The Incas were probably one of the most religious cultures in history. Nearly every single aspect of their lives involved the worship of some sort of idol. They worshipped through prayers, dances, and sacrifices. Sacrifices were the most important form of worship. The Incas sacrificed a wide variety of things, ranging from objects they created, to crops they grew, to livestock, to their own children. The type of sacrifice they made depended on the importance of the god the gift was for and the seriousness of the situation they were involved in. Human sacrifice was only done for very special occasions and in crisis situations. The guidelines for sacrifice were very specific had to be followed exactly. To change the order of a ceremony would mean that the gods would not be pleased and would bring more problems. At a ceremony there would be much drinking and dancing that were part of the ritual. Sacrifices would be accompanied by prayers as well. Like the sacrifices, prayers had to be recited in a specific manor, and only by priests. There were many prayers for many situations.
 

All these sacrifices and prayers were offered to the most important things in the Inca culture, their deities. Incas were incredibly idolatrous, they idolized a wide variety of things, from dirt to the Sun. The Incas did have a hierarchy of gods, the top being Viracocha, or sometimes called
Pachayachachic, or "Creator of the World." Viracocha was the supreme being that created all the other gods. Viracocha also created the light and the dark, the earth and the sea, land and water, and all the things that are of the earth. This is a prayer to Viracocha for the health and general well being of the people!

O Creator without equal, you are at the ends of the world, you gave life and valor to mankind,
saying "Let there be man" and for the women, "Let there be woman"; You made them, formed
them and gave them life so that they will live safe and sound in peace without danger! Where are you? by chance do you live high up in the sky or down below on earth or in the clouds and
storms? hear me, respond to me and consent to my plea, giving us perpetual life and taking us
with your hand, and receive this offering wherever you are, O Creator!

Here is another example.

O Sun, my father, who said "Let there be Cuzco!" and by your will it was founded and it is
preserved with such grandeur! Let these sons of yours, the Incas, be conquerors and despoilers of
all mankind. We adore you and offer this sacrifice to you so that you will grant us what we beg of you. Let them be prosperous and make them happy, and do not allow them to be conquered by anyone, but let them always be conquerors, since you made them for that purpose.
 
 
 

Burial Customs

The bodies of the wealthy, both men and women,  were wrapped in fine tapestry. The men would have beside them in the grave his implements used in war, hunting and fishing. Also, sometimes the finest pottery vessels or other objects of gold or silver would go along-side the body as well. Along with these possessions would be a supply of food, coca leaves, and some other items used in day to day life. These were left for the journey the body would travel to the next world.

The poor man was thrust into a hole in the sand of the coast, or into a crevasse between the rocks in the mountains. Beside him would be and ear of corn, a gourd or pottery vessel for water, a few odd shaped stones, his amulets or charms

  The Incas of the coast region called their deceased bodies mummies. Some of the bodies were
found in vaults which were covered with sticks and bushes. The bodies were placed in a sitting
position, knees drawn up and the head resting upon them. The women are found with their work baskets. In some places a fake head was attached to the mummy body; its significance is unknown.

The Mummies of Inca Rulers were treated as if they were still alive.  Servants would still tend to the estate of the deceased, and on important days of ceremony the mummies would be brought out to celebrate with everyone else.  On important issues, some even consulted the mummies before taking action.
 
 
 
 
 

capacocha

Very little is known about Capacocha, the sacred Inca ceremony of human sacrifice, but with each new archaeological discovery of a sacrificial mummy, more is revealed. The earliest and only known written accounts of the ritual are chronicles written by Spanish conquistador historians. From the chronicles and from each new discovery of a mummy, the pieces of this great puzzle are put together to reveal an intricate and extremely important ritual that involved sacrifice of children, worship of mountains as gods, and elaborate burial procedures.
 
 

Works Consulted: Bernabe Cobo, Inca Religion and Customs (Austin: University of Texas
                        Press, 1990)

                        Geoffrey Conrad, Religion and Empire: The Dynamics of Aztec and
                        Inca Expansionism (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1984)

Picture Credits: All Mummies: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/peru/mummies/