Suma y narracion de los Incas, que los indios llamaron Capaccuna, que fueron señores de la ciudad del Cuzco y de todo lo á ella subjeto

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

25705

Title

Suma y narracion de los Incas, que los indios llamaron Capaccuna, que fueron señores de la ciudad del Cuzco y de todo lo á ella subjeto

Language

es

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Juan de Betáñezos's 16th-century chronicle offers a unique, indigenous perspective on the Inca Empire, detailing the rise of the Sapa Incas, the founding of Cuzco, and the construction of the Temple of the Sun. Written as a direct translation of native speech, this text captures the authentic character, customs, and tragic history of the Andean peoples before the Spanish conquest.

Summary up to 500 words

Written by Juan de Betáñezos, a former official interpreter who accompanied Francisco Pizarro, *Suma y narracion de los Incas* presents the history of the Inca lords known as Capaccuna, rulers of Cuzco and its vast empire. The narrative begins with the creation of the world by the deity Viracocha and the emergence of the first Inca, Manco Capac, from a cave in Cuzco. The text chronicles the reigns of successive Sapa Incas, focusing heavily on the legendary Inca Yupanqui. A significant portion of the work describes the construction of the Temple of the Sun (Coricancha). Inspired by a vision, Inca Yupanqui orders the building of a magnificent temple to honor the Sun. The account details the rigorous rituals involved, including the sacrifice of llamas, the offering of maize and coca, and the tragic Capacocha ceremony where children were sacrificed to the sun. The author meticulously records the daily life of the temple, the feeding of the golden idol, and the strict fasting required of priests and nobles. The chronicle also covers the political unification of the empire, the defeat of the Chanca invaders by Inca Yupanqui, and the organization of the state, including the distribution of land and the establishment of solar clocks for agricultural timing. The text preserves the original Quechua style, characterized by repetitive phrasing and a direct narrative voice that reflects the indigenous worldview. It serves as a crucial primary source for understanding Inca cosmology, religion, and social structure prior to the arrival of the Spanish, who eventually conquered the empire and brought the author's work to the attention of European scholars.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Biography
• History