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Origin, Significance and Celebrations of Inti Raymi.

For the indigenous cultures and populations, Inti Raymi represents the “Sacred Festival of the Sun”. Its historic origins are believed to date back to the beginnings of the Inca Empire in Cusco, although it has also been a key event in the northern Andes of present day Ecuador since remote times. The essential characteristic of this festivity is the ancestral Cult to the Sun God. For most of the Indian cultures populating the Andean region, Inti Raymi is the most important festival of the year. It is the time to express gratitude to the Sun for its light, for the harvests and to celebrate the fertility of “Paccha Mama” (Mother Earth, in kichwa language). This has always been, and continues to be, a festivity with an important spiritual significance. The Spanish conquerors described it as the “Solemn Easter of the Sun”.

The festivities acre determined by geographical and astronomical factors and the location of the Andean peoples, near or at Latitude Zero/Center of the World (closest to the sun). Key elements also include the sowing and harvesting cycles which have been, and continue to be, practiced by the native peoples for centuries, based upon their remarkable knowledge of the movements and cycles of the sun and the moon.

The Inti Raymi festivities last for several days, sometimes weeks, and are a riot of multicolored celebrations, full of music, dancing, elaborate and magnificent costumes and endless symbolic rituals based on ancestral traditions and how the indigenous people of times gone by saw the world. The epicenters of these festivities (but not the only ones) are found in the cities and towns of Imbabura, such as Otavalo, Peguche, Cotacachi and others within the zone, as well as the communities of Cayambe and Zuleta, north of Quito, in the province of Pichincha.

The celebrations include popular theatrical representations, full of color, movement and the presence of mythological characters such as “Aya Uma”, the spiritual leader of the peoples, protector of nature and focal point of the spiritual energies concentrated in the mountains. The most important luminary of these occasions, he is adorned with an ornate, elaborate and colorful outfit complemented by a variety of accessories, each with a distinct significance. His head and face are covered by a two-sided mask, keeping the symbolic aspects of his “double” face in constant view.

This superb theatrical performance includes ritual dances, music, a spectacular pageantry of color emblazoned in the actors’ varying costumes, performed in front of an appreciative public who join in during several passages of the act. One of the most impressive moments is when the crowd takes over the village or town’s main square in groups organized by the area’s communities, following a perfectly synchronized script which includes special movements and chants. This is followed by a ritual fight (simulated, of course) prior to the finale that turns into one big popular fiesta accompanied by music, dancing and abundant food and drink, including the very local “chicha de jora”, a fermented maize-based brew. The climax is an elaborate and symbol-charged fireworks display representing the forces of light, fire and power.

The music is intense, played on native instruments made of local materials, such as the local version of the “traverse flute”. Food also plays an important part of the ritual and the community women have a special role in its preparation and distribution among the revelers.

Planning begins months in advance and “priostes” (“party patrons”) are nominated to organize the festivities as well as cover most of the expenses incurred. Selection as a “prioste” is considered a high honor for the individual concerned. The celebrations also include a “Ritual Bath”, usually performed at night in one of the area’s sacred waterfalls, rivers or lagoons.

Nowadays, on Summer Solstice Day (June 22), several ancestral sun cult rituals are recreated, particularly at the place where, at midday, the Sun has no accompanying shadow. The “Middle of the World” and its tourism complex, nearby locations and the archaeological sites of Rumicucho and Cochasquí, as well as ancient ceremonial centers and observatories of the sun, the moon and the Universe, are the preferred sites. These rituals and celebrations incorporate many elements of ancestral traditions, combined with more recent and “mestizo” conceptions of the festivity, the result being an unrivaled attraction for both national and international visitors. Corpus Christi

This celebration, usually coinciding with the Inti Raymi festivities, is more Christian in tradition and religious in nature. Introduced by the Spanish conquerors in the 1500’s, the celebrations became intense and popular during the Colonial period and the early years of the Republic.

Based on the Gospel version of the Last Supper of Jesus with his Apostles and literally meaning “The Body of Christ”, Corpus Christi has its roots in the Catholic calendar which commemorates the Eucharistic several weeks after Easter.

In Ecuador, Corpus Christi was much celebrated in popular events which frequently combined ancestral traditions and the rites of Inti Raymi with those of the Christian and religious Corpus Christi. Here, too, theatrical acts were performed for days with the participation of the inhabitants of the cities and towns, a peculiar fusion of religious events and fiestas involving much dancing, music, food and drinking.

This blend of cultures and the calendar quirk of both festivities has given rise to a number of original and noteworthy events, as well as renowned celebrations which prevail until the present day. The most representative locations, famed for their magnificent and multicolored displays, are the small towns of Pujilí and Saquisilí, with their famous “Danzantes” (dancers), attired in a variety of spectacular and elaborate costumes.

Recent years have seen efforts to recover and recreate, with the participation of the indigenous communities, the original characteristics of the ancient Inti Raymi celebrations and rites. Corpus Christi (with the notable exception of Pujili and Saquisili, in the province of Cotopaxi, in the Central Andes) now focuses more on the religious element, and is mostly confined to ceremonies and rites in the Catholic temples, as well as to religious processions in numerous cities and towns.

Cuenca, Ecuador’s third major city lying in the southern Andes, hosts a curious Corpus Christi celebration. Here, the religious ceremonies are based around a huge fair in the city’s main square and in which an appetizing array of unique and delicious sweets, carefully prepared by local artisans and cloister nuns, are displayed during several days and enjoyed by hundreds of locals and foreigners visitors alike. Sources:

Inti Raymi Information:

Paper by Cesar Cotacahi, published in June, 2007 based on a personal investigation and the Memories of the “The Andean Wisdom of Inti Raymi” Workshop, held in Otavalo in 1999 as well as interviews with officials of the Culture Museum and Tourism Department of the Municipality of Cotacachi. Personal notes and consultation by the Text Editor.

Corpus Christi Information:

Article by Maria del Carmen Molestina, Terra Incognita Magazine number 8, July 2000. Personal notes and additional consultation by the Text Editor.

When?

In June (occasionally towards the end of May). Several of the festivities coincide with the Summer Solstice (June 22) and in many parts of the Andean region, the celebrations can extend for up to a month.

Where?

Both are celebrated mainly in the Ecuadorian Andean Region. However, Inti Raymi festivities are characteristic of the northern provinces of Imbabura and Pichincha whereas Corpus Christi is commemorated in the provinces of Cotopaxi (center) and Azuay (south). Except for a few popular cases, the latter is principally confined to the religious – and particularly Catholic – temples in Ecuador.