Of Summits and Sacrifice : An Ethnohistoric Study of Inka Religious Practices

6. Reasons for Worshipping Mountains

Six R e A S O n S F O R W O R S H I P P I n g M O U n TA I n S The chroniclers give numerous reasons for worshipping mountains. For the most part, the explanations fall into fifteen categories: (1) the extraordinary nature of peaks; (2) their prominent role in Andean mythology; (3) their role as “stepping stones” to higher gods; (4) their capacity to control meteorological phenomena; (5) their association with water; (6) their connection with human health; (7) their association with economic production; (8) their link with travel; (9) their capacity to frighten or intimidate; (10) their oracular functions; (11) their incorporation into sight-lines; (12) their function as markers of limits and boundaries ; (13) their role as unifiers of diverse people; (14) their symbolic role in the empire’s well-being; and (15) their manipulation to create and reinforce power relationships. These categories are not mutually exclusive, there being a fair amount of overlap between them. 1. the extraOrdinary nature Of peakS Andean groups revered mountains that were higher than others or unusual in some other way.1 According to Cobo,2 a hill was considered sacred when it was “different in shape or substance from those nearby, being formed of earth or sand, where the rest were rocky, or vice versa.”3 Acosta tells us that in the nazca area, on the south coast of Peru, was a hillock regarded as the principal waqa of the Hacari people. This peak was special and worthy of homage in that it consisted of sand, while the summits around it were of stone.4 As discussed in Chapter 4, garcilaso denies that the inhabitants of Peru considered mountains to be gods, but admits that high pinnacles that far surpassed nearby peaks were much esteemed, as were summits covered 118 Of Summits and Sacrifice with snow.5 Cobo discusses a mountain that probably had both of these characteristics. Referred to as Raurao Quiran, it was situated in the southeastern quarter of the Cuzco Valley and was venerated because of its large size;6 given that the word rao, which translates as “snow,”7 comprises part of the peak’s name, it very likely bore a mantle of white. Ulloa maintains that the Collagua revered Collaguata Volcano because it was snow-capped and stood out from adjacent pinnacles.8 Other mountains that were worshipped in southern Peru include Suquilpa, Omascota, and gualcagualca, all of which were lofty and blanketed in white.9 Cabeza de Vaca notes that the people living around La Paz, Bolivia, adored a high and perpetually snow-covered peak called Hillemana (Illimani).10 Albornoz asserts that the Yauyo and Huanca had Wallullu as their principal waqa,11 the Atavillo had Mount Yarovilca,12 and the Quito had Piccinca (Pichincha),13 each of which was large and occasionally snow-covered. There are numerous references in the ethnohistoric literature to Parya Qaqa. dávila mentions that a greatly esteemed summit by this name, situated in the province of the Yauyo, not far from Lima, was the loftiest point in the local mountain range and had a snowy mantle.14 The Huarochirí manuscript says that the god Parya Qaqa was closely identified with one or more pinnacles blanketed in white.15 Why were the inhabitants of the Andes preoccupied with snow? One explanation is that when a peak was covered in white, it looked more impressive , and probably seemed more worthy of reverence. Also, water from the melting snows was used to irrigate the crops.16 I will explore the latter idea later in the chapter. 2. the prOminent rOle Of mOuntainS in andean mythOlOgy Another reason for worshipping mountains was because they played significant roles in the mythical histories of Andean peoples,17 particularly in origin stories. This subject is discussed at length in Chapter 4, so I will summarize the main points here. Several authors tell us that high summits were conceived of as living and divine beings. Paz reports that the natives of the Quito area considered the sacred volcanoes Chimborazo and Tunguragua to be, respectively, male and female, husband and wife, and lovers.18 Some pinnacles represented the projection of a local legend onto the landscape. In a story from Huarochirí, after Parya Qaqa defeats Wallullu and chases him to the lowlands, he makes sure that the volcano- Reasons for Worshipping Mountains 119 god never returns...