The Tahuantinsuyu (lit. "Four Parts Together") ("Land of the Four Quarters") or Incan Empire was a centralized force or ruling party. The most important events considered as a vital part of the everyday life were their religious and ritual practices that were understood, articulated and elaborated through the Andean Cosmology and powerful thought.
It drew upon the ritualistic forms and practices of previous Andean civilizations and certain aspects of these rituals and practices are still done by the families that are direct descendants of the priests in charge of these important ceremonies.
Incan ideology was based on the cosmological behavior of the galaxies, planets and stars. The Andean cosmology was hierarchical and dualistic, with a variety of opposing forces jostling in position through ongoing action.
The world was viewed as an animistic one. They believed that the world started as a kind of phantom one with everything moving without a corporeal body.
Their concept about the life force was clear and simple. To their beliefs, everything was connected with it. Change was understood as occurring asymmetries in power between those life forces, while an equilibrium or balance, was struck in such a way through reciprocity, a process of reciprocal exchange.
To them, the understanding of these laws of nature was very important. To acquire the knowledge of how these energies moved around required an intense training involving the cleansing of the environment from negative energies and enhancing the power of the individual in charge, in order to determine the path in which these energy sources moved around.
The real conditions of existence was the primary thought that these people projected from the inside out. The belief of the relation from the cosmos to the real conditions of existence was the foundation of life in this planet. It was a set of conscious and unconscious ideas working together which made up the empire's goals, expectations, and motivations. It produced a set of standards that were followed unanimously by the people, government and conquered groups as a way of looking at things.
The understanding of the origin, evolution and eventual fate of the universe was the primary objective knowledge that was transmitted and passed on through religious beliefs based on careful examination of the universal laws governing the cosmos. Observation and experimentation were the basic ingredients that shaped the unanimously understanding of the meaning of life and the position of the individual in relation to the universe.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Thursday, June 18, 2015
THE RACE OF GIANTS IN ANCIENT PERU
The mythical existence of Giants in ancient Peru is a legend being told by the people who still perform the rituals and festivals that in the past were performed in order to maintain a harmony between the forces of good and the forces of evil and gain a moment of peace.
The legend match with a narrative mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Samuel, chapter 6, in which a race of Giants inhabited a region in Mesopotamia. The place was known as a processing center for agricultural goods.
The city's history begins well before the Philistines or Israelites arrived into the region.
During the Philistine control the territory had five axis lords that were giants and executed great powers. The place was the birthplace of Goliath and other giant warriors, and at the time that Israel crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, the giant's race of the Anakim controlled the region. Joshua 11; 1 Sam 17; 2 Sam 21; 1 Chron. 20. The giants that resided in the territory were called Gittites. Joshua 13.
Joshua's conquest of the Promised Land did not include the territory occupied by these giants. This was to be accomplished later. Accordingly, God instructed Joshua to assign the region to the 12 tribes. Judah was the tribe receiving the territory in which this city of giants was located. Josh.13; 15.
Both the Ephraimites and Benjamites skirmished with the Gittites. 1Chron.7; 8. In Samuel's day the captured Ark of the Covenant was brought to the city of the giants, with disastrous consequences to the city's inhabitants. 1 Sam. 5. Shortly thereafter Israel subdued the power of these giants and certain cities that they had taken from Israel kept coming back to Israel from the regions that their power were placed. 1 Sam 7.
David purportedly met Goliath, who came from these race of giants, in a legendary man-to-man conflict. 1Sam 17; 2 Sam 21. From this city of giants David began to curry favor with the leaders of Judah who under Saul's power controlled the region. David found refuge in this place in his flight from Saul, when he was being pursued as an enemy of the king. The city's king granted refugee status to David. People from the Negeb region and the city of Hebron and men from the city of the giants (Gittites) became David's most loyal supporters throughout his reign. 2 Sam. 15.
