The Inca Religion
Supernatural powers and Deities
They worshiped gods of nature: the sun god, the god of thunder, moon, mountain tops, stars, planets, and many more. Like the ancient Greeks, the Incas believed the gods could intervene to help you. To avoid problems, they worshiped all the gods every day.
Rituals
Every month, the Incas held a major religious festival. Festivals were held outside. Games, songs, dancing, food, parades, and sacrifice (of animals usually) were all part of the festivities.
Principal Beliefs
The belief system of the Incas was polytheistic.
The Incas believed strongly in afterlife.
The Incas also worshiped huacas (sacred places or objects).
The Ancient Inca Religion
The Inca civilisation originated from a tribe in the Cuzco area of Peru that was founded around the year of thirteenth century. The Incas were one of the largest, richest and most powerful empires before pre-Columbian America as their territory covered a massive 2,000,000 km at its peak. The Inca Empire crossed many boundaries as it conquered many countries and areas through a variety of means from conquest to peaceful assimilation, this lead to the Inca Empire gaining a large part of South America encompassing present day countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador and the area in which the Incas originated Peru. After each area had been conquered the Incas would take control of the area by imposing their language and organizational skills to the people. The estimated population of the Inca Empire at its peak was around twenty million people with the official language being Quechua.
The Incas ruled the area of what is now South America from 1200 AD to 1535 AD until they were conquered by the Spaniards in 1535. Thanks to more modern weaponry the Spaniards defeated the Incas.
Cosmology
The Incas believed that the god Viracocha created the universe.
Influence on Society
As the Incas conquered the west coast of South America they continued to influnce society with their religion, customs and beliefs. As the became a stronger and more powerful nation their influence on smaller societies way of life became greater.
Human search for meaning
Why do humans, like the ancient Incas turn to religion for a sense of meaning ? because believing in a set of guidelines without evidence far betters believing in nothing at all.
Ongoing influence
The Incan influence can be observed in Peru today. Their traditions, diet, clothing all consist of some Inca traditions.
By Bianca Oneill