The Inca prayed and left offerings at huacas, especially sea shells, textiles, coca, precious goods, and clay figurines. On occasion, they could even be transported on military expeditions. In the case of stones, they were sometimes taken for safe-keeping in palaces and tombs. Places were sometimes modified to accentuate unusual features and were treated as shrines with special power to influence reality. A huaca could also be natural such as a rock, a cave, a waterfall, a mountain, or even a dead body. The Inca believed some places had magical powers. They believed that gods, spirits, and long-dead ancestors continued to exist on earth in the form of natural features such as mountain peaks, rivers, springs, rocky outcrops, and even oddly shaped stones. Every family said daily prayers to little family huacas. A huaca could be man-made, like a large building or a tiny statue that fit in the palm of your hand. The Inca called these sacred places and objects huacas. For the Inca people, the world was filled with sacred places and objects. Outside of the temples, however, all the world was a deeply spiritual place. It's true, the Inca built temples to their gods and worshiped their gods at those temples. Supay - Supay was the god of death and ruler of the Inca underworld called the Uku Pacha.It was Viracocha who created the Earth, the sky, the other gods, and humans. Viracocha - Viracocha was the first god.Pachamama - Pachamama was the goddess of Earth or "Mother Earth." She was responsible for farming and the harvest.The Inca believed that lunar eclipses occurred when Mama Quilla was being attacked by an animal. Mama Quilla was married to Inti the god of the Sun. She was also the goddess of marriage and the defender of women. Mama Quilla - Mama Quilla was the goddess of the Moon.The temple to Inti that was built in Cuzco, the capital of the Inca empire, included a corn field complete with life-size llamas and shepherds, all made out of pure gold. Inti was married to the Goddess of the Moon, Mama Quilla. Even land and herds were reserved especially for Inti and a whole province near Lake Titicaca was set aside for him. The god was served by a dedicated High Priest ( Villaq Umu), the most senior religious figure in the Inca world. Each major Inca town had a temple to the god and a vast amount of resources were dedicated to him. The emperor, or Inca Sapa, was said to be a descendent of Inti. The well-being of the king and the Inca Empire and the guarantee of a good harvest were entirely in the hands of Inti. Inti - Inti was the most important of the gods to the Inca.
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