Viracocha

Viracocha, also spelled Wiracocha, is a major creator deity in Andean mythology, most prominently within Inca religion. He is generally described as the supreme maker of the world, responsible for bringing forth the earth, the heavens, the sun and moon, and all living beings, including humans. In various traditions he embodies order, civilization, and culture.

Origins and myths: In sources such as the Huarochirí Manuscript, Viracocha emerges from waters—often associated with lakes in the region—to create the cosmos and humanity. He is credited with forming the earth, celestial bodies, and people, sometimes fashioning humans from clay or stone. In some tellings, after humans displease him, he sends a flood that destroys the first generation, and he then creates a second generation of people, teaching them agricultural and social knowledge. Some accounts describe him traveling across the seas to populate other lands.

Worship and legacy: Viracocha was honored at major Andean cult centers, and temples dedicated to Wiracocha existed in the Inca realm, such as the Temple of Wiracocha at Raqchi in Peru. The cult persisted into the late pre-Columbian period and into early colonial times, where Christian missionaries sometimes identified Viracocha with the Christian God.

Etymology: The name Viracocha derives from Quechua (Wiracocha is a common variant); etymology is debated, with proposed links to terms meaning lake or foam, among others. No consensus exists on a single interpretation.

Legacy: Viracocha remains a central figure in Andean myth as a symbol of creation, order, and civilization, with enduring presence in cultural and scholarly contexts.