Inca Astronomy

All Catholic missionaries and officials who followed Francisco Pizarro tried to destroy records of ancient Inca beliefs and their culture, including the Kipu archives relating to astronomy. The main authors who have informed us of Inca knowledge of astronomy are (in chronological order):

• Cieza de Leon
• Juan de Betanzos
• Juan Polo de Ondegardo y Zarate
• Cristobal de Molina
• Blas Valera
• Pablo Jose de Arriaga
• Francisco de Avendagno
• Francisco de илvila
• Pachacuti Fossa
• Fernando de Montesinos

A wide range of astronomical concepts is also presented in the dictionaries of the late 16th - early 17th centuries Quechua ( Holguin ^[2] , 1608 ) and Aymara ( Bertonio ^[3] , 1612 ).

Inca astronomy is directly related to cosmology and mythology, since each waka (sacred place on earth) reflected a certain celestial body or phenomenon. This is reflected in many legends, where during the creation of the world, celestial objects descended underground, and then again emerged from rocks, caves, springs, that is, from each wake. ^[4] The peoples themselves came out of them, according to the Inca.

For the Incas, time was combined with space, as it is already expressed in the word in Quechua “ pacha ”, which means time and space (length, width and depth) at the same time, that is, in one word the values ​​of four dimensions and representations of statics are displayed at once and dynamics . This synonymy between time and space means that the former was shown specifically and projected onto geographic space. The time of Pacha was divided into: present - pacha , and past-future - nyavpa-pacha . And it is shown walking in a circle:

• as back, it means the term ñawpa pacha - past tense,
• and forward, because the same word means future time and space ahead.

Close to the term nyavpa were: urine - a long and invisible zone, and khanan - a recent and visible zone.

In the Inca's view, there were three worlds: Hanan Pacha , Kai Pacha , Uku Pacha . The horizon (in the conditions of mountainous terrain it was not only a horizontal line, but also vertical and any others) was called kinray , in turn, the land supposed beyond the horizon, and not visible to the observer, was called kinraining ^[5] .

The origin / beginning of the world was called - Pakkarik pacha .

Spatially, the north of the Incas was at the bottom , and the south was at the top ^[6] .

In the pre-Columbian world, where time is shown specifically, the concept of “ zero ” does not correlate with the concept of “nothing”, like our “zero”, but is correlated with something concrete and objective. The Inca and Maya symbol “zero” itself is something tangible: it is a cord without a knot for the Incas , a shell for Maya and a corncob for the Aztecs . In other words, the beginning of something ^[7] .

As shown by a new analysis of the language and gestures of Aymara by American scientists, the Indians represent time on the contrary: in the imaginary space-time scale, the future is behind them, and the past has yet to be seen.

Sky

The sky was called Anakpacha or Anan Pacha. The zenith or midpoint of the sky was called Ticnu . The heavenly path is Anac pachañan.

Milky Way

The Milky Way (“ Mayu ” - River, Quechua mayu ), on which or near which increasingly smaller significant objects are located, was considered the primary celestial object. The Mayu position during periods when, as a result of the rotation of the earth, the axis of the Milky Way deviates as much as possible in both directions from the North – South line, the boundaries are drawn that divide the world into four sectors. ^[8] On the ground, at approximately the same angle, the two central streets of the village (and the roads continuing along them) and irrigation canals intersect. ^[9]

The heavenly river is reflected or continues on the earth in the form of Vilkanota ( Urubamba ) - the main waterway of the Cuzco region, flowing from the southeast to northwest. It is believed that the sun makes its night way under the bottom of the Vilcanota and is saturated with its waters. In winter, in the dry (and cold) season, the sun drinks little and therefore cools.

Stars, constellations and interstellar

Constellations

Inca information about the stars is preserved a little. So the largest list of stars was given by the Spanish lawyer Juan Polo de Ondegardo , who described the rites of the Indians in Peru in 1559 in his treatise " Delusions and Superstitious Rites of the Indians ":

Of the stars, usually everyone worshiped the one that they call Kolka , and we call the Pleiades . And the rest of the stars were revered, especially when it seemed to them that they were necessary to protect them. Because they gave different stars different functions. And therefore, the Shepherds worship and sacrifice to one star, which they call Urquchiglia , this, as they say, is a ram of many shades, which is responsible for the preservation of cattle, and it is believed that this is what Astrologers call Lyra . And they worship the two others that pass near her, called Katuchillay and Urkuchilay . Which they depict in the form of a sheep with a lamb. Others in the highlands worship another star called Chuki Chinchai ; it is, as they say, the Tiger, which is in charge of the Tigers, Bears and Lions. They also worship another star called Ankochinchay , protecting other animals. In the same way, they worship another [star], called Machakuay , in whose jurisdiction there are Snakes and Snakes, so that they do not harm them; and especially all the animals and birds that live on earth: they believed that their only likeness resided in heaven, [and] whose concern was their reproduction and growth. And so they were dealing with various stars, such as the one called Chakama , and Topatorka , Maman , and Mirko , Mikikirai , and equally with others.

