Faith of Inti
 Symbol of Inti, the Sun God | |
| Type | Polytheistic |
|---|---|
| Classification | Wechua religion |
| Orientation |
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| Scripture |
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| Theology | Nature-based cosmology emphasizing yanantin (complementary duality) and tinkuy (sacred convergence) |
| Founder | Traditional; no single founder |
| Origin | Ancient Wechua civilization |
| Region |
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| Members | 113 million |
| Leader | High Priest of the Sun |
| Headquarters |
 Temple of the Sun, Huichajanca, Wechua Nation |
| Languages | |
The Faith of Inti is a polytheistic religion originating among the Wechua people of central Keltia, practiced primarily in Nouvelle Alexandrie with significant presence in diaspora communities worldwide. The religion centers on the worship of Inti, the sun deity, alongside a pantheon of gods associated with celestial bodies, natural forces, and the land. Its followers, known as Intians, number approximately 113 million, making it the second largest religion in Nouvelle Alexandrie after the Autocephalous Nazarene Church of Alexandria.
The theological foundation of the Faith of Inti rests on two interconnected principles: yanantin, which holds that existence comprises complementary dualities in dynamic balance, and tinkuy, the sacred convergence where paired opposites meet. These concepts structure Intian cosmology, ethics, and ritual practice. The universe is understood as three interconnected realms, hanan pacha (upper world), kay pacha (this world), and ukhu pacha (inner world), linked through points of tinkuy where cosmic forces interact.
The Faith of Inti has demonstrated remarkable adaptability throughout its history, surviving Atteran suppression, the Wechua Sorrow, and centuries of instability. Since the Great Restoration beginning in 1673 AN and the formation of Nouvelle Alexandrie in 1685 AN, the faith has experienced revival and institutional consolidation. Contemporary Intian practice ranges from traditional observance rooted in pre-Atteran forms to syncretic varieties that have incorporated elements from Nazarene and Melusinian traditions.
History
The Faith of Inti traces its origins to the ancient Wechua civilization that developed in the central highlands of Keltia around Mount Lacara. Archaeological and oral traditional evidence suggests that sun worship and nature-based spirituality were central to Wechua culture from its earliest periods. The classical era of Wechua civilization saw the Faith of Inti develop into a state religion, with rulers often understood as descendants of Inti himself. This period witnessed the construction of major temple complexes and the codification of ritual calendars, priestly hierarchies, and theological doctrines preserved through oral tradition and quipu records.
The Atteran conquest brought severe disruption to Intian practice. Atteran authorities suppressed public worship, destroyed or repurposed temples, and persecuted priests. The mass relocation of Wechua populations further fractured religious institutions and interrupted transmission of sacred knowledge. Despite this persecution, the Faith of Inti survived in various forms: secretly maintained by families in highland communities, adapted into syncretic practices that masked Intian elements beneath acceptable forms, and preserved in fragmentary oral traditions passed across generations.
The establishment of the first Wechua Nation in 1657 AN briefly enabled revival efforts, but the White Plague and subsequent Wechua Sorrow again devastated Wechua society. The Great Restoration beginning in 1673 AN under Sapa Wechua Manco Capac I inaugurated systematic efforts to recover and institutionalize Intian practice. Scholars and surviving priests worked to reconstruct liturgies, restore temples, and train new generations of religious personnel. The Royal Academy of the Wechua Language, established during this period, documented religious terminology and preserved sacred texts.
The formation of Nouvelle Alexandrie in 1685 AN brought constitutional protections for religious practice. The Proclamation of Punta Santiago guaranteed freedom of worship, enabling the Faith of Inti to operate openly throughout the Federation. The modern period has seen continued institutional development, including formalization of priestly training, establishment of new temples beyond the Wechua heartland, and ongoing debates about tradition and adaptation.
Cosmology
The three realms
Intian cosmology posits a universe divided into three interconnected realms. These realms are not entirely separate but overlap and interact, with cosmic forces flowing between them through points of tinkuy (convergence).
The three realms are:
- Hanan pacha (upper world): The celestial realm associated with the sky, celestial bodies, and divine beings. Hanan pacha is the domain of Inti, Mamaquilla (the moon goddess), Illapa (god of thunder and weather), and stellar deities. The realm is associated with light, order, masculine forces, and divine will.
