Creation myth
In my last post, I talked about the creation myth and summarize it. In this post, I will extend
the myth. As in the last post, Viracocha emerged from lake Titicaca and gave light to the dark world. Then, he created the sun (Inti) and the moon (Quilla), his children. First, he decided to create a giant race, but he destroyed them because they were too large. Eventually, Viracocha decided to create humans on a smaller scale, but he left them inside the earth. Afterward, he creates a group of beings and sends them to awaken the people from places like caves, mountains, lakes, and other places. As Viracocha went to Cusco he woke people along his way and told them to come to Cusco. After Viracocha found Cusco and awakened people, he then said that he would return and advised people to be aware of those who claim to be him.
Importance of the myth
The knowledge of this myth is very important for the Incas because form the places where people emerged are considered sacred places. The Incas called this place huacas, sacred places with high spiritual levels. These huacas as served as places to bury their dead.
Two interesting facts
A website that I found mentioned two interesting facts about Viracocha. The first one is at the beginning of the article where the author mentions that Viracocha is part of a multicultural creation myth gods. As we see similitudes with the Christian God or Greek God. This is an interesting comparison because it shows that other cultures have a divine force that, according to them, creates everything from darkness, chaos, or emptiness.
The second interesting point is the significance of Viracocha today. The author mentions that Viracocha’s story begins and ends with water, emerging from lake Titicaca and then walking away across the Pacific Ocean. Giving importance to the water element in the Viracocha story.
