Legend of Wiracocha, principal god and creator of the Incas
Mythica Ecuador™ – A story behind your purchased Poncho
The Incas worshiped several deities, among them the INTI or SUN; but they had only one main god, Wiracocha, the creator of all things in the universe as conceived by the Incas.
Who was Wiracocha?
He is the great god, the creator of pre-Inca and Inca mythology in the Andean region of South America. His full name is said to be Apu Qun Tiqsi Wiraqucha and Con-Tici (also spelled Kon-Tiki) Viracocha.
Wiracocha was one of the most important deities of the Inca Empire, considered as the creator of all things or the substance from which all things originate; he was closely related to the sea and the beginning of life on the planet.
Wiracocha was as important as the sun god (learn more about the Festival of the Sun or “Inti Raymi: The Festival of the Sun and the Harvests”) and the god of storms. In some representations, Wiracocha can be seen wearing the sun as a crown, with a ray in each of his hands and tears in his eyes in the form of rain.
The story of Wiracocha
Wiracocha created the sun, the moon, the stars, he also created humanity by blowing on the stones and from this first creation brainless giants resulted which he did not like; so he destroyed them with a flood, and from the smallest stones he created a better humanity.
Finally, Wiracocha disappeared into the Pacific Ocean (walking on water) never to return. He traveled the world disguised as a beggar, teaching his new creation the basics of civilization, as well as performing numerous miracles. Some sources indicate that he wept upon seeing the suffering of the creatures he had created.
It was believed that Wiracocha would reappear in times of difficulty to once again bring light to his creations that had lost their way.
The Legends of Wiracocha
One of the legends of Wiracocha says that he had a son whom he called Inti, and two daughters, Mama Quilla and Pachamama.
In this legend, he destroys the people of Lake Titicaca with a great flood called Unu Pachakuti, saving only two humans to bring civilization to the rest of the world; These two beings are Manco Capac, son of Inti (sometimes taken as the son of Viracocha), whose name means “splendid foundation”, and Mama Ocllo, which means “mother of fertility”.
The two searched for an appropriate place where the golden rod called ‘Tapac-Yauri’ would sink to found the Inca civilization.
In another legend, it is related that he was the father of the first eight civilized human beings. In some stories, he has a wife named Mama Cocha.
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