Inti

Inti (Quechua: inti, lit. 'sun') is the ancient Inca sun god. He is revered as the national patron of the Inca state. Though many people think of Inti simply as the sun god, he is better understood as a collection of different sun-related meanings, because the Inca people saw Inti in many ways depending on the sun's position in the sky.

Inti was especially important to the Inca Empire. The ruler Pachacuti helped spread the worship of Inti, and many people believed Inti was born from Viracocha, the great God of Creation.

The word inti is not originally from the Quechua language; it came from a language called Puquina. This explains why languages such as Aymara and Mapuche also have similar words for the Sun. In many cultures around the Central Andes, the Sun (called Inti or Antu) and the Moon (Killa or Cuyen) were seen as husband and wife.

Legends and history

Inti, the ancient Inca sun god, and his sister Mama Quilla, the Moon goddess, were seen as kind and helpful spirits. They were believed to have children together, and their court included the Rainbow, the Pleiades, and Venus. According to Inca myths, Manco Cápac, the founding ancestor of the Inca people, was the son of Inti. Inti was thought to have taught Manco Cápac and his daughter Mama Ocllo many important skills and knowledge. The Inca ruler was considered to be the living representative of Inti.

The Willaq Umu was the high priest of the Sun, making him the second most powerful person in the Inca kingdom, just below the Sapa Inca. Spanish conquistadors captured a golden disk that represented Inti in 1571, but it has since been lost.

Worship

The Inca people honored the sun god Inti with many ceremonies to keep their ruler healthy and to help their crops grow. They believed the sun’s heat brought rain, making it very important for farming. Each province was required to give a third of its land and animals to Inti. Big temples, like the Qurikancha in Cusco, were built for worshipping him. Priests and priestesses, called mamakuna, worked in these temples, making special clothes and drinks for festivals.

Inti was often shown as a golden disk with a face, rays, and decorations. People believed that the Inca rulers were descendants of the sun, which connected them to Inti’s holiness. They offered prayers, food, and even animals in worship, showing their deep respect for the sun god.

Inti Raymi

The festival of Inti Raymi honors the sun god and marks the beginning of a new planting season. Today, it draws many visitors to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire. Held during the Southern Hemisphere's winter solstice, this special day falls around June 24.

People prepared for the festival with a three-day fast, and then celebrated for nine days with plenty of food and drink. The festival brought together people from all parts of Tawantinsuyu, dressed in their finest clothes.

Sub-divisions of identity

Inti, the Incan sun god, was thought to have three main parts, like a father, son, and brother. The first is Apu Inti, meaning "The Lord Sun." The second is Churi Inti, or "Daylight." The third is Inti Wawqi, who is linked to the start of Incan rule.

Some believe these parts of Inti were separated based on the sun's position in the sky during summer and winter. Another idea is that each part of Inti had different jobs, like giving light, shining during the day, or helping plants grow.

Symbolism

The sun played a very important role in the lives of people in the Andean region, even before the Inca empire. This is because sunlight is essential for growing crops, and the sun was also linked to rain, which is needed for plants to grow. Because of this, the sun was greatly respected and worshipped, making Inti, the sun god, one of the most important gods in Inca culture.

The influence of the sun can be seen in many places, such as the Sun Gate in Tiwanaku, which shows how the position of the sun was marked on special days like solstices and equinoxes. Buildings called Ushnus were used for important ceremonies and were designed with the sun in mind. Today, the sun still appears on symbols in countries that were once part of the Inca Empire, such as the coat of arms of Bolivia, coat of arms of Argentina, coat of arms of Uruguay, and coat of arms of Ecuador. The Order of the Sun in Peru also reflects this ancient respect for the sun.

Main article: Sun of May