Amaru (mythology)

In mythology of Andean
civilizations of South America,
the amaroca, amaruca
(quechua) or katari (aymara)
is a mythical serpent or
dragon, most associated with
Amaru the Tiwanaku and Inca
empires. In Inca mythology,
amaruca is a huge double-
headed serpent that dwells underground, at the bottom of lakes and
rivers.[1] Illustrated with the heads of a bird and a puma, amaruca
can be seen emerging from a central element in the center of a
stepped mountain or pyramid motif in the Gateway of the Sun at
Tiwanaku, Bolivia. When illustrated on religious vessels, amaruca
is often seen with bird-like feet and wings,[2] so that it resembles a
dragon. Amaruca is believed capable of transgressing boundaries An amaru depicted on a Qiru.
to and from the spiritual realm of the subterranean world.[2]

See also
List of dragons in mythology and folklore
Religion in the Inca Empire

References
1. Steele, Paul R. (2004). "Encyclopedia of Mythic Narratives, Themes, and Concepts".
Handbook of Inca Mythology (https://archive.org/details/handbookofincamy0000stee). Santa
Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. pp. 95 (https://archive.org/details/handbookofincamy0000stee/pa
ge/95)–98. ISBN 1576073548.
2. Smith, S. (2011). "Generative landscapes: the step mountain motif in Tiwanaku
iconography" (http://www.precolumbia.com/bearc/CAAS/AA12.pdf) (Automatic PDF
download). Ancient America. 12: 1–69.

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