Inti
Inti is the most significant deity of Inca mythology, he is the Sun god and mythological ancestor of the founders and rulers of the Inca Empire. The most widespread version of the belief represents him as the son of Viracocha, the creator god, married to his older sister, Mama Killa, the goddess of the Moon, with whom he shared equal rank in the heavenly court.
Worshiped as the patron deity of the Inca Empire, Emperor Pachacutec is often associated with the historical origin and spread of Inca sun worship. Frequently considered the god of the Sun, it is more appropriate to interpret him as a group of aspects solar, since the Inca divided his identity according to the stages of the sun.
The word inti is not of Quechua origin but a loanword from Puquina. The loanword from Puquina explains why historically unrelated languages such as Quechua, Aymara, and Mapuche have similar words for the sun. The similarities are not they are only linguistic but also symbolic, since in the Mapuche and central Andean cosmology the Sun (Inti / Antu) and the Moon (Quilla / Cuyen) are spouses.
Inti was represented in the shape of a golden ellipsoid in which lightning could also appear as another of his attributes of power, and the Moon had the ritual shape of a silver disk. Inti is also used in the festivities of "Inti Raymi", as a creator, he was adored and revered, but he was also used in search of favors and help, to solve problems and alleviate needs, since only he could make the crops grow, cure the diseases and give the security that the human being requires.
Legends and history
Inti and her sister, Mama Killa, the goddess of the Moon, were generally considered benevolent deities. Inti married his older sister, Mama Killa, with whom he had two children. According to the legend, Inti ordered his sons to build the Inca capital where a cradle of gold that he gave them penetrates the earth, in the final place the city of Cusco was built.
The Inca was considered to be the living descendant of the god Inti, for which he was treated as a deity, he could not touch the ground nor was he allowed to look into his eyes, the objects he touched were considered sacred, marriage was frequent between siblings within the royal family to maintain the purity of divine blood.
His court is served by the Rainbow (turumanyay), the Pleiades, Venus and others. Manco Cápac, the founding Inca ancestor, was thought to be the son of Inti. According to the myth, Inti taught Manco Cápac and his daughter Mama Ocllo the arts of civilization. However, another legend identifies Manco Cápac as the son of Viracocha. In a different myth, Inti is the son of the Earth goddess Pachamama and the sky god Pachacamac. Inti also becomes Pachamama's second husband.
The Willaq Umu was the high priest of the Sun (Inti). His position placed him as the second most powerful person in the kingdom. He was directly under the Sapa Inca, and they were often brothers. It was believed that the emperor and his family were descendants of Inti.
Spanish conquistadors captured a large golden disk depicting Inti in 1571 and sent it to the Pope via Spain. It has since been lost and may have been turned into bullion.
There is another interpretation of the creation event that leads to a conflict between Viracocha and Inti in which there is a discussion about what the creation of the Sun means and whether it should be worshiped as a separate entity.
Some sources identify the central figure of the Puerta del Sol as Inti and others as Viracocha, and that the Sun was just one of many creations.
Worship
The Inca dedicated many ceremonies to the Sun in order to ensure the well-being of the Sapa Inca. The sun was also important to the Incas, particularly to the people of the highlands, because it was necessary for the production of crops such as corn and other grains. The heat of the sun was also thought to cause rain. During the rainy season the sun was hotter and brighter, while during the dry season it was weaker.
The Incas would reserve vast amounts of natural and human resources throughout the empire for Inti. Each conquered province was supposed to dedicate a third of its lands and herds to Inti as ordered by the Inca. Each main province would also have a Temple of the Sun in which priests and priests would serve. The priestesses were the mamakuna, chosen from among the aqllakuna ('chosen women'), who wove special cloth and brewed chicha for the festivities and sacrifices to the Inti.
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In addition, the main temple of the Inca state religion was the Coricancha in Cusco. Inside this temple were wall niches in which the bodies of previous emperors and rulers were displayed along with various statues of Inti on certain festivities. Some Inti figurines also depicted him in human form with a hollowed-out midsection that was filled with a mixture made of gold dust and the ashes from the hearts of Inca kings.
Inti is represented as a golden disk with rays and a human face. Many of these discs were supposedly found in Cusco, as well as in sanctuaries throughout the empire, especially at Coricancha, where anthropologists discovered the most significant image of Inti. This depiction, adorned with earflaps, a pectoral, and a royal diadem, was known as a punchaw (Quechua for day, also spelled punchao). This image of Inti was also said to have lions and serpents projecting from its form.
The cult of Inti and the rise of the cult of Inti are seen as exploitations of religion for political purposes, as the Inca king became increasingly identified with the sun god. This became a form of divine patronage and the appropriateness of these comparisons for the Inca emperors is crucial.
The priestesses served a different specialized purpose during the solstice, as the sun was said to predict a death that would end the line of the Sun in the Inca Empire. After the solstice, the mamakuna would start a fasting area, to hopefully bring them closer to the pain of the sun, so they could understand what was going to happen and prevent bad deeds from happening.
