MetaFilter: The idea might refer to the Tiahuanaco's peaceful mission among the distant warrior cultures of Peru. According to the legend, however, evil people in short clothes came to the sacred lake and forced Viracocha to leave to north. On his departure they mocked and taunted him for his long robe and lenient disposition. Eventually, he had descended from the highlands to the coast and left over the ocean, promising to return some day.
Viracocha, as a good deity, came to the Andes to restore civilization, culture and knowledge after the Flood. As with nearly all ancient peoples, Inca legend claims that the original people were flood survivors who by hiding in a hollow up on a very high mountain peak, were saved and repopulated the Earth.
Viracocha is depicted by a water symbol that of the serpent or snake. This is not unlike other myths which mention aquatic gods who came from the heavens, went into the seas, then moved forth from the seas and created civilizations.
Viracocha was said to use holy relics - four skulls of wisdom. When brought together in ceremonial rites, these four skulls delivered enlightenment to the worthy. The power of the skulls was also used to vanquish their enemies by bringing fire from the skies. This sounds a lot like crystal skulls many of which are found in south and central America - or Ancient Ancestors who visited planet Earth in huge spaceships and created civilizations
Legends of the Aymara Indians say that the Creator God Viracocha rose from Lake Titicaca during the time of darkness to bring forth light. Viracocha was a storm god and a sun god who was represented as wearing the sun for a crown, with thunderbolts in his hands, and tears descending from his eyes as rain. He wandered the earth disguised as a beggar and wept when he saw the plight of the creatures he had created, but knew that he must sustain them. Viracocha made the earth, the stars, the sky and mankind, but his first creation displeased him, so he destroyed it with a flood and made a new, better one, taking to his wanderings as a beggar, teaching his new creations the rudiments of civilization, as well as working numerous miracles. Viracocha eventually disappeared across the Pacific Ocean (by walking on the water), setting off near Manta Ecuador, and never returned. It was thought that Viracocha would re-appear in times of trouble. References are also found of a group of men named the suncasapa or bearded ones - they were the mythic soldiers of Viracocha, aka the 'angelic warriors of Viracocha'. posted by gramschmidt at 4:58 PM on July 31, 2005
MetaFilter: I Differ From You Politically, Thus Your Dead Wife is Fair Game for Ridicule posted by dhoyt at 5:01 PM on July 31, 2005
MetaFilter: This Ends Here posted by Rothko at 5:02 PM on July 31, 2005
Metafilter: where links come to get clicked posted by furtive at 5:03 PM on July 31, 2005
Metafilter: Metafilter: Metafilter: Metafilter: Metafilter: Metafilter: Metafilter: Metafilter: Metafilter: Metafilter: Metafilter: posted by Bugbread at 5:03 PM on July 31, 2005
METAFILTER: JUST REMEMBER ALL CAPS WHEN YOU SPELL THE MAN NAME.
Ooooohhh, can someone create a script so we can easily type in our own and display them like that one church sign or something. posted by dial-tone at 9:14 PM on July 31, 2005
Subscribe
posted by Hat Maui at 4:05 PM on July 31, 2005