Peruvian antiquities / by Mariano Edward Rivero and John James von Tschudi ; translated by Francis L. Hawks.

Mariano Eduardo de Rivero y Ustariz

Date:: 1854

Credit: Peruvian antiquities / by Mariano Edward Rivero and John James von Tschudi ; translated by Francis L. Hawks. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$or Aryliuazara^ because they danced with them the dance Arihuay, when the corn was suspended by branches of willow; in the same way did they worship the ears, the grains of which were of various colors, {Ghuantayzara^ 3£icsazara^ or Caullazara:) or were arranged in rows, united in the shape of a cone {Pirhuazara)* Of the Quinua and Coca, they made their Conopas in the form of puppets, as they did of maize, and called them Quinuamama and Cocamama. They also held in great veneration the knotted roots of the papas [a species of pignut], and from them made Conopas {Axo- mama). Twin children, if dying at an early age, were pre- served in earthen pots, and were worshipped as sacred be- ings, supposing that one of them was the son of the thunder. They gave the name of Chuchas or Cutis to the corpses of such infants ; and in the same way did they preserve those children who were born feet first {Chacpas), when they died in early youth. Many and' various Conopas are copied from the Llamas, Alpacas, Vicunas, and Huanacas: and these idols are made of basalt, of black stone, of porphyry, carbonate of lime, granite, clay, silver, and even of gold. The first of these animals is represented almost invariably without feet, with a cavity in the back, wherein they placed grains of corn in sacrifice. And among the Conopas, has been found the re- presentation of a sheep in silver, so well soldered, that with difficulty only can the union of the different parts be per- ceived. They also worshipped as Conopas other less useful animals, such as deer, monkeys, mountain cats, parrots, lizards, fishes, etc., which they made of clay and hollowed out Even at the present day, the grains of different colors, or of sin- gular shape, are dedicated to the saints and hung in the niches.$