During the Age of Exploration, Native American tribes fell victim to European conquerors seeking legendary cities made of gold and other riches, attempts that were often being made in vain. And yet, of all the empires that were conquered across the continent, the one that continues to be most intimately associated with legends of gold and hidden riches is the Inca Empire.

The Inca Empire, which flourished in modern day Peru and along the west coast of South America, was the largest Native American empire in pre-Columbian America, until Pizarro and the Spanish conquistadores conquered them in the 16th century. What ultimately sealed their doom was the rumor that huge amounts of gold were available in regions south of the Andes Mountains.

Though the Spanish physically conquered them in quick fashion, the culture and legacy of the Inca Empire has continued to endure throughout the centuries in both Europe and South America, due in no small part to the fact they were one of the most advanced and sophisticated cultures on the continent. Like the Aztecs, the Spanish burned much of the Inca’s extant writings, but it is estimated that as many as 35 million once fell under their banner, and the empire’s administrative skills were so sharp that they kept accurate census records. Their religion, organization, and laws were also effectively centralized and tied to the rulers of the empire, and their military mobilization would have made the ancient Spartans proud. After the Spanish conquest, several rebellions in the area attempted to reestablish the proud Inca Empire over the next two centuries, all while famous Europeans like Voltaire glorified the Inca Empire in optimistic artistic portrayals.

Although the Inca’s oral traditions suggested that the history of the region began with their empire, the various gods and religious ceremonies of those that inhabited the Inca’s lands before their arrival were assimilated into the Inca Empire and incorporated into Inca religion. However, under Inca rule, all those gods were to be subordinate to those gods of the Incas themselves, so as to ensure that imperial authority was clear and without dispute among all quarters of the empire.

Viracocha was the primary god in the Inca pantheon as the origin and creator of all things. His son, the god Inti, or the Sun, was married to Mama Quilla, the Moon, who was also created by Viracocha. According to one myth, Inti was the father of Manco Cápac, the founder of the Inca ruling dynasty, but it was believed by some that Viracocha himself fathered Manco Cápac. In practice, the Inca centered their religious worship on Inti, and this god's High Priest was the second most important person in Inca society. The god Inti was honored at an annual celebration held each June, and the Inti Raymi festival included sacrifices, feasts, and sexual abstinence. This cosmology was imposed throughout the empire, and temples to the Sun were constructed and staffed by religious officials who were allotted farmland called “lands of the Sun.” Other local cults were provided with produce from these lands as well.

The main temple of Inca religion was the Coricancha or Sun Temple in Cuzco, in which was kept the great golden disk of the Sun. The disk was appropriated by the Spanish in 1571 and sent off to the Pope. While it has disappeared, perhaps lost somewhere during the tortuous route to Spain, it remains alive in the fabulous world of adventure story writers, New Age mystics, and manufacturers of souvenirs. It became a major element in the iconography of the 19th century independence movement in South America, as a symbol of nations freed from the yoke of the Spanish crown.

For all these reasons, the Inca continue to fascinate people today, and at the center of it all for the Inca themselves was Viracocha.