INCA CULTURE continued

                                     Inca Lifestyle

      At lower altitudes in more temperate and subtropical valleys bananas, coffee, beans, yucca, avocado, plus a variety of fruits and vegetables are grown. Such crops are rotated with corn, wheat, and alfalfa. There are special rituals that accompany the planting of corn where the men plow, but the women do the planting.

      Water symbolizes eternity, and where there is water, there is life. Sources of water are sacred; springs are regarded as entrances to the inner earth.  Immersion in water is a healing practice.  Ceremonial baths have been found in all ancient Inca ruins. Mineral waters and hot springs are found in the mountains surrounding Cuzco and Machu Picchu.  Mayu means river.

       Quechua women dress in vibrant bright colors. Traditional dress of Quechua women is a combination of pre-Spanish and Spanish colonial. Skirts are full and gathered, and worn in layers giving the hips a broad dimension. Hats may be a Panama-type woven from palm fibers, but the most common hat we

Always willing to pose!

saw was a brown woolen rounded top-hat type that sat on top of the woman’s head. I tried in vain to figure out how they kept these hats on. Women wear their dark hair long in two braids fastened in back with a ribbon. The women are short (generally a little less than 5’) and physically small. Babies and supplies are carried on their back held by a large colorful  woven cloth.

Men wear traditional western clothing including a vest and brimmed hat. Footwear is either leather sandals or ones made from tire rubber. Men carry small woven pouches to hold coca leaves. Coca leaves are an integral part of Quechua life. The leaves are often chewed as a digestive aid or as an appetite suppressant, and of course to brew tea.

     It takes about six months to spin, dye, and weave the ponchos that are distinctive in color and design which identify the wearer’s village/district.

     Young girls weave a multi colored scarf, called a chilina. She works on it in her spare time. At a festival or celebration when she sees a young man she wishes to have a serious relationship with, she gives him the chilina and once it is accepted, they go off to consummate their relationship.

      Young boys learn songs and how to play an instrument, often a mandolin or flute. At a festival, if he sees a certain girl he desires, he’ll serenade her. If she also desires, they go off to consummate the relationship.

 But whatever the custom, after the commitment, the couple visits her parents, who in turn call his parents. Parents exchange coca leaves. The young couple moves in with one of the families, and helps where needed. Pregnancy soon follows. The child is accepted by both families and after living together two years the law gives the same rights to women and children as by any formal ceremony.

       The Incas had no written language, but intricate patterns woven into their fabrics told a story. Fabrics were crucial to the culture. Awa is the Quechua word for weaving, and is considered the highest of the Quechua skills. One of the first things girls learn is how to use a drop spindle to spin alpaca or llama wool into thread.

     The alpaca is domesticated and raised almost exclusively for its wool, which is finer than sheep’s wool. The alpaca is sheared every two years.

      In one form of Awa a portable backstrap loom attached to a belt is braced around the weaver’s waist, the other end is anchored to a stake in the ground or around a tree. This ancient art, threatened by modernization, is being revived. The fabrics woven by the Quechua are beautiful. They make many things from these cloths and sell them for very small prices.

A BIT ABOUT INCA CULTURE

             The Culture Continues Today

      Ama Sua, Ama Quella, Ama Lulla, an Inca credo translates to: Don’t steal, don’t be lazy, don’t lie. The name Inca originally referred only to the royal family, in particular the emperors, but today it describes the people as a whole. The Incas spoke Quechua, and called their empire Tawantinsuyo.

 The Andes Mountain Range runs down the entire western coast of South America, and boasts some of the most accessible and beautiful scenery on the continent. The range is geographically unstable, earthquakes are common, and volcanoes are located in the southern Andes.

         But it is here that Quechua (keth-uwa) farmers live in isolated areas throughout the Andes. Their communities are called ayllukunas, and it is in these Andean villages where an age-old culture has survived. Ayni is the Quechua word meaning one works and helps wherever needed; all work is shared and each benefits from helping others. It implies an interconnectedness and interdependence.

          The Inca civilization is the best known and most studied of the pre-Columbian cultures of South America. Before 1430, Incas who believed their Emperor was descended from the sun, ruled over the Cuzco valley. A unity of purpose allowed the Incas to support a vast conquering army while simultaneous expanding their cultural influence. The Inca dynasty is estimated to have lasted from 1000-1572. Although they had no written language, history, traditions, and spirituality were passed down orally for generations.

        Story telling was a big part of Inca life. The llama was sacred in many of their stories. Singing and dancing were also very prominent in their lives. The Andean mandolin and flute were favored instruments. They believed that dancing brought the body and mind in perfect harmony, and cleared and aligned the energy fields. Nature becomes part of the dancer and the dancer becomes part of nature. The Incas in their worship of nature found huaca (spiritual power) in the heavens, hills, and stones.

       Mother Earth directed their life---- if one lives in harmony with her, feeds and nourishes her, you receive gifts of life. Rocks have always been considered sacred, and all ruins were built on or around unusual rock formations. Andean people understand rocks have special energy.

      The Incas had an advanced system of astronomy, and a unique ability to read annual cycles of the sun. The Inca calendar was essential to agricultural cycles. Hail, snow, and lightening were considered three brothers whose deeds were malicious and spiteful, capable of destroying crops.

The Quechua way of life incorporates spirituality in all aspects of living. They live an earthy textured lifestyle, and their love of the earth is profound. Over 100 varieties of potatoes and grains are grown high in the Andes. Each family has an area in which to raise guinea pigs. These animals are clean and quiet, and are a special treat for families and guests.  Also served on special occasions, we were told that when roasted and cooked fresh it tastes much like poultry.

     Continued next time.