- Kay pacha (this world): The realm of living beings, where material and spiritual forces intersect. Humans, animals, and plants inhabit kay pacha, which occupies the middle position between upper and lower realms. Daily life occurs in kay pacha, but the realm is constantly influenced by forces from above and below.
- Ukhu pacha (inner world): The realm within and beneath the land, associated with the dead, ancestral spirits, germinating seeds, and telluric forces. Pachamama (the fertility goddess) and Supay (god of death) are associated with ukhu pacha. The realm encompasses both death and new life, endings and beginnings.
The three realms exist in yanantin relationship. Hanan pacha and ukhu pacha form a complementary pair, with kay pacha mediating between them. Proper functioning of the cosmos requires balanced interaction among all three realms, maintained through offerings, ritual observance, and ethical conduct.
Yanantin and tinkuy
The principle of yanantin (complementary duality) underlies Intian theology. Unlike dualistic systems that frame opposites as conflicting, yanantin holds that apparent opposites are mutually necessary, each incomplete without its complement. Sun and moon, day and night, male and female, mountain and valley: all exist as paired forces whose interaction sustains existence.
Tinkuy (convergence) describes the sacred meeting points where complementary forces come together. Tinkuy occurs in specific places (confluences of rivers, mountain passes, cave entrances), specific times (solstices, seasonal transitions, eclipses), and specific persons (individuals who embody the meeting of categories, such as chawpi runakuna). These convergence points are considered sacred and powerful, sites where the creative potential of complementary union concentrates.
Ritual practice in the Faith of Inti aims to facilitate and celebrate tinkuy. Agricultural ceremonies invoke the meeting of celestial and terrestrial forces. Marriage rites enact the union of complementary persons. Seasonal observances mark transitional moments when cosmic forces converge. The underlying logic is that yanantin pairs coming together in tinkuy produces fertility, renewal, and blessing.
Meaning of pacha
The Wechua term pacha encompasses both spatial and temporal dimensions, meaning simultaneously "world," "time," and "era." This dual meaning reflects the Intian understanding that space and time are interconnected aspects of existence. Each pacha (realm) also represents a mode or quality of being, not merely a location.
The cyclical nature of time is expressed through the concept of pachakuti, literally "world-turning" or "era-reversal." Intian tradition holds that history moves through great cycles, with periodic pachakuti moments when the cosmic order transforms. Some theologians interpret the Atteran conquest and the Wechua Sorrow as pachakuti events, with the Great Restoration representing the beginning of a new era.
Core beliefs
Ethics of reciprocity
Intian ethics center on the principle of ayni (reciprocity). Just as the cosmos operates through balanced exchange between complementary forces, human conduct should maintain reciprocal relationships with other persons, the community, the natural world, and the divine. Receiving requires giving; taking requires returning. The moral life consists in keeping relationships in balance.
The traditional Wechua moral precept, Ama suwa, ama llulla, ama q'illa ("Do not steal, do not lie, do not be lazy"), encapsulates core ethical principles. Theft disrupts reciprocal exchange. Lying corrupts the social bonds that depend on truthful communication. Laziness fails to contribute one's share to collective welfare. These prohibitions apply not only to relations among humans but extend to relations with the land, the ancestors, and the gods.
Communal obligation
The Faith of Inti emphasizes collective welfare over individual distinction. The ayllu (community, kinship group) constitutes the fundamental social unit, and religious practice is largely communal rather than individual. Major ceremonies involve the entire community. Agricultural rituals address collective needs. Even personal devotion occurs within a web of social and cosmic relationships.
Mink'a (communal labor for public benefit) represents the application of ayni at the community level. Work on temples, irrigation systems, roads, and other public works constitutes religious as well as civic obligation. The goods produced through collective effort belong to the community and are distributed according to need.
Balance and harmony
Health, prosperity, and wellbeing depend on maintaining balance, both within the individual and between the individual and the surrounding world. Illness is often understood as disruption of balance, whether between bodily humors, between the person and their community, or between the human and spirit worlds. Healing involves restoring equilibrium through appropriate offerings, rituals, and conduct.
