Which treats of the other principal temples, and of their names.

MANY were the temples in this land of Peru, and some were looked upon as very ancient because they were founded before the time of the Incas, as well in the high mountains as in the valleys of the coast. During the reigns of the Incas many other new temples were built, where sacrifices and festivals were celebrated. It would take very long to enumerate each temple in the different provinces, so I have determined only to allude, in this place, to those which were held in most esteem.

Next after the temple of Curicancha, the second huaca of the Incas was the hill of Guanacauri, which is within sight of the city, and was much honoured and frequented. For some say that the brother of the first Inca was turned into stone in that place, at the time when they set out from Pacari Tambo, as was explained at the beginning of this work. In ancient times there was an oracle in this place from which the accursed devil spoke. A great amount of treasure was buried around it; and on certain days they sacrificed men and women, to whom, before they were put to death, the priest addressed a discourse, explaining to them that they were going to serve that god who was being worshipped, there in the glorious place that they, in their ignorance, believed that he inhabited. Those who were to be sacrificed also believed it for certain, and dressed themselves in clothes of fine cloth, with fringes of gold, and bracelets, and with gold lace in their sandals. After they had heard the discourse which those liars of priests addressed to them, they were given much chicha to drink, out of great vases of gold. The sacrifice was celebrated with songs, declaring that such lives were offered up to serve the gods, the victims holding themselves fortunate to receive death in such a place. Having thus celebrated the rites, the victims were strangled by the ministers. A ccepi[143] of gold and a small jar of gold were placed in the hands of each body, and they were buried in tombs around the oracle. These victims were looked upon as canonized saints, for the people believed that, without any doubt, they were in heaven serving their Guanacauri. The women who were sacrificed also came richly dressed in fine cloths and plumes of feathers, with their topus of gold, like spoons, and small breastplates all of gold. And they also, after they had drunk deeply, were strangled and interred, both they and those who killed them believing that they went to serve their demon or Guanacaure. They celebrated these and similar sacrifices with much dancing and singing. This idol was kept where they heard the oracle, with its farms, yanaconas or servants, flocks, virgins, and priests who profited by all the rest.

The third oracle or huaca of the Incas was the temple of VilcaÑota, renowned throughout these kingdoms. Here the devil, our Lord God permitting it, had great power, and spoke by the mouths of the false priests who were there to serve the idol. This temple of VilcaÑota was a little more than twenty leagues from Cuzco, near the village of Chungara. It was very much esteemed and venerated, and many offerings and gifts were presented to it, as well by the Inca and lord, as by the rich men of the districts whence people came to sacrifice. The temple had its priests, virgins, and cultivated lands, and almost every year the offering of capacocha was made, which is what I will now explain. They gave great credit to what the devil said in his replies, and on certain occasions they offered up sacrifices of birds, sheep, and other animals.

The fourth temple that was venerated and frequented by the Incas and the natives of the provinces was the huaca of Ancocagua, where there was also a very ancient oracle which was famous. It was in the province of Hatun Cana, and on certain occasions people came from many parts, with great veneration, to hear the vain replies of the demon. Here there was great store of treasure offered up by the Incas and other worshippers. They say also that, besides the numerous animals sacrificed to this demon, whom the people believed to be God, they also sacrificed some men and women, in the same way as I have described in recounting the offerings made on the hill of Guanacauri.

That the treasure alleged to have been in this temple was really there, seems clear from the following circumstance. After the Spaniards had occupied Cuzco for more than three years, and the priests and chief lords had produced the great treasures which all these temples contained, I heard that a Spaniard named Diego Rodriguez Elemosin took from this huaca more than 30,000 pesos of gold. Besides this, still more has been found; and there is a rumour that an immense quantity of gold and silver is in places which no one but God knows, and they will never be discovered, except by accident or good luck.

Besides these temples, there was another which was as much venerated and frequented by them, named Coropuna, in the province of Condesuyo. It is on a very lofty mountain which is covered with snow both in summer and winter. The kings of Peru, with the principal lords, visited this temple, making presents and offerings as at the others. It is held for very certain that among the gifts and capacocha offered to this temple, there were many loads of gold, silver, and precious stones buried in places which are now unknown. The Indians concealed another great sum which was for the service of the idol, and of the priests and virgins who attended upon it. But as there are great masses of snow, people do not ascend to the summit, nor is it known where these great riches are hidden. This temple possessed many flocks, farms, and service of Indians and yanaconas. There was always a large concourse of people in it, from many parts, and the devil talked here more freely than in the other oracles, for he constantly gave numerous replies, and not occasionally, as in the other temples. Even now, at the present time, for some secret reason known to God, it is said that devils visibly walk about in that place, and that the Indians see them and are much terrified. I have also heard that these devils have appeared to Christians in the form of Indians, appearing and disappearing in a very short space of time. Occasionally they offered great services to this oracle, killing many sheep and birds, and some men and women.

Besides these oracles there was that of Aperahua, where the oracle answered out of the trunk of a tree, and near it a large quantity of gold was found. Also that of Pachacamac, which is in the country of the Yuncas, and many others, as well in the provinces of Anti-suyu, as in Chincha-suyu, Omasayu, and other parts of this empire, of which I might say somewhat more. As in the first part of my work I treat of the founding of temples, I shall now only dwell upon the oracles. To those which the Incas and other nations held in most veneration, they sacrificed some men and women, with many sheep. But before those which were not so much respected, they did not shed human blood nor kill men, only offering up gold and silver. The huacas of little account, like our chapels, were worshipped by offering chaquira, plumes, and other small things of slight value. I say this owing to the opinion held by us Spaniards, that they sacrificed human beings in all the temples, which is false. What I have stated is the truth, so far as I have been able to obtain it, without deducting or putting down more than I myself understand and hold to be certainly true.