Chakana

Derived from the Quechua word chakay, meaning "to cross", chakana is the Andean cross icon rich in meaning and ritual. In addition to the stand-alone icon that can, for example, be worn as a talisman, the Inca also built the steps of the chakana into their architecture such as in the temple of the condor at Machu Picchu.

The most important meaning behind the chakana is that it represents the Southern Cross constellation, the most important stars in the Incan cosmological system. This constellation was seen as holding great significance, since it could be used to show the cardinal points of the compass (with the most distant star pointing south when in the sky), as well as the lines joining the four stars being of lengths equal to the side of a square and the diagonal bisecting it (one, and the square root of two).

Another significant meaning of the chakana is the three steps on each diagonal. These represent the three worlds in Inca cosmology: Hanan Pacha, the overworld (or celestial world) where the Gods dwelled and the spirits of the deceased were carried; Kay Pacha, this world; and Uqhu Pacha, the underworld of the dead and unborn. These three steps could also be used to represent the tripartite agricultural system of work used to divide the harvest between village, imperial and temple.

Finally, the chakana could be divided into composite square sections, with the major Incan deities, cosmological objects and man and woman positioned within.

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