Religion

The most important Inca god was Viracocha, the Creator, both father and mother to the other gods. Next were the gods of nature, Inti the Sun and Quilla the Moon. The many religious holidays were celebrated according to the cyclical rhythm of the sun and the moon. Equally important were the gods Thunder, Rain and Planets.

The Incas believed that many places and things were inhabited by spirits and therefore magical. These magical entities were called huaca and could exist as a temple, a stone in a strange shape, graves of ancestors as well as a hill, a spring or a cave. Generally, the Incas sacrificed llamas and pigs to their gods but occasionally, a human was sacrificed in the largest temples.