Monthly Archives: January 2010

January 29th, 2010
post by Kuoda Travel | | Closed

The Gods of the Incas

By Laurel Thompson, Kuoda Tours

When the Inca conquered surrounding peoples, they brought their deities as well. They usually did not stop the conquered peoples from worshipping their own gods and goddesses, but required that the Inca deities be added to the pantheon and that their position be the supreme one.

Viracocha was the Creator god of the Inca, and was considered the most important of the gods. He was also revered by the people of Tiahuanco near Lake Titcaca. He was considered the maker of the Earth and its creatures. He was called in Quechua, Wiraqocha Pachayachach, which translates as the ¨Creator of All Things.¨

Inti, or Apu Punchaur, was shown as a golden disk with a face and is the Inca god of the sun. He is a male god, and is sometimes shown also as a boy (Punchao) who is seated, with rays shooting off from his head. The Punchao statue was used as a receptacle to burn the innards of dead rulers; the god Inti was considered to receive the sacrifice in this way.

Every major region in the Empire possessed a temple dedicated to the worship of Inti, and his priest was the most powerful of all the clergy. The priest of Inti was always a member of the royal family, or was sometimes the Inca himself. He led the annual festival dedicated to Inti, which was associated with the harvest of choclo, or maize. A black and a white llama were sacrificed to the Sun God during this festival, and its re-enactment can be seen on June 24th in Cusco at the Inti Raymi festival that takes place above the city in the ruin of Sacsayhuaman.

Another important Inca god was Chiqui Illapa, or the God of Thunder. He was portrayed as a man in the sky, with a war club in one hand and a sling in the other hand. He was the ruler of Thunder and Lightening. The phenomenon of lightning was thought to be stones projected from his sling. He was the god who ruled rain, which he derived from the Milky Way, called the Celestial River by the Incas. When the Incas needed rain, they directed their prayers to Chiqui Illapa.

Mama Quilla, or the Moon Mother, was Inti´s wife. She was the protector of women, and the creator of the calendar and religious festivals. In some societies in the coastal regions of South America, she was worshipped above Inti. She had a temple in Cusco and her own priestesses. The dark spots we can see on the moon were supposed to be produced by Mama Quilla squeezing a fox who had tried to claim her for his wife against her body. She is represented as a silver disc with a human face.

Other Inca deities include the Pachamama, the Mother Earth, worshipped by farmers for bountiful harvests. She is the ruler of sowing, reaping and fertility. Her husband is called Pachacamac, who rules over the arts, work and oracles. Mamacocha is the Mother Ocean; Supai is the god of the underworld and death. Chaska is Venus, the star goddess, who protects princesses, girls and flowers.
There were three worlds in the religion of the Inca; Hanan Pacha, the sky world, where the gods lived, and any dead people who were considered worthy to dwell with them; Kay Pacha, the world of the Earth, where the regular earth people dwelled, and Uqhu Pacha, the underworld of the dead and the unborn. The sacred serpent was the ruler of the underworld.
Worship of the Inca gods is still conducted in South America to this day, at times alongside of that of the Christian deities introduced by the Conquistadors.

Myths and Legends
January 29th, 2010
post by Kuoda Travel | | Closed

Endangered animals of Peru

Animals are considered endangered when they are at risk of extinction, either because there are only a small number of them left, due to threats from changes to their environment, shifting of predator to prey ratios, and other factors. Nations over the last 50 years have developed laws to protect species from becoming extinct; however few species actually get on these lists. Many become extinct without the attention or protection of humans, though it is true that in probably all cases over the last century, the machinations of humans have caused the imbalances that have led to the disappearance of thousands of animal and plant species.

Especially within the last century and a half, species have been becoming extinct at a higher rate than at any time in history. In the case of the Amazon Rainforest, which covers parts of Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia and Brazil, the loss of habitat created by farmers who cut down trees and burn whole tracts of jungle for cattle grazing and crop production, may result in unknowable consequences for the entire planet. The Amazon has been called the lungs of the planet, and its further destruction could accelerate global warming, with devastating consequences for humans and most of the species on Earth.

Some endangered species of Peru are:

The Andean Condor: (Vultur Gryphus) was put on the Endangered Species list in 1973 by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These majestic birds are found in the Andes Mountains, and along the coast of Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia and Bolivia. Factors in their endangerment include hunting, deforestation, air pollution and food and water contamination, as well as reduction in available food supply (declining populations of prey). Their slow reproductive rate is also a factor, as they lay eggs only every second year. There is not yet an accurate census of the numbers left, though there are believed to be only a few thousand left in the wild

The Amazonian Manatee, (Trichechus inunguis), is a freshwater species of manatee, found throughout the northern Amazon River Basin and its tributaries. It is the smallest of the three manatee species, and a few are found in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. All manatees are entirely aquatic mammals that do not leave the water for the duration of their life cycle. They feed on plants and water vegetation, and are gentle, non-aggressive animals with flippers as forelimbs and no hind limbs; rather they possess a flat, cylindrical shaped tail. Factors in their endangered status include hunting, drowning in fishing nets, and loss of food supply resulting from deforestation.

The Andean Cat, (Oreailurus jacobita) considered among the five most endangered cats in the world, is considered critically endangered. It is found in the high regions of Peru, Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, and is one of the shyest and least known cats in existence. About the size of a housecat, Andean Cats feed on several classes of mice, small birds and rodents. Along with the Pampas cat, (Oncifelis colocolo), it is known as “osqhollo” by the Quechua. Factors contributing to its declining numbers may include reduction of prey, harvesting of plants that their prey is dependent on, and hunting by humans.

The Yellow Tailed Woolly Monkey, (Oreonax flavicauda), is a rare primate species found only in the Peruvian Andes. There are less than 250 of these monkeys left in the northern Peruvian cloud forests. They have thick hair and long prehensile tails. They eat fruits, leaves, flowers, and buds. Loss of habitat due to destruction of forests for agriculture and cattle-ranching has contributed to the critically endangered status of these monkeys.

The Amazon Pink River Dolphin, (Inia Geoffrensis), known as boutu by the inhabitants of the jungle, is classified as a vulnerable species on the endangered species list. It is one of only five species of freshwater dolphins in the world. It inhabits muddy rivers, relying on echolocation to hunt for prey. These dolphins may be pink or pale blue; they are often albino. Factors threatening these unique animals include damming, building canals and diversion of river courses.

The Three-Toed Sloth (Bradypus Variegatus), the smaller member of the sloth family, inhabits the Amazon rainforests of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina. It is the slowest moving mammal on Earth, and is physiologically incapable of keeping its body temperature stable. In this way, it resembles snakes and other reptiles. It moves so slowly that algae grows on its fur, giving it an iridescent green glow at night. It is only able to live in warm, humid environments. Because of the encroachment of humans into their habitat, these creatures are potentially endangered.

The Marvelous Spatuletail Hummingbird, (Colibrí Admirable), is a species of hummingbird that is found only in the jungles of Northern Peru. The species is unique because it has only four tail feathers, two of which end in spoon-shaped “spatules;” each of the two feathers resembling a spatula, with an elongated “handle” and the round “spatula” part at the end. The males use their tails in a fascinating courtship display, during which they whirl them about and perform acrobatics to impress females. They have been considered endangered since 2000, and have been declared the “regional bird” for the northern Peruvian Amazon.

Kuoda Tours brings travelers to remote regions of the Amazon where they can see the rainforest firsthand and gain a greater understanding of this vital area and the amazing diversity of species therein. We have a variety of special interest and activities, including bird watching and jungle trekking.

Plants and Animals