Pachamama

Pachamama is a goddess that represents Mother Earth for the Quechua people who live in South America’s Andes region. The Quechua are direct descendants of the Inca, who worshiped many deities. The Quechua believe that Pachamama represents nature, protecting humans and providing them with what they need to live. Each August, the followers of Pachamama celebrate her with special ceremonies that include offerings like coca leaves, food, and wine. Today, many people in the Catholic community believe Pachamama is a pagan symbol. Pope Francis drew criticism for participating in a ceremony that celebrated Pachamama while an Argentine diocese was criticized for a social media post celebrating the goddess.

Background

The Inca Empire developed in Peru about the twelfth century and eventually spanned a distance of 2,500 miles from northern Ecuador to central Chile. At its peak, the kingdom had twelve million inhabitants from more than one hundred ethnic groups. The culture was known for its advanced agriculture and roadway systems along with a centralized religion and language. The Spanish arrived in the 1500s, carrying with them diseases like smallpox and influenza, which wiped out much of the Inca population. About 1525, the Spanish killed the Incan ruler, Huayna Capac, which led to a civil war as would-be emperors battled for power. By 1572, the Spanish had conquered the empire.

The Incas had a number of myths and deities. According to their origin stories, the Inca were created by the sun god, Inti. Inti sent his son Manco Capac to earth through the middle of three caves in the village of Paccari Tampu. Manco Capac killed his brothers and then led his sisters and their followers to Cusco. Other important Incan deities included creator god Viracocha and rain god Apu Illapu. The Incas erected shrines for these gods throughout their kingdom, including a Sun Temple in Cusco that measured more than 1,200 feet in circumference.

Overview

In Inca mythology, Pachamama is the fertility goddess. She was believed to be the mother of Inti, although some sources say he was her husband. The potato goddess Axomama is Pachamama’s daughter. Pachamama means Mother Earth in the Quechua language. The Quechua people are the direct descendants of the Incas. Pachamama protects humans and provides them with what they need to sustain life. She also presides over planting and harvesting.

The Incas believed that if they took too much from the land or did not treat it with respect, Pachamama—embodied as a dragon beneath the mountains—would cause earthquakes as a reminder to honor her. As such, whenever a natural resource was taken from the earth, permission of Pachamama was invoked and an offering was made. For example, when a potter removed clay from its source, they prepared the land for seed planting and a small amulet would be buried as an offering.

In ceremonies called pago a la tierra, Incans made offerings of corn beer and coca leaves. Pachamama followers also erected shrines from sacred rocks or tree trunks. She was depicted in imagery as an adult woman carrying crops of potatoes and coca leaves. She wore traditional Andean clothing made from vicuña wool. Pachamama was documented by Spanish explores in the sixteenth century. Although the Spanish imposed Catholicism on the region, Pachamama survived through Catholicism’s Virgin Mary.

Today, the indigenous people of the Andes still celebrate Pachamama. She is the highest divinity of the Aymara and Quechua peoples. In the Bolivian Andes, followers go to high elevations to burn wood stacks with animal fat, colored paper, and sweets to thank Pachamama on the Day of Mother Earth. The tradition goes back centuries and also extends from northern Argentina and Chile to Peru and Bolivia. Offerings can include medicinal plants, eggs, minerals, coca leaves, seeds and fruits, wine, seashells, amulets, and live animals that are given as a sacrifice. It takes place in August because this is when Mother Earth “opens her mouth,” according to the Quechua. August is also the end of winter in the Southern Hemisphere when living conditions are at their most difficult in the region due to freezing temperatures and arid conditions.

Near Cusco, Peru, in the Quispicanchi province, the celebration is called Pachamama Raymi and features an Andean priest named Pako who begins with a haywasqa or payment to the Earth, done on a multicolored cloak. Then, participants do Andean chants and traditional dances. Participants wear very colorful clothing to the event. In Cusco, families participate in the tradition by putting yellow confetti and yellow flowers in every corner of their homes and lighting incense in every room. This is a cultural tradition that has been passed down for generations.

Criticism of Pachamama

A number of Catholic leaders, including Pope Francis and an Argentine diocese drew criticism for participating in Pachamama ceremonies. On Oct. 4, 2019, Pope Francis allowed for a Pachamama ceremony to take place at Vatican Gardens, blessing a wooden image of a pregnant woman that the Pope referred to as Pachamama. Later, a Vatican spokesperson said it was merely a symbol of “life.” A few days later, he said prayers and joined in a procession with the wooden image. The image was then placed in the church of Santa Maria in Traspontina in Rome, an act that outraged some Catholics. After the image was removed from the church, the pope apologized and another Pachamama image was placed in the church.

In a document released in February 2020, the pope does not directly respond to the incident, but says it is possible to take up an indigenous symbol in some way without considering it as idolatry. Similarly, in August 2021, the Argentinian Diocese of Venado Tuerto drew criticism for posting a prayer to Pachamama on social media. The post called Pachamama a symbol of fertility, the earth, and the sacredness of life.

Bibliography

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