THE inca culture it is the result of the fusion of customs from various Andean civilizations.
Many peoples settled in a territory between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean and remained isolated due to geographical conditions.
However, they had domesticated cotton, used pottery, as well as alpaca and vicuna wool to dress themselves. Also, its sacred food was corn and it is estimated that there were about 200 different species of this grain.
As for metals, they used gold, silver and copper in their adornments and pieces used in religious rites.
inca peoples
The oldest existing civilization in the central Andes is Caral (3000 and 1800 a. C.) contemporary of peoples like the Egyptians, Indians or Chinese.
The Mochicas, Chavín, Nazca, Inca, Lambayeque-Chimu, Paracas, among many others also developed there.
inca religion
The Inca religion was polytheistic and sacrifices, festivals and temples were dedicated to the gods. Like all agricultural societies, its myths, its way of counting time and relating to the world were based on nature.
Therefore, like animals and plants, the human being fulfilled the vital cycle: being born, growing, reproducing and dying.
For the Inca people there were three worlds that were independent, but communicated:
Hanan Pacha (world from above): where is the information for agriculture through the stars, clouds, sun and winds. Birds and rainwater communicated between the other worlds.
Kai Pacha (middle world): there lived human beings and animals and it was the space where life took place through the union of liquids. Example: rainwater came from the world above and fertilized the earth, which would provide food. The big cats, like the puma, are the symbols of this world.
Uku Pacha (underground world): where plant life sprouts and where animal life is reborn. The land is the place where the seeds germinate, but it is the last abode of human beings and animals. The snake is the animal that represents Uku Pacha.
The worlds were also linked through fluids such as chicha (fermented drink made from corn), water and blood.
The worldview of the Inca civilization was based on duality: night/day, man/woman, wet/dry. Although opposites, these elements complemented each other and this duality is what makes the world move.
human sacrifices
The Incas performed human and animal sacrifices in order to obtain good harvests and maintain the balance between the worlds.
The great religious ceremonies began with a fight whose objective was to remove the covering from the opponent's head. The victims were stripped and taken in procession.
During the ceremony, the blood of captured warriors was offered to the great gods in cups specially prepared for this purpose.
inca customs
For the Incas, there was no clear distinction between the world of the dead and the world of the living.
Therefore, as in other cultures of antiquity, it was customary to bury the dead with objects that would be useful on this trip.
The body was placed in a fetal position and wrapped with spiraling tissue indicating that it was returning to the earth and becoming a seed that would germinate.
Likewise, the ancestral Inca mummies were unearthed and participated in the most important meetings of the community sitting with the elders.
inca society
The Incas managed to dominate so many peoples thanks to their military and political skills.
One of the principles was that of reciprocity: the Incas demanded tribute and compulsory labor in public works, but gave land for cultivation according to the size of the family.
The ethical system was based on honesty, work and loyalty to the ancestor, summarized in three principles:
- love your – don't be a thief
- Love Queylla - do not be lazy
- Love Llulla – don't be a liar
Marriage was very important as it meant the beginning of a new life. Only the Inca, the Emperor, could have more than one woman.
The Inca's wife assumed the functions of governor while her husband was at war.
inca art
Inca art was present in the objects used to render worship to the gods and also to adorn the priests and rulers at the time of religious ceremonies.
The material used, the prints and the colors also revealed the position of the individual who wore it within the Inca society.
inca fabrics
One of the most elaborate arts of the Incas is cloth used in a ceremonial manner. Both prints and colors were chosen according to the function for which the fabric was intended.
An example is the “dragon's cloak”, from the Paracas culture, which wrapped the body before being buried.
On its surface we find the Inca dragon: the head of a feline, the body of a snake and two legs like birds. It is embroidered in yellow (the world above), green (the mute in the middle) and black (the world below) and red (the blood, the vital liquid).
inca ceramics
Pottery was a material widely used by the Inca peoples either to make household utensils or to be used in religious ceremonies. The sacred vessels - huacos, in Quechua - were important because they were linked to water, an essential element for life.
They could be anthropomorphic (human form) or zoomorphic (animal), symbols representing the cycle of life such as the spiral, the water (still or moving).
inca ornaments
The adornments – bracelets, wristbands, ear plugs, breastplates, necklaces – were used in public ceremonies and made of precious metals such as gold, silver and copper.
These objects were engraved with mystical symbols such as the animals that represented the three worlds, that is, birds, cats and the serpent.
inca music
We will probably never know what Inca music sounded like. We can only guess how different instruments made of materials such as ceramic and wood sounded like this whistle:
Did you know that we have other texts about the Incas? Read too:
- Incas: features of the Inca Empire
- inca art
- Pre-Columbian Peoples
Bibliographic references
The mochica art of ancient Peru. Oro, myths and rituals. Caixa Forum exhibition. 2015.
Larco Museum. Lima, Peru. Consultation 09.17.2020.