The concept of sami (vital energy, essence, or refined spiritual force) is central to understanding balance. Sami flows through persons, places, and objects, and its proper circulation maintains health and fertility. Blockages or imbalances in sami produce illness, misfortune, or sterility. Ritual practice aims to channel sami appropriately, removing blockages and restoring flow.
Deities
The Faith of Inti recognizes numerous deities inhabiting the three realms. The following represent the most widely venerated, though regional traditions include many additional figures.
Deities of hanan pacha
- Inti: The sun god and principal deity of the Faith. Inti is typically depicted as a golden disk with rays emanating outward and a human face at the center. As the source of light and warmth, Inti enables agriculture and sustains life. The Wechua rulers traditionally claimed descent from Inti, and his worship was central to state religion. The Temple of the Sun at Huichajanca is the holiest site of the Faith and is dedicated to Inti.
- Mamaquilla (also Mama Killa): The moon goddess, consort of Inti. Mamaquilla is depicted as a silver disk with a human face. She governs the passage of time, the lunar calendar, and feminine forces. Her temples were traditionally served by priestesses. The alternation of sun and moon exemplifies yanantin at the celestial level.
- Illapa: God of thunder, lightning, rain, snow, and weather. Illapa controls precipitation essential for agriculture and is therefore among the most important deities for farming communities. He is understood as a son of Inti.
- Viracocha: The creator deity, said to have formed humanity and taught early people how to live. Viracocha is depicted as a man of dark complexion who, after instructing humanity, departed the world by climbing Mount Lacara and ascending to the celestial realm. Some traditions identify Viracocha as the eldest son of Inti; others place him as a primordial figure predating the current cosmic order.
Deities of ukhu pacha
- Pachamama: The fertility goddess associated with the land, agriculture, planting, and harvest. Pachamama receives offerings before planting and at harvest, and her blessing is sought for agricultural prosperity. She is associated with ukhu pacha as the source of growing things that emerge from within the land.
- Mama Sara (also Saramama): Goddess of grain, particularly maize, potatoes, and staple crops. She is sometimes described as the youngest sister of Pachamama. Mama Sara is also associated with willow trees.
- Supay: God of death and ruler of ukhu pacha, associated with the realm of the dead and with a host of spirit beings. Supay receives the dead and presides over the ancestral realm. The relationship between Supay and the living is ambivalent; proper offerings maintain favorable relations, while neglect invites misfortune.
- Urcaguary: God of metals, gems, and valuable substances found within the land. Miners and metalworkers venerate Urcaguary.
Deities of kay pacha
- Mamacocha (also Mama Qocha): Goddess of waters, including lakes, rivers, springs, and mist. Mamacocha provides the water essential for life and agriculture. Communities near significant bodies of water maintain particular devotion to her.
- Urcuchillay: Protector of llamas, alpacas, and animals generally. Herding communities venerate Urcuchillay for the health and fertility of their flocks.
Apu and wak'a
Beyond the major deities, Intian practice recognizes apu (mountain spirits) inhabiting significant peaks throughout the Wechua lands. Each mountain possesses its own apu, and communities maintain relationships with nearby peaks through offerings and observances. Apu are understood as powerful beings who influence weather, water flow, and the welfare of surrounding populations.
Wak'a (also huaca) refers to any site, object, or being imbued with sacred power. Natural features such as unusual rock formations, springs, caves, and confluences may be recognized as wak'a. Human-made objects including ancient temples, carved stones, and ancestral mummies can also hold wak'a status. Each region maintains its own wak'a sites, which receive offerings and figure in local religious practice.
Priesthood and religious personnel
High Priest of the Sun
The High Priest of the Sun (Wechua: Willaq Umu) is the supreme religious authority within the Faith of Inti. The High Priest presides over major ceremonies at the Temple of the Sun in Huichajanca, interprets religious law, and represents the Faith in relations with the state and other religious bodies. The position carries significant spiritual authority, though the High Priest has historically refrained from issuing binding doctrinal statements on contested matters, preferring to leave interpretation to regional authorities and individual conscience.
