History

“Inti” and “Raymi” are Quechua words meaning “Sun Celebration”. It is dedicated to the sun god which was one of the most important gods in the Inca religion. The celebration was created by an Incan ruler named Pachaqutec to mark the winter solstice and the beginning of a new year according to the Incan calendar. The tradition was eventually banned in 1572 by the Spanish during their colonization of the area. According to Garcilazo de la Vega, this was one of the most important Incan celebrations. It involved a purification period, animal sacrifices and reportedly the sacrifice of four children under the age of ten! (1)

Modern Interpretation

In 1944 it was approved by the American Institute of Art in Cusco to allow a reenactment of the Inti Raymi celebrations to occur. Since then the celebrations have occurred every 24^th of June in Cusco. (1)

Last year I was not able to participate in the Inti Raymi celebrations due to work. To be honest, at the time I really did not realize the importance of this celebration so it was no skin off my back to have a nice easy day at work… but having spent a fair bit of time in Cusco now I wanted to learn more about this event.

It began with a ceremony in Qorikancha, a very important Inca temple which was dedicated to the sun god (2) but is now a monastery and museum thanks to the Spanish! Loads of people gathered on the streets to watch the celebration and hear an impassioned speech in Quechua by the Incan ruler… a role which is a great honor to have. People were so eager the see this that I witnessed a fight break out between local Cusqueñans wanting a better view.

Following this the ceremony made its way to the main Plaza de Armas and lastly to Sacsaywaman, a citadel overlooking the city of Cusco. (3) The Incan ruler is carried the entire way and quite the show is made. In Sacsaywaman the ceremony lasted for hours and included lovely choreography, music, speeches, and sacrifices of llamas (nowadays not real).

Impressions

While I admit that I did not make it to the end of the celebrations at Sacsaywaman, it was a very interesting day and one that I was glad to have experienced. It’s refreshing to know that the cultural and linguistic traditions of Peru are still very much alive in Cusco and celebrated so fervently every year.

Bibliography

1. “Discover Peru – Inti Raymi, The Celebration of the Sun.”Discover Peru – Inti Raymi, The Celebration of the Sun. Peru Cultural Society, n.d. Web. 03 Aug. 2015.
2. “Qurikancha.”Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 03 Aug. 2015.
3. “Sacsaywaman.”Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 03 Aug. 2015.