Pachamama Day

August 1 is celebrated as Pachamama Day in the high Andean communities of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. The Andean region is characterized by a culture rooted in pre-Inca and Inca civilizations, expressed through its festivals, customs, and traditions.

Many people have a close connection with Mother Earth (Pachamama in Quechua). For this reason, every August 1, they perform a ceremony of offering to Pachamama, which represents the earth and all of nature that provides us with the place and resources we need to live. 

The Incas held her in the highest regard. She was one of their deities, as was the god Inti, or the Sun. Before certain festivals, they would perform a ceremony of gratitude, a moment when the earth eats, drinks, and smokes. It was a time to give her much of what she has given us.

What does Pachamama mean?

To understand the meaning of the Quechua word “Pachamama,” we must first break it down into two parts: on the one hand, we have the term “pacha,” which means earth, world, universe, and era, and on the other hand, we have the term “mama,” which means mother. By combining the two terms, we arrive at the meaning “Mother Earth” or “Mother World.”

Everything that exists on our planet, especially in the Andean world, has life. From people to stones, mountains, rivers, plants, and trees, everything has life. Nothing is inert in the Andean world. The stars, the universe, the moon, and especially the sun have life.

What is celebrated on Pachamama Day and when?

Most high Andean communities have had and continue to have a deep dependence on and connection with agriculture. August is the month when they prepare to receive the new harvests. On Pachamama Day, Andean people seek to give back to the earth everything they have received from it, expressing their gratitude and asking for the coming harvests to be abundant and prosperous as well.

Who celebrates Pachamama Day?

Today, many local residents perform this ritual to express gratitude and also to prevent situations that may not be beneficial to them. According to local tradition, offerings may include coca leaves, coins, lliclla (a traditional blanket with Inca motifs), food, among other items. 

Farmers, homemakers, workers, agricultural workers, children, authorities, neighborhood associations, and other organizations take part in the Pachamama Day celebrations.

How is Pachamama Day celebrated?

As part of the Pachamama Day celebrations, men and women from high Andean communities gather on August 1 for a ceremony that includes, among other things:

• A hole dug in the ground, where all the offerings and gifts for Pachamama will be placed. This hole is approximately 50 centimeters deep and 1 meter in diameter, depending on the number of gifts and the size of the ceremony.
• A wool blanket or “lliclla,” which is the garment used to wrap the gifts before covering them with soil.
• Beer, food, coca leaves, cigarettes, confetti, sweets, and cookies.

At the end of the ceremony, wood or firewood is placed in the hole. Everything mentioned above is wrapped in the lliclla and, finally, consumed by the fire before being covered with soil. Throughout the ceremony, people drink beer, eat various traditional dishes, and celebrate with dances and music.

Inca Cosmology and Mythology

Pre-Inca civilizations (Moches, Chimus, Chankas, Tiahuanakus, Amazonian ethnic groups, etc.) shared with the Incas a conception based on a single entity that represented both God and nature. The Incas were familiar with this conception, and it became one of the foundations of their expansion as they spread these beliefs throughout their empire.

According to Inca cosmology, space and time were divided into three realms:

Hanan Pacha: This word means “the upper world.” It was the celestial world, reserved for those who had lived justly and which could be reached through a bridge made of hair. The most important gods, such as Wiracocha, inhabited this upper world, as we will explain further below.

Kay Pacha: This word means “the present world, the here and now.” It is the world where humans, animals, and some gods such as Pachamama, Mama Sara, and Pariacaca live.

Uku Pacha: This word means “the lower world, the world of the dead.” According to Andean mythology, this world is inhabited by unborn children, the dead, and everything beneath the surface of the earth or sea. They believed that caves, springs, and other openings on the earth’s surface were actually portals or lines of connection between Uku Pacha and Kay Pacha.

What gods did the Incas believe in?

Inca religion incorporated deities associated with nature, the stars, mountains, water, and fertility; in other words, they believed that the creator god and nature were part of the same entity. Although they developed a textile-based accounting and administrative recording system consisting of a main cord with hanging threads of different colors and knots, known as “Khipus,” they did not develop an alphabetic writing system. Therefore, most of their traditions and myths were passed down orally from generation to generation.

The 3 Worlds of Inca Mythology

As mentioned above, Inca religion was pantheistic, meaning that it believed in a single entity that represented both creation and nature. However, Wiracocha was one of the most important creator deities within certain Andean and Inca traditions.

Gods of Hanan Pacha (Upper World)

• Wiracocha: The earliest records of this creator deity are associated with religious traditions that predate the Incas and were present in Andean cultures such as Chavín, Huari, and Tiahuanaco. Later, the Incas assimilated this figure and incorporated it into their own religious system. According to tradition, Wiracocha emerged from the waters and created the sky, earth, sun, moon, and human beings. In some Andean representations associated with the so-called Staff God, a frontal figure appears holding two staffs or ceremonial scepters; however, not all of these images can be directly and conclusively identified with Wiracocha. 
• Inti or the Sun god: one of the most important gods or representations in Inca culture. It was believed that he was the son of Wiracocha, although his exact origin is unknown. The sun was revered as an important factor for life, as it provides warmth and light. Likewise, farmers relied on it to ensure a good harvest.
• Mama Quilla or Moon goddess: She was considered the wife of Inti or the Sun god and the mother of the firmament.
• Illapa or god of rain, thunder, and lightning: He was considered the brother and companion of Inti.
• Punchao or Chaska: the companion of the goddess Quilla. It is believed to actually be the planet Venus.

Gods of Kay Pacha (Earthly World) 

• Pachamama: This deity represents both the physical earth and nature. She is the mother who gives us food and drink, protects us, and provides us with a home. She does not exist in a specific place or time; she is present in the elements of nature such as rivers, forests, mountains, and lakes. She is the deity who shelters and protects us while providing fertility and abundance. On Pachamama Day, Andean people seek to give back for all this generosity and protection.
• Mama Wayra: goddess of the winds.
• Mama Nina: goddess of light, fire, and volcanoes.
• Mama Sara: goddess of corn or food.
• Pariacaca: god of rain and fertility, as well as animals and wild fruits.
• Huallallo Carhuancho: principal god of the Wanka culture. He is considered a malevolent or negative entity.
• Mallko: represents the law.

Gods of Uku Pacha (Lower World) 

• Yatañamca and Tutañamca: Twin gods who represent darkness and night.
• Pachacamac: god of earthquakes, also considered one of the creator gods of the earth. He exiled himself to the seas and oceans.
• Mama Cocha: She was the deity who represented everything feminine and was worshipped to obtain a good catch of fish and to calm rough waters.
• Supay: This god rules the world of the dead and, according to tradition, always calls for or asks for more “visitors” to come. He was considered by the Spanish to be a representation of the devil; however, he also has some positive characteristics.

Andean culture has traditions, culture, and art that are present in its most important cultural expressions, such as the tribute to Pachamama. We invite you to discover this and much more with our team of professionals at CuscoPeru.com.

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