Introduction
The reign of the Incas can be traced back to the 12th century when they established their Empire. The military prowess of the Empire’s rulers helped it grow into a large kingdom. The Empire maintained its unity partly because of the extensive network of roads and agricultural systems and the use of a single language and religion. When the Incas rose to power, they ruled a vast area on South America’s western coast from their base in what is now Peru. Atahualpa, the last of the Inca kings, was assassinated in 1533, ending the golden age of the Incan civilization. While Individual sacrifice was shared in the Incan religion, giving special status to the formation of stones, these religious beliefs of the Inca people influenced the architectural designs of Machu Pichu and the way of life for the Inca Nation.
Inca Gods
The Inca Empire believed in various gods and revered various deities and sacred dwellings. Viracocha was responsible for the creation of the moon, the sun, and the stars. The Inca empire also believed the sun was Viracocha’s most loyal and devoted follower’ (Kleiner, 2020). In addition, the Inca respected the sun, viewing it as their savior in times of need, and the founder of the Inca state. The moon was the sun’s wife, and the populace believed that a mountain lion or a giant snake was attempting to devour her whenever she was eclipsed.
Viracocha had given each of the star groups a set of responsibilities. Viracocha was the god of the Incas and their predecessors, as well as the god of pre-Inca civilizations (Kleiner, 2020). Viracocha underwent several transformations throughout his life, often with grotesque or humorous effects. He created humans, destroyed them, and then remade them from stone, scattering humanity in all four ways. He was also revered as a cultural icon who disseminated a wealth of knowledge. From the Ecuadorian coasts, he traveled far and wide till he arrived at the Pacific Ocean; some believe he did it in a boat made of his cloak, while others claim that he could walk on water (Kleiner, 2016c). Thunder, the god of weather, was another important deity in ancient times. With one hand, he held the sling, and the other, the battle club, and was depicted like this: From his sling, he summoned lightning and thunder.
The sun god, Inti, was revered by the Incas as the supreme deity. Sapa Inca’s father was Inti, and it was Inti who taught Sapa Inca about the universe and bestowed upon him its consecration. For centuries, June 24th marked Inti Raymi, one of the world’s most important sun celebrations (Kleiner, 2020). Since Inti is believed to have been the progenitor of the Sapa Inca lineage, it is believed that Inti was an extremely elite group. The Incas built magnificent temples to honor Inti at strategic locations. One of the most significant temples was in the Cusco slum, Coricancha. The first-class residents of Cusco could only access this sanctuary. Priests also offered sacrifices and kept watch over the temples. Priestesses known as Aclla prepared meals for the gods and crafted the best robes for the Sapa Inca, who sacrificed the most exquisite offerings (Kleiner, 2016f). Similarly, they built other Ushnu sanctuaries, the most important of which is Aucaypata, located in what is now the city’s central square.
The Inca inhabitants had the belief that each type of plant possessed a protective soul known as ideas. Canopus was the best of the crop that had been saved for the gods and unusually given to them. They believed that by offering it to the gods, they might increase the harvests of their future crops (George, 2021). Dallas is a name given to the defending spirit of domestic animals. With the hope of continuing reproduction, Illas were depicted as being smaller than the typical stone creature depicted in popular culture.
How Religion Shaped the Layout of Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu’s layout was molded by the assumption that the Incas utilized the site as a hidden ceremonial city. Machu Picchu exemplifies the Inca tradition of designing buildings to fit their surroundings. Stone bulwarks were used to create terraces on the slopes of the ridges. Aside from that, buildings were designed to fit in with their environment (Kleiner,2020). The city blends well with the surrounding environment instead of competing with or outshining what is already present. It is a beautiful thing when nature and ingenuity are brought together in harmony.
In addition, Machu Picchu serves as a reminder of the indigenous people’s way of life. The ancient city may be considered the crowning achievement of the Incan civilization and a source of profound identity. Specifically, the Incas are responsible for the indigenous people’s manner of life and accent today. Machu Picchu is undeniably the place of origin for these individuals. A resident expressed her concerns about the condition of the remains. This region has been regarded as sacred since the days of ancient civilization (George, 2021). The watchman spirits do not need people who pollute the land. The historic city of Machu Picchu was built there by the gods.
Comparison of the Inca and Aztec Religious Beliefs
Similarities
There were many gods to worship in the Aztec and Inca religions. An important figure in Aztec mythology is the goddess Omeciuatl, who is said to have given birth to a piece of obsidian that, upon falling to the ground, shattered into 1600 gods (Schnapp, 2022). They centered their gods on Initi, who was accompanied by Illapa, a thunderbolt-wielding god, and Viracocha, a god who raised mountains and made laws for the people to follow. Viracocha carved the first men from stone and buried them deep underground, where they would emerge from crevices, lakes, and rivers to populate the planet with life.
People of the Aztec and Inca faiths held an afterlife belief system. Schnapp (2022) noted that the Aztecs and the Incas believed that people continued to exist after death and developed rituals to pay tribute to their ancestors who had passed on. Pre-victory Incas maintained important kings and progenitors and kept them around in their dwelling arrangements or hollows, considered paths between universes. The Aztecs divided the black market into several levels, and a spirit would arrive in one based on its destiny and profession at death. Rulers were sometimes buried in pyramids with valuable items from the real world and real dogs or statues of real dogs to help them explore the afterlife.
Human sacrifices were made in Aztec and Inca rites as offerings for the deity’s help. Archeological evidence in Teotihuacan, Mexico, showed that the bodies of more than 100 Aztec soldiers were buried under the buildings of the Quetzalcoatl temple, likely as guards to protect the temple. Traditionally, Aztec clerics executed repentant victims by extracting their thudding hearts from sacred sanctuaries or stages erected atop pyramids (Schnapp, 2022). The sun god was considered the most important deity in the Inca religion. Some archeologists speculate that children’s penances were performed to appease the volcanic mountains, which may have been seen as gods in their own right.
Differences
The Aztecs believed that appeasing their sun god and their “lord of the shadows” required the sacrifice of a large number of people. Tenochtitlan, the Mexican city where Cortez lived, looked like decaying tissue because of the prevalence of malaria. According to Aztec records, a mass forfeiture of 88,000 people lasted for four days and nights (Kleiner, 2020). The Incan religion was similar to the Aztec religion since they had confidence in gods with similar names. Still, the Incans did not think it was necessary to sacrifice human beings yearly. Their religion could be described as peaceful, in contrast to the ferocious religion of the Aztecs. Furthermore, the Incas revered their lord as a deity, but the Aztecs revered their king as a dedicated priest.
Conclusion
The Inca civilization practiced religion in the Andean South American continent. Complex rituals, including animistic beliefs, belief in magical artifacts of various kinds, and nature worship culminated in the Incas’ adoration of the sun, over which they presided. The pre-Inca peoples’ substrata religious beliefs and practices had an impact on the Andean region. Machu Picchu shows the Inca habit of developing constructions that match their surroundings. Both the Aztec and Inca people believed in numerous gods. They offered human sacrifices in their religious ceremonies and believed in life after death. However, the two religions differed in how they performed their ceremonies.
References
George, J. J. (2021). Visual culture and indigenous agency in the Early Americas. Brill.
Kleiner, F. S. (2020). Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Volumes I and II (16th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Kleiner, F. S. (2016). Gardner’s art through the ages, book C: Non-Western Art to 1300, (15th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Kleiner, F. S. (2016). Gardner’s art through the ages, book F: Non-Western Art to 1300, (15th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Schnapp, A. (2022). European Antiquarianism and the Americas. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History. Web.