The Cambridge History of the Native Peoples of the Americas Volume I, II, and III

Inka Power & Its Social Foundations 793
gave off the flashes of lightning when he whirled his sling, when he
wanted it to rain." 50
Inka ritual emphasized the readings of omens and divination. Oracles
and their predictions played a central role in the Andes and in Cusco
politics. Not only did Inti have an oracle, but major and minor provincial
wak'as as well as dead kings, represented by theirpanakas, spoke through
oracular shrines. Inka rulers often formed alliances with provincial oracles,
such as Pacha Kamaq, one of the most powerful and influential of
all oracles. "In magnitude, devotion, authority, and richness, the Temple
of Pachacama was second only to the magnificent [Cusco] Temple of the
Sun." 51 The Inka built a sun temple at Pacha Kamaq and called it
P'unchaw Kancha ('Daylight Enclosure').
After they conquered the Valley of Pachacama, they saw the grandeur, antiquity,
and veneration of this temple and the way the neighboring provinces were so
devoted to it. And they decided that it would not be easy to change this because
the authority which the place commanded over everyone was so extraordinary.
It is said that the Incas conferred with the local caciques and lords of this valley
and with the priests of this god or devil. Thus the Incas decided that the temple
would remain with the majesty and service that it had before, on the condition
that another building or chapel be built there and that a statue of the Sun be
placed in the chapel and worshiped. . . . This arrangement did not displease the
devil; in fact, it is said that from then on he showed he was very pleased by his
Ethnohistorical sources and archaeological evidence have pinpointed
Pacha Kamaq as the center of a vast ceremonial network that, centuries
before the Spanish invasion, had expanded throughout much of the
central and north coast (see Chaps. 5 and 6). A much feared deity, Pacha
Kamaq was thought to punish offenders by sending earthquakes. Tribute
to him came from as far away as Esmeraldas in Ecuador and included
cotton, maize, coca leaf, dried fish, llamas, and guinea pigs, as well as
finely woven textiles, ceramic drinking vessels, and raw materials such as
gold, all stockpiled in the sanctuary's storehouses.
Pacha Kamaq gave public pronouncements and predictions. But before
they could visit the sanctuary, pilgrims had to abstain from salt, chili
pepper, dried meat, and sex for twenty days. A private consultation with
the oracle involved abstaining for a year. Although oracular communica-
50 Cobo [1653] 1990: 32. " Cobo [1653] 1990: 85. " Cobo [1653] 1990: 89.
Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008