Priestly orders
The priesthood encompasses multiple categories of religious specialists. Temple priests (tarpuntay) maintain shrines, conduct regular offerings, and perform ceremonies according to the liturgical calendar. Diviners specialize in interpreting signs and advising consultants. Healers address illness through ritual and herbal remedies. Astronomers track celestial movements and maintain the ceremonial calendar.
Training for priesthood traditionally occurred through apprenticeship, with candidates studying under established practitioners for years before assuming independent roles. The Great Restoration brought efforts to systematize training, though regional variation remains significant.
Paqo
Paqo are ritual specialists operating outside or alongside formal temple structures. The term encompasses various practitioners including healers, diviners, and ceremonialists serving community needs. Paqo often specialize in particular techniques or domains: some focus on healing, others on communication with apu, others on agricultural blessing. Their authority derives from demonstrated ability and community recognition rather than formal ordination.
Quariwarmi
Quariwarmi are ritual specialists whose gender expression combines masculine and feminine elements. As chawpi runakuna ("people of the center"), quariwarmi embody tinkuy within their persons, manifesting the convergence of complementary forces. This status historically conferred specific ceremonial functions requiring capacity to mediate between paired opposites.
Traditional roles of quariwarmi included temple service during transitional ceremonies (solstices, seasonal observances), divination, healing (particularly for conditions involving gender-related imbalances), and production of sacred textiles. The quariwarmi tradition declined significantly during Atteran suppression but has experienced partial revival since the Great Restoration. Contemporary quariwarmi continue to serve within the Faith of Inti, though in smaller numbers than historical sources suggest existed in earlier periods.
Attitudes toward quariwarmi vary among different priestly lineages and regional traditions. Most practitioners accept the tradition as authentically Wechua and spiritually legitimate. Some conservative voices, influenced by Nazarene traditions that have blended with Intian practice in certain communities, maintain more restrictive positions.
Ritual practice
Ceremonial calendar
Intian ritual follows a calendar structured around agricultural cycles and celestial events. Major observances include:
- Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun): Celebrated at the winter solstice (in the southern regions of the Wechua lands), Inti Raymi is the most important ceremony of the year. The festival honors Inti at the moment of his greatest distance, invoking his return and the lengthening of days. Ceremonies at the Temple of the Sun draw pilgrims from throughout the Federation.
- Qhapaq Raymi (Royal Festival): Celebrated at the summer solstice, marking initiation ceremonies for youth.
- Pawkar Raymi (Festival of Flowering): Celebrated during the flowering season, honoring Pachamama and the fertility of the land.
- Aymuray (Harvest Festival): Thanksgiving for the harvest, with offerings to Pachamama and Mama Sara.
Ceremonies marking planting, first fruits, and other agricultural moments occur according to local conditions. Lunar phases structure many observances, with full and new moons receiving particular attention.
Offerings
Offerings (haywa) constitute the primary form of Intian worship. Appropriate offerings vary by deity, occasion, and purpose. Common offerings include coca leaves, chicha (fermented maize beverage), food, flowers, textiles, and precious metals. Burnt offerings send prayers upward to hanan pacha; buried offerings reach ukhu pacha; offerings placed at wak'a sites address local spirits.
The logic of offering follows ayni (reciprocity). Humans receive benefits from the gods, the land, and the ancestors; offerings return a portion of what has been received, maintaining balanced exchange. Failure to offer disrupts reciprocity and invites misfortune.
Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage to sacred sites forms an important element of Intian practice. Mount Lacara, the sacred center of Wechua civilization and a point of tinkuy between realms, draws pilgrims seeking blessing, healing, or spiritual transformation. The Temple of the Sun at Huichajanca receives pilgrims for major festivals. Regional wak'a sites attract devotees from surrounding areas.
Pilgrimage often involves physical hardship, undertaken as an offering in itself. Pilgrims may fast, walk barefoot, or perform prostrations along the route. Arrival at the sacred site typically involves offerings, prayers, and participation in ceremonies.
