Incan+Mythology

Incan Mythology
The Incas were bound for greatness and prosperity. They were polytheistic and they believed that the gods guided all aspects of their lives. Incas worshipped the gods by sending offerings (which were sometimes human sacrifices). Children were expected to know the main and most important gods; the god of the sun and the god of death. Legends played a big part in the Incan culture. Children were usually taught by their parents about life orally, through stories and myths passed down through generations. The myth, The Children of the Sun, explains how Incan Civlilization was started, as well as exhibiting slices of Incan Culture.

Summary

Incans believed that the gods were a staple in their lifestyle. In the story, “Children of the Sun”, people lived on the earth without any moral structure or civilization. They did not have rules, clothes, or religion. The sun god, who they referred to as their father, Inti, saw what was happening on earth and felt great remorse for the people. Inti sent his two children to a lake by the name of Titicaca. The son and the daughter’s goal from their father were to stab a golden staff into the earth to find the city of the sun. When the son and daughter completed their task, they were to express how to live a civilized, domesticated life. Finally they were instructed to tell the people that all things would go back to him, the father who started and created this all. The two siblings did as told and finally completed the task. They sank the golden rod near the highland of Huanacauri, and from the sight this created it drew many people toward it. Various people listened to the children’s words along with following the father morals. From this moment forward, the Incan civilization started. They were taught many skills from the children who began the civilization. The Incan civilization continued to grow, prosper knowledge, and ways of living finally came clear.



Story Analysis

There was one main natural event explained in the myth, Children of the Sun. The creation of Incan civilization was the natural event described. When the children were sent by the sun god, Inti, to Lake Titicaca, their goal was to unearth the city of the sun. "...For where it sank into the earth with a single blow there they were to stop and find the sacred city of the sun." (Harold 1) This part of the story represents people finding a new city as a fresh start to civilization. Basically, the children in the myth were sent to reteach people how to act like a proper human. The story also explains how people got started off worshipping the god Inti. "...So they might adore him and have him as their God." (Harold 1) The nature of humanity is revealed in Children of the Sun because ancient humans had no idea how to be civilized, like wearing clothes, making instruments, sewing, or weaving."Like beasts they ate wild plants and roots, the fruits produced by bushes without cultivation, and human flesh." (Harold 1) The two children who Inti sent to find the city of the sun were the first Incan chiefs who taught the humans the way of being well-mannered. Not only were events explained, but bits of the Incan culture were in the myth, too.



Culture Analysis

The Incan culture was shown in the myth “Children of the Sun” by the Sun God Inti. Incan civilization started from this myth and effects the way society works today. The Gods are a vital need in their civilization due to the Sun God’s children. There was the son of the God who showed the men critical ways of living. “The male monarch taught the men what they needed to know…” ( Harold 1) The daughter of the God taught the women morals of living as well. “The queen, or female monarch, instructed the women in womentry offices…” ( Harold 1) Incan people believed everything came from their God, because their God civilized this culture. “All knowledge came from the first Inca chief.” ( Harold 1) This myth reaches out to the Inca people, because of their strong belief in Inti and his children who civilized their culture.



Culture Comparison

When it comes to comparing the Incas and the Greeks there are a lot of similarities. Both the Greeks and the Incan were polytheistic and both believed in having temples. The one big difference was that the Incan thought gods would be satisfied by human sacrifice. In the Greek culture gods were pleased by many things. Another similarity was that both groups thought the world was created by gods, in the Incas case the Sun god. Also both civilizations thought that there was one god who was in charge of all the other gods. A major difference was that the Incans believed that one god gave all good things and all the other gods over saw all the good things. The Incans and the Greeks are two very distinct cultures.



Conclusion

Children of the Sun was a myth that was passed around orally to describe the start of Incan Civilization. The myth presented information on the Incan Culture, too. The people of the Incan times could not understand some of the science behind natural events that happened, so they created myths (like Children of the Sun) for a resonable explanation of why things are the way they are. Inti was an extremely important part of the Incas' lives, even children. To the Incas, he was the source of all good in the world.

Citations

Cotterell, Arthur. "Incan Mythology."The Encyclopedia of World Mythology. 2nd Ed.. 2004.

Osborne, Harold. South American Mythology. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1968.

"Empire of the Inca." Facts on File. 2005. Facts on File. 29 Sep 2008 .

"Men of the Inca." Inca: The Kings of South America. 11 Nov 2005. 30 Sep 2008 .

__Encyclopædia Britannica__. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 03 Oct. 2008 .