Between cloud forests and mountainous landscapes, the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu rises between the Andes. It is one of the most visited places in Peru and in the world. But the legends and myths that it has inspired do not always correspond to reality.
The Incas, before building a citadel, made a study. For them, the hills were Apus (gods). And the Machu Picchu enclosure was surrounded by three Apus, ‘protected’ by those mountains.
The legends about the Machu Picchu citadel building are:
The Inca Wiracocha in Machu Picchu
The Inca Wiracocha was scared to face the Chancas, and that is why his son called Kusi did it, this form an army and defeat Uscovilca (leader of the Chancas).
Since then, the imperial city of Cusco began to transform beautifully, with the intention of humiliating Wiracocha, his son Kusi invited him to witness the changes in Cusco; Wiracocha agrees to the proposal and when he arrives in Cusco he is amazed by the renewed city that he found, at that moment he gave his son Kusi the name “Pachacutec” which means “Transformer of the world”. But his son Kusi, in an act of arrogance, stripped him of royal power, took away his crown and put it on, self-proclaimed Inca ruler and sent his father to live his last years of life in exile in his own creation, the citadel from Machu Picchu.
When Wiracocha died, Pachacutec ordered the citadel to be depopulated and abandoned forever, which is why the ruins of Machu Picchu remained intact to this day.
Pachacutec and The Inti God
It is a legend of the origins of Machu Picchu that tells the story that the Inca Pachacutec defeated his enemies Chancas with the help of the Inti God (the Sun), who made the stones that surround the imperial city of Cusco become Inca soldiers to later defeat their enemies, the Chancas. After defeating the Chancas, The Inca ordered the construction of the citadel of Machu Picchu, but Pachacutec began to boast greatly and his ambition infuriated the God Inti.
Later Pachacutec realized why the Inti had bothered, he apologized, but went to the goddess Quilla (Moon) who advised him to prepare a drink and invite the god Inti to eat on top of a nearby mountain. to Machu Picchu, which would be the fearsome Huayna Picchu, this to appease the wrath of the god and thus be able to continue with the construction of his residence: the citadel of Machu Picchu.
The Virgins of the Sun
The city of Machu Picchu was closely linked to the cults of the Sun, and in it lived mostly women, considered sacred as the virgins of the Sun (acllas), these were in charge of maintaining the power of the sacred fire, and for this in some nights with the use of emerald-type stones captured the glimpse power of the stars and therefore some of them also possessed the gift of clairvoyance.
Only the Inca could take as many wives as he wanted from them.