The Hanan Pacha is the heavenly world within the Inca culture. Only the right people enter through a thin bridge made of hairs. It is part of the worldview of the Inca people, of the traditions and of their interpretation in relation to the world.
Although the Incas had the center of the empire in the city of Cuzco, which they considered the navel of the world, they believed in another type of magical space located in another plane that was divided into three territories: Hanan Pacha, Key Pacha and Uku Pacha.
The condor, representative of Hanan Pacha
Main features
The Hanan Pacha is linked to the description of the cosmos that the Incas professed, which in this case corresponds to the sky of the southern hemisphere.
They believed that horizontal space was divided into two parts, which at the same time were subdivided into two others, forming the concept of quadripartition.
This way of understanding the world responded to the concepts of opposition, reciprocity and complementarity.
It was the plane of ascent to which the souls of men of virtue were directed; the world of planets and stars.
Hanan Pacha had his counterpart in the world below: he was the Ñaupa Pacha, the world of the ancestors.
The ancient Incas represented the Hanan Pacha with the figure of a condor.
The 4 divinities p
1- Viracocha
He was considered the great god, creator of everything in existence, including the sky, the stars and time.
He was worshiped for being the god of the sun and storms, and was related to the sea. He can be found represented crowned by the sun, with lightning in his hand and tears coming from his eyes, referring to the rain.
2- Inti
It was related to agriculture. Within Inca mythology, he was the son of the god Viracocha and of Mama Cocha, his wife.
According to the beliefs he was a benevolent and protective god. However, when he got angry he could cause solar eclipses, so the Incas offered him offerings to appease his anger.
3- Pachacamac
He appears as the god of fire, considered the great controller of the balance of the world. He was very feared by the Incas, since they attributed earthquakes and earth tremors to him.
4- Mama Quilla
She was Inti's wife and, at the same time, her sister. She was also known by the names of Mama Illa or Illa.
She marked the harvest periods and was the protector of the tribe women, who offered her tribute and offerings as tokens of gratitude for protecting and containing them in times of misfortune.
In the month of September, which was the tenth month of the Inca calendar, a very important celebration was held in his honor.
In her temple, women offered beautiful silver objects in her honor, since the metal was associated with the powers of the moon, the representative star of the goddess.
References
- DHWTY; ancient-origins.es, Inti, the Inca sun god, Retrieved on December 20, 2017 from ancient-origins.es
- Valderrama, Isaac, "Our world: Hanan Pacha", 2012. Retrieved on December 20 from residentaíritu.net
- Original towns. "Gods and mythical characters" Retrieved on December 20, 2017 from pueblos original towns.com