In the myth of the Inca/Peruvian creator god Viracocha appear a number of important mythological and astrotheological motifs that can be found in many other religions, including Christianity.
For example, Viracocha possesses solar attributes, such as the golden color and the sun crown. Another astrotheological or nature-worshipping motif are the tears of rain falling from his eyes. Viracocha was also noted for being a wandering "guru" and for walking on water. In some traditions, his son was the sun, Inti. Hence, the son of God is the sun of God.
Note that the "rays" around Viracocha's head are divided into two main groups: Those with spheres on the end, which number 12, and those with creature heads, numbering seven. Individually, these are traditional numbers for rays on the heads of sun gods, here combined.
The 12 generally signifies the number of months in a year, signs in the zodiac, and hours of the day and night. The seven stand for the days in the week, which in turn are the sun, moon and five planets. Around Viracocha's neck are five, possible representing these five planets, Mars, Mercury, Uranus, Venus and Saturn.
In the story of Viracocha also appears a myth of a Great Flood, destroying all the wicked people and sparing a righteous couple to repopulate the earth.
(And, no, I'm not saying that the English words "sun" and "son" are cognates.)
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|2011-02-22 15:25:22 Syrian Nationalist Party - Good work on IslamKudos for your effort on exposing Islam in new, easy to read book.
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|2011-02-22 16:04:09 GeneWell just how many sun's are there? Anyway no one should have a problem with higher essence/power but the "man-typing" "this includes both masculine and feminine archetypes" or making that which is so vast and encompassing down to such a fragile and weak creature is foolish at best. Oh yes lets not forget the "cults/religions/beliefs" actually just fan clubs for sycophants, that think they are more or special see chosen. Actually higher beings laugh at this existence and find it so odd and backwards truly the definition of "fascinate". Well any way if you can't live for yourself and keep for yourself what and who you are well.... the storms a come'n! And it does take the "storm" to put "you/people" in to true perspective in the verse does it not!
P.S. Ride the wave"s, just stay off mine, I've seen enough and most of what EYE saw makes me sick going back to the forest much better there than here with all the freaks! I remember when my 2nd grade teacher asked the class what they wanted to be when they grew up, heard all the standard sycophant tripe astronaut, firefighter, the president ETC. ETC. and when she got to me all I said was "well it really is none of your business but EYE want to be an old hermit who lives on a hill and grows his own food!" And the response was of course the usual roll on snare, every body laugh's, and say's that stupid. Then I said well I have better chance at achieving my goal than do any of you idiots that don't go to the library or read any thing but comic books or romance and science fiction novel's, and does what ever someone else says do! Well anyway I've got my hill, and piece of mind soon as well!
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|2011-02-22 19:17:16 tarish kaushik - Captain Sunshine!Dear Acharya,
I must share with you the possible common root of the word VIRACOCHA and the sanskrit word for brave and noble person which is VIR or VIRA.
The earth is so so so old that it takes but common sense to realize that civilizations and peoples have been intermingling and exchanging information and knowledge all these millenia. Languages, customs traditions of the peoples the world over, have striking resemblences whenever these are nature based. Language too follows with commonalities and subtle linkages in such nature based communiites.
In that sense GLOBALISATION was always present but never controlled by any one entity or organsition or clique unlike the race for control and greed of the present GLOBAL VILLAGE proponents.
Also I must confide, that I share with GENE the calm certainty that the forest is where I would like to live and the highest creativity that a human can be capable of would be to plant a forest with all the diversity of flora and fauna that evolution has entrusted to mankind to nurture.
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|2011-03-17 21:08:11 Robinre: the numbers 12 and 7 in relation to the image of Viracocha -- do we know for certain that the Incans used a 12-month calendar and a 7-day week?
Do we know for certain that the Incan astronomy/astrology used the same constellations to mark their year as the Sumerian or Egyptian versions?
I'd be more willing to accept the attribution if that were made clear. It would be nice to see that supported in this short article.
R. Ator
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|2011-03-18 12:53:22 Acharya SThank you. Of course, an in-depth study of these issues is always welcome. If I had time and were cloned, I could do it all. In the meantime, I believe these types of artifacts and traditions themselves are evidence of such cultural developments.
Indeed, South American cultures certainly did have a 12-month yearly period, as is proved by this discovery:
2,500-year-old solar observatory in Peru reveals advanced culture
There's certainly no reason to assume otherwise. These are natural phenomena that can be observed globally by cultures of all types.
Naturally, none of this rumination should detract from the correspondences between these myths and those of the Bible.
