Draft:Cahuillaca
Kawillaka (also as: Cahuillaca, Cavillaca or Cavillace) was a maiden goddess in Inca mythology. She is named in the Huarochirí manuscript.[1]
Characteristics
[edit]In some Huarochirí texts, this goddess is often mistakenly confused with the goddess Urpi Wachaq and Lluncu Wachaq.
Similarly, Kawillaka is associated with another huaca called Añasi or Añapaya. Within the texts, it is mentioned that some people believed that Kawillaka and Añasi were the same divinity; while others did not see it that way.[1]
Historia
[edit]Its history is captured in the manuscript of Huarochirí. In it, the following is narrated:
They say that, in ancient times, the god Quniraya Wiraqucha, turned into a poor-looking man, walked around with his cloak and his cusma in rags. Without recognizing him, some men treated him as a ragged beggar. However, this man gave life to all the communities. With his word alone, he prepared the ground for the farms and consolidated the terraces. With nothing more than throwing a reed flower called pupuna (an object compared to a spear), he would open an aqueduct from its source.
In this way, Quniraya performed all kinds of feats and made the other gods and/or local huacas pale with his wisdom.
Once upon a time there was a woman named Kawillaka who was also a huaca. The said Kawillaka was still a maiden and was the owner of captivating beauty. As she was very beautiful, all the huacas and huillcas longed for her fervently; however, this goddess always rejected them.
It happened that this woman, who had never been touched by a man, was weaving under a lucumo tree. The cunning Quniraya, who was nearby, turned into a bird and flew to the top of the tree. As there was a ripe lucuma there, he deposited his seed in it and made it fall near the woman. Seeing the appetizing fruit, the goddess Kawillaka, happy and free of suspicion, ate it. Thus she became pregnant without any man having reached her.
Nine months later, as women usually do, Kawillaka also gave birth, although she was still a maiden.
For a year or so, she raised her son alone, breastfeeding him. Curiosity was always present in the goddess, for she wondered whose son he could be.
At the end of the year, when the child was already crawling on all fours, Kawillaka called all the huacas and huillcas to find out who the father was. When they heard the message, all the huacas rejoiced greatly and came dressed in their choicest clothes, each one convinced that he was the one Kawillaka was going to love. This meeting took place in Anchicocha.
When they arrived at the place where this woman resided, all the huacas and huillcas sat down; then she spoke to them: "Look at him! men, gentlemen, recognize this child! Which one of you is the father? And she asked each one if it had been him.
None of the huacas present claimed to be the father of her child.
Quniraya Wiraqucha, as the very poor usually do, had seated himself to one side; despising him, Kawillaka did not deign to ask him, for it seemed impossible to him that his son could have been fathered by that poor man, there being so many graced males present.
As no one would admit that the boy was his son, he told the boy to go himself to recognize his father; first, he explained to the huacas that, if the father was present, his son would climb on top of him.
The child crawled from one side of the assembly to the other, but did not climb on top of anyone present. He crawled until he reached the place where his father was sitting. Immediately, very happy, he climbed up on his legs.
When his mother saw him, very angry, she cried out, "Woe is me, how could I have borne the child of such a wretched man?" and with these words, carrying her little son, she went to the sea.
Then Quniraya Wiraqucha said: "Now he is really going to love me!" and he dressed himself in a golden suit and began to follow her; when he saw her, all the local huacas were very frightened.
Quniraya called her saying: "Sister Kawillaka, look here! Now I am very beautiful" and she straightened up illuminating the Earth.
However, the goddess Kawillaka did not turn her face towards him; she headed towards the sea with the intention of disappearing forever for having given birth to the son of such a despicable and filthy man; she arrived at the site where, in fact, two stones that resembled the shape of human beings are still found, in Pacha Kamaq offshore.
The very moment she arrived there, she was transformed into stone.
As he believed that Kawillaka was going to see him, that he was going to look at him, Quniraya Wiraqucha followed her from a distance, shouting and calling her insistently.
At this point, Quniraya encounters various animals, which, depending on the answer they give him, the god rewards or curses them.
He asked all of them about Kawillaka's whereabouts.
The animals that showed him the path to the desired goddess and encouraged him were rewarded by Quniraya. Among them are: the condor, the puma and the hawk.
The animals that responded negatively and discouraged him were cursed by Quniraya. Among them are: the skunk, the fox and the parrot.
In this way, the god reached the seashore; from there, Quniraya swam towards the Pacha Kamaq islands. When he arrived to this island, Quniraya arrived to a part where the daughters of Pacha Kamaq were; which were guarded by an Amaru.
Quniraya wanted to take revenge on Pacha Kamaq; because he thought that Pacha Kamaq was responsible for taking him away from his beloved Kawillaka.
Shortly before, the goddess Urpi Wachaq had entered the sea to visit Kawillaka.
Taking advantage of the mother's absence, Quniraya raped the older daughter. When he wanted to do the same with the youngest, she transformed into a dove and took flight. It is for this reason that the goddess was called Urpi Wachaq (the one who gives birth to doves).
At that time, fish did not yet exist in the sea. Only the goddess Urpi Wachaq raised them in a small pond inside her home.
Upon learning that Urpi Wachaq had gone to visit Kawillaka, Quniraya, furious, threw all the fish into the sea. In this way, the fish began to multiply by the thousands. It is for this reason that the sea is full of fish.
When her daughters told her how Quniraya had raped them, Urpi Wachaq, furious, pursued him.
Seeing that she could not reach Quniraya, the goddess wanted to deceive him and crush him with a huge rock that she herself made grow. However, the cunning Quniraya escaped unharmed from the deception and managed to escape.[1]
See Also
[edit]- Asteria (Titaness)
- Quniraya Wiraqucha
- Wak'a
- Pacha Kamaq Islands
- Huarochirí Manuscript
- Inca Mythology
- Pacha Kámaq
- Urpi Wachaq
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Taylor, Gerald. "Ritos y tradiciones de Huarochirí" (PDF). Retrieved August 28, 2023. Cite error: The named reference "Taylor" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).