Sacred sites
Mount Lacara
Mount Lacara is the holiest site in the Faith of Inti, understood as the axis connecting the three realms. According to tradition, Viracocha departed the world by ascending Mount Lacara to the celestial realm. The mountain is considered a powerful tinkuy point where hanan pacha and ukhu pacha meet in kay pacha. Temples and shrines dot its slopes, and pilgrimage to Lacara is among the most meritorious acts a devotee can undertake.
Temple of the Sun, Huichajanca
The Temple of the Sun in the Holy City of Huichajanca serves as the institutional center of the Faith of Inti and the residence of the High Priest of the Sun. Originally constructed during the classical period of Wechua civilization, the temple was damaged during the Atteran era but extensively restored during the Great Restoration. The temple complex includes shrines to major deities, quarters for priests, facilities for pilgrims, and the Coricancha (Golden Enclosure), the most sacred precinct dedicated to Inti.
Cathedral of Viracocha
The Cathedral of Viracocha in the city of Parap is a major pilgrimage site associated with the creator deity. The structure represents syncretic architecture blending Wechua and Alexandrian elements, reflecting the Federation period.
Regional wak'a
Throughout the Wechua Nation, communities maintain relationships with local wak'a sites. These include mountain peaks inhabited by apu, springs and lakes associated with Mamacocha, rock formations, caves, and ancient ruins. Regional religious practice centers on these local sacred sites as much as on the great temples of Huichajanca and Lacara.
Symbols
Inti symbol
The primary symbol of the Faith is the image of Inti: a golden disk with rays emanating outward and a human face at the center. This symbol appears on temples, religious objects, and devotional items. Variations include the disk alone, the face alone, or elaborated versions with additional iconographic elements.
Tawa Chakana
The Tawa Chakana ("four-pointed bridge") is a stepped cross symbol expressing yanantin in visual form. The four arms extending from a central axis represent the meeting of complementary directions and forces, while the stepped design symbolizes connections between cosmic realms. The central point where all arms meet represents tinkuy. The Tawa Chakana appears in temple architecture, textiles, and religious iconography throughout the Wechua Nation.
Quipu
The quipu (knotted cord records) function as sacred objects as well as practical records. Sacred quipus preserve religious calendars, liturgical texts, and mythological narratives in encoded form. Only certified quipucamayoc (quipu keepers) may create and interpret these records. The quipu symbolizes the preservation of sacred knowledge across generations.
Contemporary practice
Traditional observance
Traditional Intian practice, particularly strong in rural areas of the Wechua Nation, maintains continuity with pre-Atteran forms as reconstructed during the Great Restoration. Traditional practitioners emphasize proper offering, observance of the ceremonial calendar, consultation with paqo and temple priests, and veneration of local apu and wak'a. This stream of practice tends to resist incorporation of elements from other religions.
Syncretic varieties
Many communities, particularly those with prolonged contact with Nazarene missionaries or Melusinian influence, practice syncretic forms that blend Intian and other elements. Nazarene-influenced Intianism may identify Inti with divine figures from the Nazarene tradition, incorporate Nazarene prayers and observances alongside Intian ones, or reinterpret Intian concepts through Nazarene theological frameworks. Melusinian influence, particularly in areas formerly part of Caputia, has introduced additional elements.
The relationship between traditional and syncretic practice generates ongoing debate. Traditionalists argue that syncretism dilutes authentic Wechua spirituality. Syncretists respond that adaptation has always characterized the Faith of Inti and that rigid purism reflects modern concerns rather than historical practice.
Urban practice
Urban Intians in Cárdenas, Punta Santiago, and other major cities often practice in modified forms adapted to city life. Regular temple attendance replaces the agricultural cycle as the primary structure of observance. Offerings may be simplified. Connection to specific apu and wak'a may weaken as urban residents lack proximity to ancestral lands. At the same time, urban temples and cultural organizations work to maintain Intian identity among city dwellers, offering instruction in traditional practice and organizing pilgrimages to sacred sites.
Diaspora practice
Wechua diaspora communities in Constancia, Natopia, and elsewhere maintain Intian practice in varying degrees. Some communities have established temples and preserve robust religious life. Others maintain only family-level observance or attend ceremonies only during visits to the Wechua homeland. The Wechua Sorrow diaspora has produced distinctive traditions that blend homeland practices with adaptations to foreign contexts.
