﻿304 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  A 
  good 
  deal 
  of 
  divining 
  was 
  done 
  by 
  observing 
  the 
  movements 
  of 
  

   animals, 
  particularly 
  snakes 
  and 
  spiders. 
  The 
  spider 
  diviners 
  were 
  

   especially 
  respected 
  in 
  the 
  Chinchasuyo 
  quarter, 
  which 
  included 
  Cen- 
  

   tral 
  and 
  Northern 
  Peru. 
  When 
  the 
  diviner 
  was 
  consulted, 
  he 
  uncov- 
  

   ered 
  a 
  large 
  spider 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  kept 
  shut 
  up 
  in 
  a 
  covered 
  jar; 
  if 
  

   any 
  of 
  its 
  legs 
  were 
  bent, 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  bad 
  augury 
  (Cobo, 
  1890-95, 
  bk. 
  13, 
  

   ch. 
  34). 
  

  

  Dreams 
  were 
  regarded 
  as 
  supernatural 
  experiences 
  and 
  omens 
  of 
  

   great 
  importance: 
  fire 
  meant 
  sickness; 
  a 
  river, 
  a 
  bridge, 
  or 
  the 
  sun 
  or 
  

   moon 
  meant 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  a 
  parent; 
  killing 
  a 
  llama 
  foretold 
  the 
  death 
  

   of 
  a 
  father 
  or 
  brother, 
  and 
  so 
  on 
  (Poma, 
  1936, 
  pp. 
  282-83; 
  Cobo, 
  

   1890-95, 
  bk. 
  13, 
  ch. 
  38). 
  Occasionally, 
  the 
  supernatural 
  beings 
  

   appeared 
  directly 
  to 
  important 
  people 
  in 
  dreams. 
  Both 
  Viracocha 
  

   and 
  the 
  Sun 
  appeared 
  at 
  various 
  times 
  to 
  the 
  Emperors 
  to 
  promise 
  them 
  

   help 
  and 
  success. 
  (Molina 
  of 
  Cuzco, 
  1913, 
  p. 
  127; 
  Betanzos, 
  1880, 
  

   ch. 
  8; 
  Sarmiento, 
  1906, 
  ch. 
  24; 
  Cobo, 
  1890-95, 
  bk. 
  12, 
  ch. 
  10.) 
  

  

  Evil 
  omens 
  seem 
  to 
  have 
  outnumbered 
  good 
  oues 
  in 
  Inca 
  belief. 
  

   Eclipses 
  and 
  falling 
  stars 
  were 
  very 
  bad, 
  and 
  the 
  latter 
  foretold 
  the 
  

   death 
  of 
  an 
  Emperor. 
  The 
  very 
  word 
  for 
  comet 
  (tapiya 
  qoylyor) 
  

   meant 
  "star 
  of 
  ill 
  omen." 
  A 
  comet 
  appeared 
  during 
  the 
  imprison- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  Atahuallpa 
  at 
  Cajamarca, 
  and 
  he 
  concluded 
  immediately 
  that 
  

   death 
  was 
  near 
  (Cieza, 
  1554, 
  bk. 
  1, 
  ch. 
  65; 
  Xerez, 
  1917; 
  pp. 
  111-12). 
  

   The 
  rainbow 
  usually 
  was 
  regarded 
  as 
  an 
  evil 
  omen, 
  but 
  one 
  which 
  

   appeared 
  over 
  Huanacauri 
  Hill 
  during 
  the 
  migration 
  of 
  Manco 
  Capac 
  

   in 
  the 
  origin 
  legend 
  of 
  the 
  Inca 
  was 
  interpreted 
  as 
  a 
  sign 
  of 
  divine 
  

   favor 
  (Pachacuti, 
  1879, 
  p. 
  241). 
  The 
  hooting 
  of 
  an 
  owl 
  or 
  the 
  howling 
  

   of 
  a 
  dog 
  foretold 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  a 
  relative, 
  while 
  the 
  songs 
  of 
  other 
  birds 
  

   meant 
  a 
  quarrel. 
  The 
  Indians 
  made 
  offerings 
  of 
  coca 
  to 
  the 
  birds, 
  

   and 
  asked 
  them 
  to 
  direct 
  the 
  bad 
  luck 
  to 
  their 
  enemies. 
  To 
  see 
  snakes, 
  

   lizards, 
  spiders, 
  toads, 
  big 
  worms, 
  moths, 
  or 
  foxes 
  was 
  a 
  bad 
  omen, 
  

   especially 
  if 
  they 
  were 
  in 
  the 
  house. 
  When 
  an 
  Indian 
  found 
  a 
  snake, 
  

   he 
  killed 
  it, 
  urinated 
  on 
  it, 
  and 
  stepped 
  on 
  it 
  with 
  his 
  left 
  foot 
  to 
  ward 
  

   off 
  the 
  omen. 
  Twitching 
  of 
  the 
  eyelid, 
  lip, 
  or 
  other 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  body, 
  

   stumbling, 
  or 
  humming 
  in 
  the 
  ears 
  indicated 
  that 
  the 
  person 
  was 
  

   about 
  to 
  hear 
  something 
  said: 
  good, 
  if 
  it 
  were 
  the 
  right 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   body, 
  bad 
  if 
  it 
  were 
  the 
  left. 
  When 
  the 
  fire 
  jumped 
  or 
  gave 
  off 
  sparks, 
  

   they 
  believed 
  it 
  was 
  angry, 
  and 
  poured 
  a 
  little 
  maize 
  or 
  chicha 
  on 
  it 
  

   to 
  calm 
  it 
  (Cobo, 
  1890-95, 
  bk. 
  13, 
  ch. 
  38; 
  Poma, 
  1936, 
  p. 
  212). 
  

  

  Purification 
  and 
  confession. 
  — 
  The 
  Inca 
  believed 
  that 
  sin 
  angered 
  

   the 
  gods, 
  and 
  made 
  the 
  sinner 
  unfit 
  to 
  take 
  part 
  in 
  any 
  religious 
  cere- 
  

   mony 
  until 
  he 
  had 
  confessed 
  and 
  purified 
  himself. 
  Worse, 
  the 
  sinner 
  

   was 
  in 
  terrible 
  personal 
  danger, 
  for 
  the 
  gods 
  punished 
  sin 
  by 
  bad 
  luck 
  

   in 
  this 
  life 
  and 
  consignment 
  to 
  the 
  underworld 
  in 
  the 
  life 
  to 
  come. 
  

   Cripples 
  and 
  persons 
  whose 
  children 
  died 
  young 
  were 
  looked 
  upon 
  as 
  

   very 
  great 
  sinners 
  to 
  have 
  deserved 
  such 
  bad 
  luck 
  from 
  heaven. 
  

  

  