After Israel losing control over the region, the place was conquered by the Aramean king Hazael and its strategic location on the ROAD leading UP to Jerusalem via Elah Valley and Bethlehem was used in an attack against Jerusalem. 2 Kings 12.
The region was then taken by the Assyrian king Sargon as part of his purported conquest of Judah, and the city of giants then passed out the pages of history.
The exact location of the city is unknown. Its early passing from historical mention and the absence of information of the whereabout of the giants of this region makes the tracking of it impossible.
We have only the archaeological remains of five giants found in Northern Peru. The remains belong to a culture that began its existence between AD 100 and 800. They were a farming and fishing community of people. They constructed irrigation canals, pyramids, palaces and temples.
The artifacts inside the tombs include ceramics, textiles, and human sacrifices. The quality of the ceramics and metal work is astonishing. The objects were often decorated with scenes of hunting, fishing, combat, punishment, sexual encounters and elaborate ceremonies. The particular richness in one of the tombs suggests that its occupant had wielded enormous power. The man's face was covered with a mask made of copper and gold. Images of bats, common in Moche depictions of human sacrifice and ritual blood drinking, filled the man's tomb, including a headdress decorated with gilded copper bats and a bat nose ornament of solid gold.
These giants apparently are the remnants of the Anakims. Only time will give us the connecting dots missing in history about what happened to its race.
The legend match with a narrative mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Samuel, chapter 6, in which a race of Giants inhabited a region in Mesopotamia. The place was known as a processing center for agricultural goods.
The city's history begins well before the Philistines or Israelites arrived into the region.
During the Philistine control the territory had five axis lords that were giants and executed great powers. The place was the birthplace of Goliath and other giant warriors, and at the time that Israel crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, the giant's race of the Anakim controlled the region. Joshua 11; 1 Sam 17; 2 Sam 21; 1 Chron. 20. The giants that resided in the territory were called Gittites. Joshua 13.
Joshua's conquest of the Promised Land did not include the territory occupied by these giants. This was to be accomplished later. Accordingly, God instructed Joshua to assign the region to the 12 tribes. Judah was the tribe receiving the territory in which this city of giants was located. Josh.13; 15.
Both the Ephraimites and Benjamites skirmished with the Gittites. 1Chron.7; 8. In Samuel's day the captured Ark of the Covenant was brought to the city of the giants, with disastrous consequences to the city's inhabitants. 1 Sam. 5. Shortly thereafter Israel subdued the power of these giants and certain cities that they had taken from Israel kept coming back to Israel from the regions that their power were placed. 1 Sam 7.
David purportedly met Goliath, who came from these race of giants, in a legendary man-to-man conflict. 1Sam 17; 2 Sam 21. From this city of giants David began to curry favor with the leaders of Judah who under Saul's power controlled the region. David found refuge in this place in his flight from Saul, when he was being pursued as an enemy of the king. The city's king granted refugee status to David. People from the Negeb region and the city of Hebron and men from the city of the giants (Gittites) became David's most loyal supporters throughout his reign. 2 Sam. 15.
After Israel losing control over the region, the place was conquered by the Aramean king Hazael and its strategic location on the ROAD leading UP to Jerusalem via Elah Valley and Bethlehem was used in an attack against Jerusalem. 2 Kings 12.
The region was then taken by the Assyrian king Sargon as part of his purported conquest of Judah, and the city of giants then passed out the pages of history.
The exact location of the city is unknown. Its early passing from historical mention and the absence of information of the whereabout of the giants of this region makes the tracking of it impossible.
We have only the archaeological remains of five giants found in Northern Peru. The remains belong to a culture that began its existence between AD 100 and 800. They were a farming and fishing community of people. They constructed irrigation canals, pyramids, palaces and temples.
The artifacts inside the tombs include ceramics, textiles, and human sacrifices. The quality of the ceramics and metal work is astonishing. The objects were often decorated with scenes of hunting, fishing, combat, punishment, sexual encounters and elaborate ceremonies. The particular richness in one of the tombs suggests that its occupant had wielded enormous power. The man's face was covered with a mask made of copper and gold. Images of bats, common in Moche depictions of human sacrifice and ritual blood drinking, filled the man's tomb, including a headdress decorated with gilded copper bats and a bat nose ornament of solid gold.