- Revista histórica; órgano del Instituto Histórico del Perú, Volume 1. - Lima, 1906, pp. 207–208 ^[10]

Catachillay orcochillay was called the constellation Southern Cross.

Stars

Coyllur. - The star. Ccoyllur pinchiy cachan, o cimiycachan. - A shining or iridescent star. Ccoyllur chipchic. - a brightly shining star. Ccoyllurçapa hanacpacha - starry sky.

Interstellar Dark Sites

The Incas were aware of the following black spots on the Milky Way (many of which, as main characters, are listed in the myth from the manuscript of Varochiri ^[11] , 1608 ):

• Llama - Chhoque chinchay.
• Llama Cub
• Shepherd
• Condor
• Partridge
• Toad
• Snake
• Fox

Interestingly, the Australian Aborigines also attached great importance to the dark dust clouds of the Milky Way ^[12] .

Sun

The sun was called Inti or Punchau . The sun at its zenith was designated Intip tiknarayan. East and the place where the sun rises - Yntip lloksimunan, or ceccamunan; west and the place where the sun sets - Yntip yaucunan pata. Ring of the sun or moon - Chimpu. The deviation of the sun from the zenith down - Ticnumanta intiñam tticçun. Total eclipse of the sun - Yntimtutayan, partial eclipse of the sun - Llantuytucun asnillan. Sun rising at noon - Inti ñam tiknurimun. The sun going down in the afternoon - Inti ttiksumun ttiksuycumun.

Moon

There were twelve months. They were considered by the moons . The names for the moon and for the month were the same: on Quechua - Killa ( Quechua Killa ), on Aymara - Paxi (Pacsi, or, more precisely, Phakhsi). All months had an equal number of days.

Both in Mesoamerica and the Andes , the Moon and now allows local residents living in the villages to take into account the lunar months, and when it is not visible, for example, during the new moon, it is considered absent, that is, zero.

The name of the lunar eclipse is Quillap tutayayñin.

Planets

From the Quechua dictionaries of the 17th century, this name of the planets is known - Hatun ccoyllur ( Quechua Hatun quyllur ). Literally "the highest, big star." The Incas knew such planets as Venus , Jupiter and Saturn ^[13] . Mercury and Mars were also probably observed by the Incas, but accurate information about this did not reach us, their modern names ( Qatuylla "merchant", Awkakuq "warrior") are semantic tracing-paper of the names of the Roman gods Mercury and Mars .

The original names of the planets that have come down to us allow us to conclude that they are observed with extraordinary attention by the naked eye (probably due to the purity of high altitude air ), up to the distinction between details that are usually observed only with binoculars or a telescope , as well as the absence of planetary binding traditional for ancient civilizations of the Old World. to one or another deity.

Comets

From the dictionary of Diego González Olgin, it is known that comets were designated and classified as follows:

• Comets - Tapia coyllur .
• The scattering comet is Acochinchay (the Aztecs also almost called comets - "smoking stars" or the sitallin of the butt , which they represented in the fifth heaven).
• Undisclosed comets - Chuqui chinchay (Chuqui means "spear".).

The historian Fernando Montesinos in his book repeatedly mentions the registration of comets by the Andes Indians:

one.

After several years, two terrible comets appeared, appearing in the form of a lion and a snake. The king [Manco Kapak Yupanki] ordered the gathering of astrologers and amauts due to the fact that there were noteworthy eclipses of the Sun and the Moon, and they consulted with idols, and the demon made them understand that Ilyatisi wants to destroy the world because of their sins, and for this sent a lion and a serpent to destroy the moon.

- Montesinos, Fernando. Ancient Historical and Political Memorial Information about the Feast ^[14]

2.

During this king [Vaman Takko Amauta] numerous comets and other wonderful signs, large earthquakes that lasted for many months were visible. They were so remarkable that the inhabitants were embarrassed and performed the great sacrifices of Ilyatisi Viracocha and the mother earth, which they called Pachamama, begging them so many signs and such miracles would turn into good.