There is another aspect of the cult that does not involve the priests, but the Inca people. Because they believed that they descended from the sun. More specifically, the ruling class was descended from the sun and that connected people to that holiness. This led to the fact that every time a member of the Inca society traveled, he did so as a symbol of the Inti and his nation, which led to the need to be a saint to enter certain cities, and even travel within the empire..
Temples are often the most ornate, and the designs inside are made of gold and other jewels. Thus adding to the status of those who worshiped inside the building for the sun, and to show that there is some sacrifice to the god by giving the temple these glories that would no longer be used for the people of civilization, but for the god.
Inti Raymi
The Inti Raymi festival honors the sun god and was originally meant to celebrate the start of a new planting season. It now attracts many tourists each year to Cusco, once the ancient capital of the Inca Empire. The name of the festival, Inti Raymi, translates as "festival of the sun" and took place during the southern hemisphere winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year. This fell around June 24 in the Inca Empire.
This festival was attended by the four sectors of the Tawantinsuyu. The military captains, government officials, and vassals who attended were dressed in their best costumes and carried their best weapons and instruments.
The preparation for the Inti Raymi festival begins with a three-day fast, where no fires are lit and people refrain from having sexual relations. This festival would last for nine days, and during this time people would consume massive amounts of food and drink. There were also many sacrifices, which were all performed on the first day. After the nine days they would all leave with the permission of the Inca.
Identity Subdivisions
In correspondence with the three diurnal stages of the sun, Inti's identity is also divided into three primary sub-complexes, which are the father, the son and the brother. The first of these is Apu Inti ("Supreme Inti"). He represents the father and is sometimes known as "Mr. Sun." The second is Churi Inti, which represents the son of Inti and is often referred to as "Daylight". The third and last division of Inti is Inti Wawqi ("brother Sun", or "brother Inti"). Inti Wawqi also represents the sun god in his specific position as the founding father of the Inca kingdom and the center of the state's official ancestor worship.
In astronomy, Apu Inti and Churi Inti can be separated from each other along an astronomical axis. This is because they are associated with the summer and winter solstices, respectively. Inti Wawqi, however, is not associated with an astronomical location.
The other main theory regarding the separation of the sun involves the duties that Inti provided rather than being different stages of the sun. The belief states that one of the suns was for the actual star in the sky that gave light and heat to the planet, that one of the suns was for the day where the sun was the culminating point of the sky instead of the moon, and that one was for the power to cultivate things related to the agricultural meaning of sun worship.
Symbolism
The sun can be seen in culture throughout the Andean culture even before the Inca empire ruled. This connection to the sun could be due to the great importance of agriculture in these societies, since without constant sunlight, most crops do not do well. The sun was also related to rain, and the ability of clouds to rain, which is another aspect that is necessary for the development of crops, further deepening the importance of life and specifically agriculture in this society. That is why Inti is the most worshiped god in the culture outside of the creator god, Viracocha.
An example of symbolism that could be found outside of Inca culture would be the Puerta del Sol in Tiwanaku. The Puerta del Sol found here has a significant impact on the solar archeology of the sight, as it shows great insight into the position of the sun on important days, such as the solstices and equinoxes.
The Sun has a clear importance for the Inca civilization, which can even be seen in the architecture of the empire. The Ushnus were buildings where the main soldiers pledged their loyalty to the leadership of the Inca leadership, and these buildings have a deep connection to the sun. These sites would provide connections during solar zenith passes. The impact of this can be seen that the constructions were made in relation to the understanding they had towards the sun, and that they were set on the horizon on several important days of the year, in this way these connections could be made. Thus, it provides another symbol that allows the Sun to be seen as a key feature of their culture. This is supposed to be a reference to when the ceremonies could occur, so that they would be blessed by the sun.
In addition to being used in symbolism in the past, and the sun has an importance in the culture and religion there, the sun is still used in important symbolic figures within the countries that were once part of the Inca Empire, which It goes to show that while this religion is no longer the foothold of these nations as it once was, the mythology and characteristics are still present today. While these are not guaranteed to have connections to the god Inti, the cultural significance of the sun has been clearly transcended throughout the changes of empire and the colonization of the Andes.
The Sun is also represented on the coat of arms of Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay and Ecuador, as well as on the historical flag of Peru.
The Sun of May that can be found on the Flag of Argentina and the Flag of Uruguay is a representation of the god Inti.
Inti as a national symbol
Inti on the Sun of May in the flag of Argentina, 1818
Inti in the provisory flag of Peru, design of José Bernardo de Tagle, 1822
Inti in the Sun of May on the Uruguayan flag, 1830
Shield of the Bolivian arms shield, with Inti rising over the mountains
Shield of the coat of arms of Ecuador, with Inti on the landscape.
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