By: Brianna Riggle, Mia Morris, and Victoria Prehm Period

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Table of Contents:
Introduction.3

The Main Gods of the Incas4

By: Victoria Prehm
Inca Gods and Goddesses5
By: Mia Morris
Comparing Religion to the Incas...6
By: Brianna Riggle

Quiz Questions7

Fun Facts.8

Glossary...9

Conclusion.....10

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Introduction
The Incas were a native tribe to the country known as South America in a city near Peru, Brazil. They
lived in the Andes Mountains and worshipped a multitude of Gods. The Gods power ranged from the depths of
the dark, cold sea to the peak of the frosty, bitter mountains. Viracocha to them was like Jesus, or Buddha is to
us today, the main god. The creator above all else. Inti, the god of the sun, was legend as Viracochas own son.
Made in togetherness of Viracocha and Mama Cocha Inti was born. Together, the three combined their powers
to create other gods, known now as Apu or Apu all. God of the Mountains or the group of the Gods. The Incan
tribe was found to have Polytheistic beliefs which means, they worship, or believe in more than one God, as
opposed to Monotheism which serves one God and one God only. The Incas still carry on today in many towns
near Cuzco or Cusco, and many still believe in the same Gods as they did 500 years ago.

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The Main Gods of the Incas

By: Victoria Prehm

Gods were a significant part of the Incan culture. For example, Paricia, a powerful god, flooded the
earth; soon after, Viracocha, arose from the sea and formed people out of clay and made a language for them
as well. (Viracocha, the first god created Mama Cocha, the sea god. Then, together the two gods created a
plethora of gods including, Inti, the sun god, and so on together created Apu.) It was he who created the first
Sapa(high) Inca, Monco Capa, as well as his full blooded sister(and his wife) Mama Ocllo from the waters of the
Lake Titicaca, and told them to move from that place and create a new civilization, Brien Forester stated in the
article Origin of the Inca of Peru. Although Paricia was a very important god, Viracocha was the most praised.
The next highly praised god would be Inti, the sun god; most of the temples of the Incan village were for Inti. The
high praise come into place because Inti was in charge of all of the crops. Also, Vichama (god of death) and
Mancocapac (god of fire) are both the sons of the sun god Inti. Furthermore, Intis wife was Momma Quilla who
was also known as Momma Kilaya. Momma Quilla was the daughter of Momma Cocha. Momma Quilla was the
goddess of the moon. She ruled over menstrual cycles, and marriage. In addition, silver was believed to be
Momma Quillas tears. Love for Momma Quilla, made Incas afraid of lunar eclipsis. They thought that the shadow
on the moon was attacking her. In conclusion, these main gods were an essential part of the Incan society.

Figure 2: Inti god of the

Sun
Figure 3: Momma Quilla goddess
of the moon

Figure 1: Viracocha
the creator God

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Incan Gods and Goddesses

Viracocha and Inti were not the only gods that were worshipped by the Incan people. Incas had a multitude of
gods and goddesses that were aspects of the earth. To begin with, the Incan people had weather gods; Apocatequil, the
god of lightening, Apuillampu, god of thunder, Catequil, god of thunder and lightning, Illapa, the weather god, Pariacaca,
rain and water, Punchu, sun and warrior god, and lastly, Con, the god of southern wind and rain. Moreover, they also had
gods that had aspects of plants and nature; Zaramama, god of grain and corn, Pachamama, earth goddess venerated by
those who planted crops, and Chasca Coyllur, goddess of flowers and maidens. Even though Incas had gods of nature,
they also had gods and goddesses that were not exactly Earth aspects. For example, Supay was the god of death,
Vichama, god of death and son of Inti, Ekkeko, god of personal property and wealth, and lastly, Urcaquary, god of
underground treasure and buried riches.
Many places became shrines to the gods and goddesses that the Incas worshipped. Places like rocks, mountain
peaks, caves, and natural spring offerings were shrines to Incas and they would worship many of their gods. To praise
and worship their gods and goddesses, the priests presided over sacrifices. Although llamas and guinea pigs were food to
the Incas, they were also sacrificed during rituals. When disasters occurred, or when they held very sacred ceremonies,
women and/or children would be sacrificed. Sacred ceremonies were not occasional. Even though they freely continued
these rituals to please their gods, they still feared them. Fear of what the gods and goddesses might do to them were part
of the reasons why rituals were done by the Incas.
Many people already know that the Incas had Emperors. They ruled the land and the people, but what
happened after they died? After they died, the bodies of the dead emperors were mummified and buried with personal
items. Even though they were dead and no longer have a working heart, the Incas still considered them special and
sacred. They would visit them and have conversations with them. Decedents of the deceased would eat and enjoy
ceremonies with them. Dead emperors were treated as though they were alive and well.
Not only were emperors kept safe while they were dead, but also ancestors of Incan families. Incas also
worshiped their ancestors. The souls of the dead played a protective role in the lives of the ancestors decedents. They
were also treated as though they were alive like the emperors. Bodies were mummified and entombed, and of course,
buried with their most prized possessions. Depending on the area, the dead were sewn into fresh llama-hide, also known
as llama skin, and were kept in their familys home.
In conclusion, The Incan people worshipped many gods and goddesses that were aspects of nature and Earth.
Not only did they worship them, they feared them. Incas worshipped their gods and also held sacrificial rituals to please
their gods. Dead rulers and Ancestors were also worshipped and treated like they were alive. They mummified the bodies
and buried them with riches and prized possessions. Some were even kept in llama skin inside of their home, depending
on the area. In other words, worship and religion was a big impact on their life.