- Montesinos, Fernando. Ancient Historical and Political Memorial Information about the Feast ^[14]

3.

After several years, two comets appeared in the sky, one of the color of blood and in the shape of a spear, and it lasted more than a year, and it appeared from midnight until almost noon. The second was the size and shape of a large round shield, and appeared at the same time as the first, and both in the west. The Inca [Inka Kapak Yupanki] ordered great sacrifices to be made, both for boys and girls — babies, and sheep, living in gold and silver. They gathered a council of fortune tellers and sorcerers in order to declare the meaning of comets, and they answered that this means great disasters, and that, undoubtedly, the Peruvian monarchy will soon fall. / 86 / The Inca ordered those who said so, and those who remained took back their prediction, explaining to him comets to his taste.

- Montesinos, Fernando. Ancient Historical and Political Memorial Information about the Feast ^[14]

Pachakuti Yamka also writes about two comets, and relates their appearance to the reign of Pachakutek Inka Yupanka ( 1438 - 1471 ): “Then two comets [sacacas] left Ausankat, and one moved to Arequipa, and the other moved to partially snow-capped mountains near Vamanka . They are described as animals with wings, ears, a tail and four legs, with many spikes on their backs; and in the distance they caused fire ” ^[15]

The comet also became, according to one version, the cause of the death of the last ruler of the Inca Empire - Atahualpa :

When Atavalpa was captured in the province of Cajamarca, some other Christians were still alive, who were with the Marquis Don Francisco Pizarro, who captivated him, who saw how a green sign [comet?], One arm-long and half-spear-long, fell from the sky at midnight. And since the Spaniards came to look at it, and Atavalpa, learning about this, they say, asked them to bring him to look at it, and as soon as he saw it, he was saddened, and that was the next day. Governor don Francisco Pizarro asked him why he was so saddened, he answered: " I saw a heavenly sign, and I will tell you that when my father Vaina Capac died, they saw another sign similar to that ." And 15 days have passed since Atavalpa died

- Cieza de Leon, Pedro. Chronicle of Peru. Part one. Chapter LXV. ^[sixteen]

Scales of the Universe

One of the gods in charge of the universe was Viracocha . His name Illatici Huira Cocha , translated by historian Fernando de Montesinos, looked like this:

• “The Magnificent (Shining) Foundation and the Abyss - the Repository of all things ”, meaning the Law or Cosmos, which controls the movements of the luminaries and all that exists ^[17] .

According to the ideas of the inhabitants of Peru in the XVI century, time-space was endless, because to the questions of the historian Ciez de Leon to the Indians: “ did they comprehend that the world should end, they laughed ” in response. ^[18]

Heavenly phenomena

As historian Bernabe Cobo wrote in his History of the New World , that, like all peoples, time was taken from the peoples of Peru through observation of the Sun and Moon, as well as of planets and stars. The movement of the Sun around the World in a day made it possible to distinguish day from night, and the movement of the Sun between both Tropics to keep track of years. They determined the sunny year by solstices. And the movements of the moon - to calculate the months. The beginning of the year was the winter solstice - December 23. According to Kobo, the Incas did not know leap years ^[19] , but Acosta notes that some said that the Indians knew leap years, while others did not. ^[20]

The Indians in the middle of the XVI century said that there were four great skies. ^[21] Perhaps this refers to the division of the sky into 4 parts: along the Milky Way and across it.

They also observed other celestial objects: comets , meteors .

Stone Pillars

The measurements were carried out on pillars or stones placed on the hills and hillocks near Cuzco : two to the East from the city, and two to the West. The sun came out and set through them when it reached the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn . The two stones that determined the beginning of winter were called Pukuy-Sukanka ; the other two, which marked the beginning of summer, were called Chirav (?) - Sukanka . ^[22]

José de Acosta mentions 12 pillars. He calls them Succanga . ^[23] . Antonio de la Calancha provides information on 8 pillars on the east side and 8 pillars on the west. ^[24]

It seems that already in the middle of the XVI century , after the conquest of the Spaniards, these pillars in Cuzco were abandoned and their monitoring ceased or waned.

Soke and Waki ​​Lines

Soke

A unique invention of the peoples of Peru was the seque lines (Quechua ceques - line, line), which were imaginary guide lines, that is, vectors coming from the temple of Coricancha , Cuzco . There were 40 lines connecting with 328 sacred places - Wakas ^[25] .

