User:Rosella1356/Inti
The most common belief was that Inti was born of Viracocha, who had many titles, chief among them being the God of Creation. [1] The link between the sun and creation can be found in several other beliefs including those of Christianity, Ancient Egyptian religion, and Hinduism. This can be attributed to the fact that without the sun, life would not be possible.
There is another interpretation of the creation event that leads to a conflict between the creator god Viracocha and the sun god Inti. This would be the argument over what the creation of the sun means and whether the sun should be worshipped as a separate entity. There are some statements that say that the Gateway of the Sun is actually a description of Viracocha, and that the sun was just one of his creations and not a lesser god that was created to be worshipped separately. In other beliefs however, the opposite is true, and Inti is the one portrayed in the center of a worship area, leading to conflict over which god would be ranked above the other in the culture. [2] However, given the large quantities of temples and monuments depicting a separate entity surrounding the sun and sun worship, this branch of the religion is often not talked about as much.
Another fight that the creation god versus the sun comes from the Incan culture of believing that they come from Inti himself, and that they are his direct lineage in human forms. Because this would give the creation of humans to Inti and not to Viracocha, despite all creation myths that have been told and written down having to deal with Viracocha. This means that perhaps the inclination of the Inca civilization to be from the Sun has less to do with creation and more to do with worship and that the entire empire was a part of the temple of the sun not just the priests and shamans of the civilization. [3]
The female priests had a different specialized purpose during the solstice, as the sun was said to have foretold of a death that would end the line of the Sun in the Incan Empire. After the solstice, the mamakuna would begin a fasting area, to hopefully bring them closer to the sorrow of the sun, so that they might understand what was going to happen and prevent the wrong-doing from happening. [4]
There is another aspect of worship that does not involve the priests, but rather the people of Inca. Because they believed that they were descended from the sun. More specifically the ruling class were descended from the sun and that connected the people to that holiness. This led to every time a member of Incan society travelled, they were doing so as a symbol of Inti and their nation, which led to the need to be holy to enter certain cities, and even to travel at all within the empire. [5]
The temples often have the most embellishment, with the designs inside being done of gold and other jewels. Thus, adding to the status of those who worshipped within the building for the sun, and to show that there is some sacrifice to the god by giving the temple these glories that would no longer be used for the people of the civilization, but the god instead. [6]
The sun can be seen in culture across the Andean culture even before the Incan empire dominated the land. This connection to the sun could be due to the heavy importance of agriculture in these societies, as without consistent sunlight, most crops do not fare well. The sun was also connected to the rain, and the ability for the clouds to rain, which is another aspect that is necessary for the development of crops, leading even further into the importance of life and specifically agriculture in this society. This is why Inti is the god that is most worshipped in the culture outside of the creator god, Viracocha.
One example of the symbolism that could be found outside of the Incan culture would be the Sun Gate in Tiwanaku. The sun gate found here has significant impact on the solar archaeology of the sight as it shows great insight into the position of the sun on days of importance, such as both solstices and equinoxes.
The Sun has clear importance to the Incan civilization, which can even be seen in the architecture of the empire. The Ushnus, were buildings where the leading soldiers would pledge to be loyal towards the leadership of the Incan leadership, and these buildings have a deep connection to the sun. [7]These sites would provide connections during the solar zenith passes. The impact of this can be seen that the buildings were done in relation to the understanding that they had toward the sun, and that they paid attention to the horizon at various important days of the year, that way they could make these connections. Thus, providing another symbol that allows for the Sun to be seen as a key feature of their culture. This is hypothesized to be a reference to when the ceremonies could occur, so that they would be blessed by the sun.
On top of being used in the symbolism of the past, and the sun having an importance in the culture and religion there, the sun is still used on important symbolic figures within countries that were once part of the Incan Empire, proving that while this religion is no longer the foothold of these nations as it once was, the mythology and features are still present today. While these are not guaranteed to have connections to the god, Inti, the cultural significance of the sun has clearly carried over throughout the changes of empires and through the colonization of the Andes.
The other main theory regarding the separation of the sun involves the duties that Inti provided rather than being different stages of the sun. The belief states that one of the suns was for the actual star in the sky that gave light and heat to the planet, that one of the suns was for the daytime where the sun was the highlight of the sky instead of the moon, and that one was for the power to grow things relating to the agricultural significance of the sun worship. [8]