Inti

= Inti = Inti is the sun god of Inca mythology. He was told as the son of Viracocha; the legend says that he was left to look over ancient Inca with other gods after Viracocha left to share his knowledge with the world. In one legend, Inti had a son named Manco Cápac who became the founder of the Inca clan and then married his sister, Mama Ocllo. Inti told Manco Cápac to make Cusco the capital of the Inca empire. This is contrary to other myths that say Viracocha was the father of Manco Cápac. (See Viracocha article) Inti was a large part of the Inca’s worship because they believed that Inti was responsible for the growth of crops, which were their source of life. The Inca people built temples and churches and statues of Inti for worship. Today he is still one of the most influential deities in Inca culture. Coricancha is a temple/church, located in Cuzco, that was build by the Incas in honor of Inti. Before Spaniard conquest, it was filled with gold plated walls and gold statues. Unfortunately, most of the gold was stolen by the Spaniards who then built their own church on top of it.

By: Brian Cottingim