moon,
the goddess Mamaquilla.
Other gods and goddesses also played an important part in daily life. The
goddess Pacamama , Mother Earth, was probably worshipped most often by
peasants af the highlands, as she would help there crops grow.
Incas Thought many objects were sacred, these are known as Huacas. They
could be anything, A temple, a hill or a stone. Each had its own spirit. When an
Inca approched a Huaca they did it with care so they didnt annoy the spirit or
god. The Inca would leave and offering, food or clothing, this would stop the
spirit from doing any damage.
The Incas had no writting of their own, what we know about their religeon is based
mostly on the accounts written by spanish of:icials and priests in the 1500s. The problem
with this evidence is that it is prejudiced because it uses European ideas to describe an
unfamiliar religion.
Some Inca temples were so closely connected with the worship of the sun that the
Spaniards called them sun temples. Inside the temples were discs of of beaten gold, each
one representing the sun and all its power.
Inca temples could be small, single roomed buildings in remote valleys, or large,
sprawling complexes housing many priests and their attendants. The main temple was at
Cuzco, the inca Capital, and this was where the high preist lived. He was a relative of the
emperor. Other people who lived in the temples were lesser preists, monks and servants.
Preists were called upon to make sacri:ices to the gods, cure illnesses, foretell the future
and generally care for the lives of the people in their area.

The sapa inca which means unique or only inca was the head of power of the

inca empire, who was viewed as a living god, sun of the sun god inti and what
he said was law. The title was passed down to the sapa incas sisters son so
the only way for the title to be handed down to his own son so was by
marrying his own sister. The emperor was allowed many wives but his queen
would be called coya who was also a descent from inti, the sapa inca would
still have more power and respect over the coya. His decisions were helped
by inca nobles who were highly educated priests and army officials. Nobles
were seen as royal family only inca. people good move up in society. To
become a noble they could do this by being well educated or be a successful
warrior, you could also move up Iin the social levels if you married some one
in the social class above you, even though you cannot marry some one in
different classes, but if some one above you chooses you then you can.