42 / 1060
Royal
Commentaries.
BooK
II.
This
was the
fole
and principal Idolatry
wh~ch
the
Jn:M
taught their Subje&
5
and though they believed the Moon to be Wife
~d
Siller
t~
the Sun,
Y€t
ther
did
not
worfuip
her for a Goddefs,
nor
offer Sacrifices, or build Tem les co h r
as
they
did co
the
Sun; howfoever they
efteemed
her with great
erence
f(
r
the Univerfal Mother,
Qut
proceeded
no
farther,
nor
gave
lier
otbet Attr but
ofDivine
Honour.
Howfoever their
Superllitions were
many,
giving
heed to
Fab~es, an~
Dreams,
;ind
inf
p€ttion
into
die Entrails of Beafrs.
Thunder ,
and L1ghterungs , and
Thunder-bolrs
they
judged to be Servants of the
Sun,
as we
fball
underfiand
hereafter, when
we have
occafion
to name
that Chamber which was built
in
chac
Temple at
Couo,
which was dedicated to the Sun ; but they never held them for
Gods, as fome of the
Spanifh
W ritets
would
have
it;
but
rather
~ar
and dread the
Houfe
or Place wher a Thunder-bolt chances to fall ; for they have fiopt up the
door of
that Chamber with Stones and dirt, that
fo
none
might ever enrer
in
there again
1
and
in
that plare or field
w
em
a Thunder-bolt happens to fall, they
fay that their Father the Sun hath marked out that place as unfortunate, and ac–
rurfed to common ufe, and for that Reafon
they
cover it with heaps of tones,
that
none
may tread or trample
on
it;
the
which I have
feen
and obferved
in
the
Palace of
Huaynacapat
at
Couo,
in
that
quarcer
which
was
affigned
to
Antonio Alta–
mirano,
when that c ·cy was divided
among{{
the Conquerors; for
in
the time of
HPtaynacapac,
a Thund r-bolt
had pierced tnrough a part of that
Palace,
the which
was affigned
to
my
felf
~,
e
the
Spaniards
had
rebuilt
it;
three years after which
another
Thunder-bol fe
in
the fame
place,
and burnt
it
wholly,
the which acci..
dent confirmed th
Indians
in
their
opinion, that
places
in
fuch
manner fuucken
with
Thunder, were accurfed ; and thetefore the
Spanittrds
were
in
an Errour when
they
repuilc
thofe pla es, for they ought to
have
remained void and negletted.
And
whereas
the
Hi.(lorians
fay,
that
they
efi:eemed
Thunder and Lightning for
Gods,
it is
a
millake~ ~ for
they did
ind~d
account thofe places for facred, fay..
ing that their Gods baa
by
':fhundet, and
Thunder-bolts>
and Lighming marked
out
iliofe places for their W orihip, and therefore not being to be
pro~haned
by
common ufe, they 'built their mofi famous Temples thereupon' To thefe three
they gave the
common
Name of
T~,
and for che fimilitude hereµnto they called
~
all Fire-arms
by
the
fame word. And as to thofe Names
whidi
they
give
to
t_.t~dc:r,
Thunder, and to the
Sun
in
*Trinity, they are
framed
by
the
Spllmards
themfolves
~gu~~~k.
as
they
have
in
other
things? for no fuch worcis are
compounded
m the oenetal
language
of
tPer11,
nor have
they any
fu,h
figaification as
the
Sp11(1iArds
fanfie
0r
would inipofe upon them.
'
114'
··
By
what means the
Incas
came to the k._nowledge of the
·
.
True
Godo
BEfid~
thde
Sun?
wh?m
ihey
woriliipped for tbe
vifible
God~
to whom
tney
onere
Sacr.ifice,
and
kept
Fefiivals
(as
we
lhall hereafcer declare,) the
lnt:M,
wlihho
were _Kmgs, and
(hekakttU,
w~o
were
Philofoph.
er, proceeded by the
mere g
t
of
Nature,
to
the
knowled~
of the True
Almighty
God our Lord
M-aker
of
Heav~n
and
Earth, as
we
fhall hereafrer
prove by
rneir
·p
words
and
teftlmorues, which fome of
them
~ave
of
the Divine
Majetly,
which
the
called
by
~e
Name of
P
ach.acam~
1
~ad
1s
a \
ord
compottnded of
p
atha>
which
i
rhe'
Umverfe, and
Camac,
whicn
IS
the oul · and
is
as
much as he that
·
h
WO
l
..J
•
J_
.J
c·
·
his
Cha '
anunaces
r
e
4
r
a.
~e~<J "~
1
u
11 ,
m
-Oi.
peer,
fays ,
that
chey
called
the Devil
by