These giants apparently are the remnants of the Anakims. Only time will give us the connecting dots missing in history about what happened to its race.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
THE INCREDIBLE POWER OF RECIPROCITY IN THE INCAN EMPIRE
The TAHUANTINSUYU meaning "Four Parts Together" or "Land of the Four Quarters" reigned in South America stretching as far North as southern Colombia and Ecuador, including Peru and Bolivia as well as northwestern Argentine and northern Chile.
FIVE PRINCIPLES defined the Andean way of life: To Love (Munay), To Learn, Know and Remember (Yachay), To Work (Llan'kay), Respect Life (Kawsay), and Reciprocity (Ayni).
Among all of them, Reciprocity (Ayni) was regarded as the most important principle, as it provided the BACKBONE OF LIFE. It was understood as an exchange of energy between humans, nature, and the universe.
By observation they gave this lesson: a tree that is watered by humans uses this water to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose. The oxygen is used by humans to perform respiration and survive, and some glucose may eventually find its way into products that humans use such as fruits. In return, humans convert oxygen back to carbon dioxide for use by the tree, as well as planting seeds that the tree produced to develop more trees. Also it will rip rewards to the simple act of watering a tree as it will provide shade, act as barriers for the wind, as soil anchors, and much more.
The cosmos was perceived dual and hierarchical with a variety of opposing forces jostling in position through on-going action. Their world view was animistic. The idea that life and will were intrinsically connected with spiritual forces acting in the three levels of reality in which humans were part of, was the central point of their religion.
The Supreme Deity or Creator God (Viracocha) was remote from the people. The Sun and the Moon were treated as two opposing forces that acted in the realm where humans lived. A three part balance was the aim of all principles. The Supreme Deity was the only one able to be transferred from one realm to the other. The other two were understood as twin forces able to gain balance and complementing each other as long as human behavior accepted the laws governing such balance.
The Five Principles were followed and the reciprocity they enjoyed was seen through the way of life they had during the glorious time of the Incan Empire.
Certain aspects of these principles are still done by the remnant left that still live up in the mountains.
FIVE PRINCIPLES defined the Andean way of life: To Love (Munay), To Learn, Know and Remember (Yachay), To Work (Llan'kay), Respect Life (Kawsay), and Reciprocity (Ayni).
Among all of them, Reciprocity (Ayni) was regarded as the most important principle, as it provided the BACKBONE OF LIFE. It was understood as an exchange of energy between humans, nature, and the universe.
By observation they gave this lesson: a tree that is watered by humans uses this water to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose. The oxygen is used by humans to perform respiration and survive, and some glucose may eventually find its way into products that humans use such as fruits. In return, humans convert oxygen back to carbon dioxide for use by the tree, as well as planting seeds that the tree produced to develop more trees. Also it will rip rewards to the simple act of watering a tree as it will provide shade, act as barriers for the wind, as soil anchors, and much more.
The cosmos was perceived dual and hierarchical with a variety of opposing forces jostling in position through on-going action. Their world view was animistic. The idea that life and will were intrinsically connected with spiritual forces acting in the three levels of reality in which humans were part of, was the central point of their religion.
The Supreme Deity or Creator God (Viracocha) was remote from the people. The Sun and the Moon were treated as two opposing forces that acted in the realm where humans lived. A three part balance was the aim of all principles. The Supreme Deity was the only one able to be transferred from one realm to the other. The other two were understood as twin forces able to gain balance and complementing each other as long as human behavior accepted the laws governing such balance.
The Five Principles were followed and the reciprocity they enjoyed was seen through the way of life they had during the glorious time of the Incan Empire.
Certain aspects of these principles are still done by the remnant left that still live up in the mountains.
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