This episode, the 25th of our series on creation myths, takes us to the Andes in South America. We speak today the tales of two civilizations that dominated the Peruvian, Ecuadorian, and Chilean cultures. These are, after all, the creation myths of the Inca and the Jivaro. 

The Inca civilization was an ancient culture that was centered in Cuzco in modern-day Peru. In time, their influence also dominated much of Ecuador and Chile. 

Most of our understanding of their mythology comes from the records of the Spanish explorers and missionaries to South America in the 16th century A.D. The Inca were the most powerful and influential people of the Andean region until their defeat by the Spanish, led by Pizarro in 1553. 

They had an intricate belief system that centered around Cuzco - their capital city, which, in their opinion, was at the center of the earth. It is from here that they observed much of the milky way and the solar system. Their belief system, for a large part, was ingrained in the movements of constellations, planets, and other planetary formations, and their effects on agricultural and crop cycles, and also human and animal behavior. 

Inca society was highly developed. Many scholars would argue that they were perhaps more developed at the time than their eventual conquerors, the Spanish, and indeed, most of the western world.

The Jivaro or Shuar are an indigenous people of the eastern Andes, predominantly inhabiting their ancestral lands in Ecuador and Peru. Well known around the world for their head-shrinking practices, and skilled use of blow-darts, the Jivaro had a brutal and hard existence, first fighting against the Inca dominance, and then the Spanish conquests. This history of fighting has left a lasting mark on the peoples of the tribe, for many still choose to isolate themselves from the ways of the modern world. 

The Jivaro practice their animistic religion. Like other animistic religions of the world, the people of the tribe believe that spirits inhabit all things - animate and inanimate. This is why deities such as Nungui, the earth mother, and Arutam, the spirit protector are an important part of their religion and mythology. Now speaking about their mythology, it is not a happy one. Their story is dominated by a series of battles among the gods. Inevitably, as with most wars of the gods, the victims of these battles are peoples. 

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The music used for the episodes are either free to use, or under creative commons license. Below are their links and attributions:

Anamalie by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1500007

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Danse Macabre by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Dragon and Toast by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100251

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Air Prelude by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Lone Harvest by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100409

Artist: http://incompetech.com/