Time, indeed, to such an extent represented unity with the space occupied by man, that the “ ceques ”, lines extending from the center of the Inca world, the city of Cuzco, made it possible to identify not only social groups and 328 Wac marking the Inca ritual calendar of 328 days, but also some of them codified astronomical observatories, indicating the place of some significant solar and lunar positions ^[26] .

Waki

Incas endowed with supernatural powers a wide variety of objects, natural phenomena, places and even mountains, which are still revered by some Peruvian peasants. They call such peculiar shrines one common word - “waka” (holy place).

In Cuzco, the Uaki, along with the pillars along which the Inca calendar was kept , amounted to 350.

According to the Report to the King of Spain, compiled by the governor of Francisco de Borja on April 8, 1615 , the Indians of Peru had 10,422 idols , including 1,365 mummies, and some were the founders of their clans, tribes, and villages. ^[27] It is also known that in some provinces there were more than 300 vac, for example, in the province of Guamachuco ^[28] .

The Spanish priest and chronicler Father Bernabe Cobo noted that the Incas did not distinguish between earthly and heavenly. The term "waka," he said, they "applied to all the holy places intended for prayers and sacrifices, as well as to all the gods and idols worshiped in such places." He made a list of 350 waka, it featured everything - from mountains, rocks, springs to ancient tombs and battlefields, on which emperors covered themselves with unfading glory. And this is only in one area of Cuzco . Kobo’s father also described what they were: they were located along a series of lines called “sekés” that came from one particular place, Korikanchi, located in the heart of Cuzco. Each of these sekes, together with all of its wakas, became the subject of concern and exclusive responsibility of a particular clan, who took care of this place and sacrificed on solemn occasions.

Archaeologists have noticed that the location of some wakas is associated with sunrise and sunset on certain days and therefore they could serve as a kind of ritual calendar . But such a conclusion, like other conclusions about a culture that did not leave behind any written monuments, remains only a hunch.

Kipu

Undoubtedly, the calculation of time was also carried out and recorded with the help of a pile , as the American researcher Gary Urton noted ^[29] , and, it seems, in conjunction with Yupana , the accounts .

The experts in astronomy were philosophers - amaut , they were also astrologers . Largely thanks to them, the Spaniards managed to collect information on the mythology of the Indians of the Andean region.

Fernando de Montesinos remarked that:

Amautes say that from these times information, according to an ancient legend, passed from mouth to mouth, that when this prince reigned [Sinchi Cosco], they had letters, and their experts, called amauta, and they taught them to read / 18 / write, and astrology was the main science.

- Montesinos, Fernando. Ancient Historical and Political Memorial Information about the Feast ^[14]

According to Montesinos, changes to the calendar were made repeatedly, mainly due to the discovery of a mismatch between the observed celestial objects and the set dates, because of which it was necessary to adjust the time and transfer the dates of the solstices or equinoxes.

So, Inca Yavar Huquiz “was a great astrologer, and he determined a good way how the false days or leap years should be considered every four years. He ordered that for a good account of future times, one year should be inserted every four hundred years and because of them they would refuse to leap, because according to the amaut of astrologers with whom he had large meetings, the king found out that in this way the count of years would achieve accuracy. And the old people in memory of this king and the event called the leopard “uquis” [Huquiz], although earlier they called him “Alcaallca”, and also in memory of this king they called the month May Lahuar Huquiz. ” ^[30] With such a calculation, over 400 years, 2,400 hours would have run, or exactly 100 days, but we are talking about 1 year.

Or, for example, astrologer Manco Kapak Amauta “He was very wise and a great astrologer, which is why he was nicknamed“ amauta “. He arranged a meeting of all experts in this science, and after consulting with them, he said that the Sun and Moon are in different | from due | provisions [diferentes puestos]. He ordered that the beginning of the generally accepted year fall in the spring, which according to our account corresponds to the vernal equinox ‹lacuna› of March. This king, along with other astrologers, discovered, observing the effects of the stars, that there should be great changes in this Peruvian kingdom, and so he began to teach his sons and heirs to this, and cautioned them to always exercise caution when referring to Ilyatisi Jachachik Viracoce who is the supreme Creator of all things, so that he will be favorable to them, having for the intercessors the Sun and the Moon, their fathers and first parents, constantly offering them sacrifices ” ^[31] .

Первичные источники

В хронологическом порядке :

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• А. Скромникий. Таблица Линий Секе, святилищ Вак, и главные места поклонения у Инков, имевшиеся в Куско.
• A Catalogue of Quechua Stars and Constellations
• Созвездия инков
• Планетарий города Куско