The Incan Empire played host to broad spectrum of divine spirits and culture heroes.  From Viracocha, the creator god, to K'uychi, the rainbow god, the Incans viewed themselves as subjects to a menagerie of powerful deities.  By controlling weather, health, fertility, and time itself, these gods held the fate of the empire in their hands.  If appeased, they could be helpful allies, but if angered, they were capable of unleashing profound terror upon the masses, desiccating the fields with drought, ravaging the villages with disease, or destroying entire cities with natural disaster.
 

Viracocha     At the head of the Incan celestial table stood the all-mighty Viracocha.  The supreme creator-god, he was the progenitor of the Incan pantheon and preserver of the Inca race.  A mythological hero of epic proportions, he was accredited with saving the empire when it was threatened by the Chanca barbarians, with wandering the countryside instructing people on how to live prosperously, and with ascending to the heavens where he would father a race of protector gods.  While he is revered as the most powerful deity in Incan lore, he was only worshipped by the priestly elites and the emperor.  His very name was taboo for the masses.

 

Apu Inti (Sun God)         Originally acknowledged by Manco Capac, the first Inca, Apu Inti became the keystone in the Incan pantheon of earth-oriented deities.  He was the most magnificent creation of Viracocha and the mythological father of the royal Inca line (proposed by Manco Capac, one may surmise, to achieve a status of heavenly mandate).  Honored in an array of temples spanning the empire, Apu Inti was worshipped with sacrafice (animal and human) and prayers to golden idols.  Ceremonies were conducted in his praise at sunrise and sunset, with fear sweeping the empire during solar eclipses.  The Incas, receiving his gift of light and life, referred to themselves as children of the sun.

Chiqui Illapa (Thunder God)         Second only to Apu Inti, Chiqui Illapa was a magnanimous figure in Incan lore.  Hailing rain down from the celestial river (the Milky Way), Illapa fed the empire.  Incan legend asserts that he would crack his sister's water jug with a slingshot, reverberating the echoes of thunder as aqueous elixir spilled forth from the sky, showering the parched lands below.  He was associated with Keypachu, the upper kingdom of heaven, and was worshipped throughout the growing season.  Interestingly, any male child born during a thunderstorm was declared a priest of Chiqui Illapa, an exalted position in Incan society and within the priestly class itself.

 

Mamaquilla (Mother Moon)         First acknowledged by Inca Yapanqui, successor of Manco Capac, Mamaquilla was wife of the sun and timekeeper of the heavens.  As the Incan calendar revolved around the lunar month, she was critical to the maintenance of a calendric system that would ensure proper adherence to planting and harvesting seasons.  She was represented with idols of silver, complementing the gold of her luminary husband.

 

Yakumama (Mother Water)         Yakumama was believed to control subterranean and mountain streams, blessing the fields with nourishment and springing fresh water from the earth.  The complement of Chiqui Illapa, she was associated with ukupacha, the lower kingdom of heaven.

 

Mamacocha (Mother Sea)         A regional deity, Mamacocha was important to ayllus of the Peruvian coast, where she mainatined the fertility of of the sea.  She was honored with conch shells, which were more valuable in this region than gold or silver.

Pachakama (Earth Mother)         Pachakama was also a regional deity, important to the Andean highlanders.  She was ascribed the role of ensuring the fertility of soil and seed in the harsh mountain climes.

Stars         In the tradition of celestial deities, stars were thought to possess spirits that breathed life into earthly beings.  Several constellations were also recognized as bearing agricultural import, such as the Pleiades, the "Seven Sisters" who preserved the seed, and the "Great Lizard", who appeared in the west during planting season and buried his head in the east at harvest time.

Waca         Waca were the family gods, or, synonomously, the shrines in which the family gods were worshipped.  They were honored with more regularity than any deity of the state-recognized pantheon, as they wielded direct control over the prosperity of the ayllu.  Wacas took a variety of forms, the most common being mountains, streams, caves, trees, or roads.  Idols appropriate to their form were worshipped on a daily basis to appease them and avert the evocation of manevolence.  Curiously, oddities such as twins, abnormal plants, and misfigured animals were also considered Wacas.  In addition to the Waca of the kin group, individuals also had a personal guarding spirit of similar significance.

 

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Works consulted:

Mason, J. Alden.  Ancient Civilizations of Peru.  London: Penguin Books. 1991.
Wallace, Anthony. "The Relgion of Qosqo." n.d.  http://www.bestweb.net/~goyzueta/qosqo/religion.html

Picture credits:

Viracocha:          http://www.raingod.com/angus/gallery
Apu Inti:             http://www.astronomy.com
Chiqui Illapa:      http://www.astronomy.com
Mamaquilla:       http://www.astronomy.com
Yakumama:       http://www.excite.com/pics/earth
Mamacocha :     http://www.excite.com/pics/earth
Pachakama:       http://www.usws.com
Waca:               http://www.astronomy.com