VIRACOCHA

He came in a time of chaos, to set the Earth to rights. the world had been inundated by a great flood and plunged into darkness by the disappearence of the sun. society had fallen into disorder, and the people suffered much hardship. Then there suddenly appeared, coming from the south, a white man of large stature ans authoritive demeanour. Thisman had such great power that he changed the hills into valleys and from the valleys made great hills, causing streams to flow from the living stone. This man travelled along the highland route to the north, working marvels as he went. In many places he gave men instructions how they should live, speaking to them with great love and kindness and admonishing them to be good and to do no damage or injury one to another, but to love one another and show charity to all. Here he established the ancient city of Tiwanaku, high up in the South American plains.

Seeing the condition the people were in, he was ashamed for them. He set down at lake Titicaca with his rods of gold, a little shorter than a mans arm and two fingers in thickness. Whenever he stopped to eat or sleep, he plunged his rods into the earth. At the spot where, with one single thrust, they disappeared entirely, there he would establish and hold his court. the peoples whom he had brought under his sway would be maintained by him in a state of justice and reason, with pity, mercy and mildness. He left lake Titicaca and walked northwards trying vainly each day to thrust his rods of gold into the earth. Finally he entered into Cuzco valley, there at a spot called Cuzco Cara Urumi, 'the uncovered navel-stone' he tried his rods and not only did they sink into the earth, but they disappeared entirely, thus the imperial city of Cuzco was born.

Working great miracles by his words, he came to the district of the Canas and there, near a village called Cacha, the people rose up against him and threatened to stone him. They saw him sink to his knees and raise his hands to heaven as if beseeching aid in the peril which beset him. the indians declare that thereupon they saw fire in the sky which seemed all around them. Full of fear they approached him whom they had intended to kill and besought him to forgive them. Presently they sawthat the fire was extinguished at his command, though stones were consumed by fire in such wise that large blocks could be lifted by hand as if they were cork. Upon leaving the place where this occured, eventually he came to the coast and there. holding his mantle, he went forth amidst the waves and was seen no more. And as he went they gave him the name Viracocha, which means 'Foam of The Sea'.

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