Mama Quilla
Mama Quilla
Goddess of the Moon in Inca mythology, Mama Quilla is the protector of women, marriage, and the lunar calendar. Wife of Inti, the Sun god, she held a central place in Inca religion and society during the pre-colonial era.
Key Facts
- Mama Quilla was venerated by the Inca people as the goddess of the Moon, according to oral traditions and Spanish chronicles written after the conquest (16th century)
- She is considered the wife of Inti, the Sun god, and the mother of many Inca deities according to Andean cosmogony
- Lunar eclipses were interpreted as an attack on Mama Quilla; the Inca would make loud noises to defend her, according to colonial accounts
- A temple was dedicated to her in Cusco, capital of the Inca Empire (Tawantinsuyu), with priestesses responsible for her cult
- She presided over the lunar calendar that governed the religious and agricultural festivals of the Inca Empire
Works & Achievements
Mama Quilla is the patron deity of the Inca lunar calendar, organized into twelve months of thirty days. This calendar governed religious festivals, agricultural cycles, and the great imperial ceremonies throughout the Tawantinsuyu.
Coya Raymi was the great annual lunar festival celebrated in honor of Mama Quilla. Nighttime processions, ritual dances, silver offerings, and purification rites marked this celebration, which strengthened the social and religious cohesion of the empire.
The sanctuary dedicated to Mama Quilla within the Coricancha of Cuzco was one of the most important places of worship in the empire. Its silver-plated walls and effigy of a woman in precious metal symbolized the greatness and sanctity of the lunar goddess.
The cosmogonic narrative passed down orally tells how Mama Quilla and Inti sent their children Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo to Earth to found Cuzco and civilize humanity. This myth legitimized the divine monarchy of the Inca emperors.
Mama Quilla symbolically presided over the system of Houses of the Chosen Women (Acllahuasi), where young women selected from across the empire were trained in her service. This network of sacred institutions shaped the religious and social role of women in Inca society.
Anecdotes
According to Inca mythology, the tears of Mama Quilla turned into silver when they fell to earth. This is why silver was considered a sacred metal linked to the Moon, while gold belonged to her husband Inti, the Sun. Inca craftsmen melted this precious metal to fashion her likeness in temples.
During lunar eclipses, the Incas believed that a celestial serpent or puma was devouring Mama Quilla. To frighten it away and save the goddess, people would shout, wave torches, and make noise with drums and instruments. The ceremony lasted until the Moon reappeared in full.
Mama Quilla was housed in the Coricancha, the golden temple of Cuzco, and tended by priestesses known as acllas or mamacunas. These consecrated women lived in seclusion, weaving ritual garments and tending the sacred fire dedicated to the goddess. Being chosen for this service was a tremendous honor for an Inca family.
The Inca calendar relied heavily on the lunar cycles governed by Mama Quilla. Each lunar month was associated with a particular festival, and astronomer-priests meticulously observed the phases of the Moon to set the dates of the empire's major agricultural and religious rituals.
According to the founding Inca myth, Mama Quilla and Inti are the parents of the legendary couple Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo, founders of the city of Cuzco. This cosmogonic narrative legitimized the power of Inca emperors (Sapa Inca), who were presented as direct descendants of the Sun and the Moon.
Primary Sources
They held the Moon to be the sister and wife of the Sun, and the mother of the Incas. They called her Mama Quilla, meaning Mother Moon, and held her in great veneration. They fashioned her image in silver in the likeness of a woman.
The moon goddess Mama Quilla was worshipped in the Coricancha with her silver image. The noble women of Cuzco paid her homage and sought her protection for marriage and fertility.
The Inca held the Moon as his mother, calling her Coya and Mama Quilla, and the Inca's wives and noblewomen commended themselves to her during childbirth and at the time of marriage.
In Cuzco there was a great temple where they worshipped the Sun and the Moon, and their idols of gold and silver were of great richness. The image of the Moon was of very fine silver, with the face of a woman.
In the month of Coya Raymi, corresponding to September, great celebrations were held in honor of Mama Quilla. Nocturnal processions were held by moonlight, and women carried offerings of silver.
Key Places
The Coricancha, or Temple of the Sun, was the most sacred shrine in the Inca Empire. An entire room was dedicated to Mama Quilla, whose silver effigy stood facing the golden image of Inti. In the 16th century, the Spanish built the Santo Domingo convent over the site.
The island of Coati, on Lake Titicaca, was home to a temple dedicated to Mama Quilla, where the Virgins of the Moon (acllas) lived. This sacred site served as a counterpart to the nearby Island of the Sun, which was consecrated to Inti.
The great central square of Cusco was the stage for the empire's most important religious ceremonies, including the Coya Raymi, a lunar festival dedicated to Mama Quilla celebrated in September. Thousands of worshippers gathered there to honor the goddess.
This major oracular center on the Peruvian coast, which predated the Inca, was incorporated into Inca religious practice and also housed a temple dedicated to Mama Quilla. Pilgrims came to consult its oracles and pay homage to lunar deities.
The famous Inca site of Machu Picchu included astronomical structures used to observe lunar cycles. The Intihuatana stone and various architectural alignments reflect the importance of the lunar calendar associated with Mama Quilla in everyday Inca life.
Gallery
El falso Inca
Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — Roberto Payró
Mama Quilla
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Thomon