Everything about Inca Religion totally explained
The belief system of the Incas was polytheistic.
Inti, their Sun God, was the most important god, and was believed to be the direct ancestor of the
Sapa Inca, the hereditary ruler of the empire.
Pantheon
Sacred sites
Huacas, or sacred sites, were widespread around the Inca Empire. Huacas were deific entities that resided in natural objects such as mountains, boulders, streams, battle fields, other meeting places, and any type of place that was connected with past Incan rulers. Spiritual leaders in a community would use
prayer and
offerings to communicate with a
huaca for advice or assistance. They usually sacrificed a child or a slave. They (the Incan People) thought it was an honor to die for an offering.
Priesthood
Priests lived at all of the important shrines. They functioned as
diviners of the
lungs and as
sorcerers,
confessors and
healers.
Young girls of the nobility or of exceptional beauty had the option of becoming
acllas who spent four years in the provincial capitals brewing
chicha or weaving
textiles used by the Sapa Inca and the priests. Some learned these skills at
Aqllawasis (feminine schools). They then had the privilege of becoming
mamaconas, dedicated to a life of
chastity serving the sun god, or of becoming the wives of Inca nobles.
Divination
The Incas also used
Divination. They used it to inform people in the city of social events, predict battle outcomes, and drive away
demons. They also used it to figure out who was to be sacrificed.
Festivals
The Inca calendar had 12 months of 30 days, with each month having its own festival. The Incan year began in December, and began with Capac Raymi, the magnificent festival.
Inca religion and socialism
Inca religion is one of the main counter arguments in the debate regarding the notion that the Inca state was an early 'Socialist Empire' (Baudin, 1928). These facts, however, have little to do with the Inca economy, which, with its large-scale central planning; vast system of grain-houses; and mandatory work periods, does closely resemble many features of modern socialism, although there were markets,
catus, where barter was practiced without any regulation. (Von Hagen, p. 91)
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