Religion and Beliefs of the Inca Empire

Inca religion

The Inca religion too had various gods and again one of the most important was the sun god as the Inca relied on farming.

In Inca religion, the Inca people believed without doubt that the actions of their gods affected their produce, animals and the weather.

They saw polarities in everything - sun and moon, man and woman, left and right, for example. They also believed in divination and consulted their soothsayers, priests and curaderos (low level, local Inca clergy) over everything.

Inca Religious Beliefs

Inca religion

According to their religous beliefs the dead could communicate with living Inca people through dreams and signs and priests could and would see signs everywhere.

Festivals would take place on a monthly basis for the Inca and the Inti Raymi Festival of the Sun is still an important fiesta in Peru.

In Inca religion, human and animal sacrifice was saved for very special occasions such as the death of a king or times of famine, when it was common to sacrifice the most beautiful children and adolescents to the gods.

The most important Inca people were mummified and these ancestors were worshipped. After an 8 day funeral, a mummified body would be treated as if it were still alive with family speaking to them and servants (if rich) bringing them their belongings.

The Inca also believed that they were direct descendants of their main god, Viracocha and used this reasoning as part of their cultural expansion. Interestingly, places of worship of other groups were absorbed into the Inca empire and their use continued but according to Inca religion

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