﻿Vol.2] 
  ANDEAN 
  CALENDAR 
  — 
  VALCARCEL 
  473 
  

  

  The 
  determining 
  factor 
  in 
  this 
  sequence 
  of 
  month 
  names 
  is 
  the 
  

   cultivation 
  of 
  maize, 
  as 
  is 
  clearly 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  names 
  for 
  January, 
  Feb- 
  

   ruary, 
  March, 
  April, 
  and 
  May, 
  which 
  graphically 
  indicate 
  the 
  prog- 
  

   ress 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  from 
  its 
  early 
  ripening 
  to 
  the 
  harvest. 
  In 
  June 
  come 
  

   the 
  thanks 
  to 
  the 
  Sun 
  God 
  for 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  the 
  harvest; 
  in 
  July, 
  

   the 
  rites 
  of 
  clearing 
  and 
  purifying 
  the 
  lands; 
  in 
  August, 
  the 
  purifi- 
  

   cation 
  of 
  men 
  and 
  villages; 
  in 
  September, 
  the 
  lunar 
  or 
  maternal 
  rites 
  

   under 
  the 
  patronage 
  of 
  the 
  Queen; 
  in 
  October, 
  the 
  prayers 
  and 
  liturgy 
  

   for 
  the 
  coming 
  of 
  the 
  rains; 
  in 
  November, 
  the 
  blessing 
  of 
  the 
  fields 
  

   for 
  the 
  mummified 
  dead, 
  or 
  Mallkis 
  (resinous 
  trees); 
  and 
  finally, 
  in 
  

   December, 
  the 
  great 
  festival 
  that 
  climaxes 
  the 
  economic, 
  religious, 
  

   and 
  magic 
  labor 
  performed 
  to 
  assure 
  the 
  fruitfulness 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  

   which 
  is 
  now 
  "charged" 
  with 
  the 
  duty 
  of 
  providing 
  food. 
  Guaman 
  

   Poma 
  de 
  Ayala, 
  Gutierrez 
  de 
  Santa 
  Clara, 
  Cabello 
  de 
  Balboa, 
  Cris- 
  

   t6bal 
  de 
  Molina, 
  the 
  Inca 
  Garcilaso 
  de 
  la 
  Vega, 
  Diego 
  Fernandez 
  el 
  

   Palentino, 
  Juan 
  de 
  Betanzos, 
  and 
  many 
  others 
  among 
  the 
  principal 
  

   chroniclers 
  agree 
  on 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  the 
  months, 
  with 
  slight 
  variations, 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  kind 
  of 
  work, 
  particularly 
  agrarian, 
  and 
  the 
  rites 
  

   that 
  belong 
  to 
  each 
  (Poma, 
  1936). 
  

  

  Public 
  performance 
  of 
  the 
  old 
  rites 
  has 
  been 
  suppressed, 
  but 
  the 
  

   Indians 
  still 
  carry 
  on 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  them 
  with 
  notable 
  vigor, 
  sur- 
  

   reptitiously 
  or 
  under 
  the 
  mask 
  of 
  the 
  Catholic 
  rites. 
  Many 
  studies 
  

   have 
  been 
  made 
  of 
  this 
  subject. 
  The 
  following 
  generalization 
  seems 
  

   to 
  apply 
  particularly 
  to 
  Cuzco 
  and 
  the 
  Sierra: 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  Kapaj 
  Raymi 
  is 
  preserved 
  in 
  the 
  

   Catholic 
  commemorations 
  that 
  begin 
  December 
  25, 
  Christmas, 
  and 
  

   end 
  January 
  6, 
  on 
  the 
  Feast 
  of 
  the 
  Three 
  Kings, 
  or 
  Epiphany. 
  Inti 
  

   Raymi 
  is 
  reproduced 
  with 
  remarkable 
  fidelity 
  on 
  Corpus 
  Christi 
  Day, 
  

   a 
  feast 
  occurring 
  on 
  a 
  variable 
  date 
  between 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  May 
  and 
  the 
  

   middle 
  of 
  June. 
  The 
  procession 
  that 
  takes 
  place 
  in 
  Cuzco 
  is 
  a 
  replica 
  

   of 
  the 
  one 
  held 
  in 
  the 
  Inca 
  festival 
  in 
  the 
  very 
  same 
  plaza 
  of 
  the 
  

   capital 
  of 
  Tawantinsuyu. 
  Koya 
  Eaymi, 
  the 
  Feast 
  of 
  the 
  Queen, 
  

   coincides 
  with 
  the 
  Feast 
  of 
  the 
  Nativity 
  of 
  the 
  Virgin 
  on 
  September 
  8. 
  

   Some 
  pagan 
  rites 
  are 
  celebrated 
  at 
  night, 
  especially 
  in 
  purely 
  Indian 
  

   villages, 
  such 
  as 
  Chincheros, 
  near 
  Cuzco. 
  Uma 
  Raymi 
  is 
  ostensibly 
  

   celebrated 
  in 
  October 
  with 
  the 
  feast 
  of 
  the 
  Virgin 
  of 
  the 
  Rosary 
  and 
  

   of 
  San 
  Francisco 
  de 
  Borja 
  on 
  the 
  8th 
  and 
  10th; 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  the 
  

   " 
  rogations,' 
  ' 
  when 
  children 
  weep 
  at 
  the 
  doors 
  of 
  the 
  churches 
  and 
  

   bells 
  ring 
  in 
  the 
  bell 
  towers. 
  

  

  Each 
  month 
  has 
  its 
  special 
  festivals, 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  Indian 
  puts 
  the 
  

   stamp 
  of 
  his 
  old 
  rites. 
  January 
  has 
  the 
  feast 
  of 
  St. 
  Sebastian 
  on 
  the 
  

   20th 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  Virgin 
  of 
  Bethlehem 
  on 
  the 
  24th. 
  February 
  has 
  

   Candlemas 
  on 
  the 
  2d 
  and 
  Carnival 
  in 
  which 
  celebrations 
  and 
  feasting 
  

   are 
  universal. 
  Sometimes 
  when 
  the 
  calendar 
  so 
  signifies, 
  the 
  3 
  days 
  

   of 
  Carnival 
  are 
  celebrated 
  in 
  March; 
  and 
  in 
  Holy 
  Week, 
  which 
  occurs 
  

  

  