In the ancient

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

and

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...

of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, an is the term used to describe the spirits of

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

s and sometimes solitary rocks, typically displaying anthropomorphic features, that protect the local people. The term dates back to the

Inca Empire The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

Meanings

The word has several possible meanings, depending on context. means "Lord" in

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...

. The Inca religion uses the term to refer to a mountain with a living spirit; the body and energy of the mountain together form the spirit's ("home" or "temple"). A number of different terms are used for different types of : * – protector of a village (such as Manuel Pinta) * – protector of a region ( Mama Simona) * – protector of a country (such as Salkantay or Ausangate) Besides mountains there are other living beings that are considered – the so-called . In the Andean tradition, (Cosmic Mother), (God or Cosmic Father), (Father Sun), (Father Wind), (Mother Water), (Mother Moon) and (Mother Stars) can be seen all over the world, which is why they are known as , meaning "Global ".

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

and

Mother Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

for the same reason are also known as .

The twelve sacred of
Cusco Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the list of cities in Peru, seventh m ...
are:
Ausangate Ausangate or Auzangateescale.minedu.gob.pe - UGEL map of the Quispicanchi Province 1 (Cusco Region) (in Hispanicized spellings) is a mountain of the Vilcanota mountain range in the Andes of Peru. With an elevation of 6,384 metres, it is situa ...
, Salkantay, Mama Simona,
Pillku Urqu Pillku Urqu (Quechua ''pillku'' red, ''urqu'' mountain), also known as Pikul, Piqul (possibly a corruption of ''pillku'', Hispanicized spellings ''Piccol, Picol'', also Pikol, Piqol) or Wayna Piqul (Quechua ''wayna'' young, Hispanicized ''Huaynap ...
, Manuel Pinta, Wanakawri,
Pachatusan Pachatusan (Quechua ''pacha'' earth, ''tusa'', a prop to support a wall or building, ''pachatusa'' prop of the earth, ''-n'' a suffix) is a mountain northeast of the city of Cusco in the Andes of Peru, about high. It is located in the Cusco Regi ...
,
Pikchu Pikchu (Quechua for pyramid/mountain or prominence with a broad base which ends in sharp peaks, Hispanicized spelling ''Picchu'') is a mountain in the Andes of Peru west of the city of Cusco, about high. It is located in the Cusco Region, Cusco ...
, Saksaywaman, Viraqochan, Pukin, and
Sinqa Sinqa (Quechua for "nose", Hispanicized spelling ''Sencca'', also Senqa) is a mountain in the Andes of Peru northwest of the city of Cusco. It lies in the Cusco Region, Cusco Province, Cusco District, and in the Anta Province, Cachimayo District. ...
. Other in Bolivia and Peru are: Akamari, Antikuna,
Chachani Chachani is a volcanic group in southern Peru, northwest of the city of Arequipa. Part of the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes, it is above sea level. It consists of several lava domes and individual volcanoes such as Nocarane, along with ...
, Kimsa Chata,
Illampu Illampu is the fourth highest mountain in Bolivia. It is located in the northern section of the Cordillera Real, part of the Andes, east of Lake Titicaca. It lies just north of the slightly higher Janq'u Uma, near the town of Sorata. Laguna Gla ...
,
Lady of Illimani Illimani (Aymara) is the highest mountain in the Cordillera Real (part of the Cordillera Oriental, a subrange of the Andes) of western Bolivia. It lies near the cities of El Alto and La Paz at the eastern edge of the Altiplano. It is the sec ...
,
Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain range.UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which ...
,
Pitusiray Pitusiray is a mountain in the Urubamba mountain range in the Andes of Peru. It is located in the Cusco Region, Calca Province, Calca District Calca District is one of eight districts of the province Calca in Peru , image_flag ...
,
Putucusi Putucusi (possibly from Quechua ''phutu'' bud, ''-q'' a suffix, ''k'usi'' a cucurbit species, a small zucchini or ''Cucurbita pepo'',Diccionario Quechua - Español - Quechua, Academía Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, Gobierno Regional Cusco, Cusco 2 ...
,
Qullqipunku Jolljepunco (possibly from Quechua ''qullqi'' money, silver, ''p'unqu'' pond, reservoir, tank; dam, "silver pond"), Colquepunco (possibly from Quechua ''punku'' door, "silver door") or Sasahui (''sasawi'') local name for '' Leucheria daucifolia ...
,
Sinaqara Cinajara or Sinaqara is a mountain in the Vilcanota mountain range in the Andes of Peru, about high. It is situated in the Cusco Region, Quispicanchi Province, in the districts Ccarhuayo and Ocongate.escale.minedu.gob.pe - UGEL map of the Q ...
, Tunupa,
Willka Wiqi Veronica, also called Huacrahuilki ("horn pass"), Huacay Huilcay, Wayna Willka, Waqaywillka, Urubamba ("spider's plain"), or Padre Eterno, is a mountain in the Urubamba mountain range in the Andes of Peru. It is located in the Cusco Region, L ...
(Wakay Willka), Wamanrasu, Wayna Picchu and
Yanantin Yanantin is one of the best known and most defining characteristics of indigenous South American Andean thought and exemplifies Andean adherence to a philosophical model based in what is often referred to as a " dualism of complementary terms" or ...
.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Sacred Mountain Expedition: April 2007
A Inca gods South American deities Mountain gods Tutelary deities