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Comparing religion to the Incas

By: Brianna Riggle
Polytheism compares to many other religions, such as: Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hindu,
Islamic, Muslim, Mormon, Lutheran/Baptist, Atheist, Paganism, Jehovah Witness, Judaism, Spiritualism, Bahai,
etc Whereas, Monotheism is a category that worships one god, as opposed to Polytheism; a religion that
worships multiple gods. Similarly, The belief system of Incas was Polytheistic, meaning the Icas worshipped
many gods, and believed that there was a god for every aspect of the Earth.(Peru-Facts.co.uk) The gateway,
and doors of the coricancha were covered with sheets of gold. The Coricancha was a very well treated, and
respected place of worship. In addition, Huacas are temples that were used for after death, or places of burial
where it would give
the
soul
an
opportunity
to
reincarnate.(Watts)
The Inca religion
consisted of praying
to Huacas, or
sacred
objects,
ceremonies, and
death
rituals.
Because the Inca
Royal
Family
identified
themselves with the sun, it is no accident that the greatest temples in the empire were dedicated to Inti. Incas
believed that praying, and sacrificing was a good way to keep nature balanced. Polytheism in the Incan times,
was sacrificing people. Monotheism tends to sacrifice plants, animals, or incense. Monotheism is based off of
the Greek language, making Polytheism based off of the Egyptians. Moreover, the Spaniards didnt find worship
important, but were also mainly monotheistic, causing conflict between the two tribes. Apu All is a group or
collection of the Incan Gods. There were nine total gods, who mostly had to do with the sky, but also did the
Earth, opposing all monotheistic religions. In fact, polytheism is normally practiced in temples, with idols, and
mostly praying to the idols. The biblical people were also partially polytheistic. Religious culture might still
maintain on into the future as it has in the past.

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Quiz Questions:
1. Who was the main God and who did he/she create?

2. What was the name of Viracochas son?

3. Who was the first Goddess, and what did she control?

4. Why did the Incas worship more than one god?

5. What was the place of worship called?

6. Did Inti have any brothers or sisters?

7. Give a short response on what you think about the Incas and what they could have
changed to end up more successful.

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Fun Facts:
~One of the Incas traditions was to climb into the heights of the Andes and place children in
frozen caves with Idols, Beads, Gold and Silver, and many other treasures of theirs for the
mountain god. They would do this with at least 3-4 children each travel.
~The reason children were sacrificed was because they were the purest at heart and mind.
~Children were beaten on the head until dead as another form of sacrifice.
~The Conquistadors, (the Incan enemy) was in disagreement with the Incas belief in religion.
~Slaving over the land was a common duty.
~Cannibalism was found to be a part of blessing from the Gods, and was made into a ritual.
~Inti - Inti was the most important of the gods to the Inca. He was the god of the sun. The
emperor, or Inca Sapa, was said to be a descendent of Inti. Inti was married to the Goddess of the
Moon, Mama Quilla.
~Mama Quilla - Mama Quilla was the goddess of the Moon. She was also the goddess of marriage
and the defender of women. Mama Quilla was married to Inti the god of the Sun. The Inca
believed that lunar eclipses occurred when Mama Quilla was being attacked by an animal.
~Pachamama - Pachamama was the goddess of Earth or "Mother Earth". She was responsible for
farming and the harvest.
~Viracocha - Viracocha was the first god who created the Earth, the sky, the other gods, and
humans.
~Supay was the god of death and ruler of the Inca underworld called the Uca Pacha.
http://www.ducksters.com/history/inca/mythology_and_religion.php
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Glossary:
God- the Supreme Being considered with reference to a particular attribute
Sacred- devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated
Ceremonies- the formal activities conducted on some solemn or important public or state occasion
Plethora- Plenty of something, excess, much of a being or item
Venerated- to regard or treat with reverence
Reincarnate- to give another body to
Polytheism~ the worship of many other gods
Monotheism~ the worship of only one god.
Ritual~ a celebrational tradition

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Conclusion:
The Gods have played a crucial role in being a part of the Incas history. Religion
in Southern Peru, could change or stay the same for another 500 years. It all really
depends on how our history effects the people of the future.

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