The Capac Hucha of the Inca Emperors

     

     On the last blog post, we talked about human sacrificing in general. This week we are going to focus on our main interest, which is the Capac Hucha of the Inca emperors.  This practice included the human sacrificing of children to the mountain gods.  In order to fully understand all the elements of this topic and refrain from personal cultural bias, we really wanted to get a better sense of who the Incan people were.  So we decided to do some research.

       Our main source of knowledge on the Incas through standard chronicles, written by Spanish settlers who wanted to tell their “compatriots about the riches and marvels of a world that was new to them.” (Niles, 1). These chronicles cover a good deal of the vast expanse that was the Inca empire.  This included descriptions of the remarkable armies and treasuries of the Inca Kings, in which they had collected a large portion of gold and silver.  The narratives also converse about many military encounters and victories that were celebrated.  Ceremonies of marriages, funerals and different festivals and rituals are also documented. That of human sacrifice, specifically that of the Capac Hucha ritual was documented and by looking at these chronicles as well as the archaeological evidence presented in the modern-day Inca empire, scholars can gather a good understanding of the cultural meaning behind the ceremony.

        The Capac Hucha was considered one of the most honored dedications to the gods the Incas could give.  By presenting the human body, elaborately dressed and decorated as an offering, the Incas were showing their appreciation and respect by bestowing their deities with the most valuable thing they could: a human life.  According to written records by Father Bernabe Cobo, the Incas dedicated human offerings to the sun god Inti, to the weather god Illapa, and to the creator Viracocha.  This could vary to include local deities depending on the region where the shrines were erected.  

            “They made sacrifices to the Sun so that he would make the plants grow to the Thunder, so that he would make it rain and not hail or freeze, and to the rest of the special gods and second causes. First they would speak with Viracocha and afterwards they would speak with the special gods. And in their sacrifices to all the universal huacas they would plead for the health of the Inca.” Father Bernabe Cobo.