Christianity

The arrival of Christianity had a profound effect on religious practices in the Andean region. European missions of exploration and conquest in the 16th century were always closely intertwined with the efforts of the church to convert native populations to Christianity. At the first meeting between Pizzaro's conquistadores and Atawallpa, Vincente de Valverde, a Dominican friar, attempted to convert the Inca ruler. As soon as the Spanish gained control of the empire, they imposed Christianity as the official religion and dismantled the ritual bodies responsible for the administration of the temples and ceremonies dedicated to the Incan celestial Gods. Native religion was outlawed, as the Spanish saw the sun, ancestor and idol worship practised by the people as clearly heretical and intolerable.

In attempting to fit Andean religion into their own world view, the Spanish labelled Inca temples as mosques and attempted to reconcile Andean myths with Christian theology. For example, the Gods Viracocha, Inti and Chiqui Illapa were often portrayed as a trinity, and though the three were all worshipped at Qorikancha, Cuzco's main temple, they were not the same entity.

Syncretism

Many communities that live in the lands once ruled by the Incas still maintain strong native spiritual traditions, such as revering the great snow capped mountains as sacred places, as well as making offerings to Pachamama and other local beliefs. During the conversion of South America, the Spanish and other European powers followed a deliberate practice of substituting native Gods and spirits for Christian religious entities. For example, the great church of Santo Domingo was built over the top of the important Qorikancha temple in Cuzco, even incorporating parts of the temple's architecture into itself, and religious figures and saints such as the virgin Mary replaced Pachamama. The result of these methods was that instead of entirely wiping out Incan religion, the populace integrated the new belief structure into their existing one, following both religions instead of one or the other. Religious syncretism can also be seen elsewhere in South America, such as with the Brazilian religion Candomble.

In many highland villages, religious rites still require the sacrifice of animals such as llamas or guinea pigs, with the spillage of alcohol such as chica and the burial of coca or other ritual items, in an effort to please Pachamama and ensure a good harvest. Annual celebrations of patron saints often coincide with preconquest harvest rituals, and elaborate rites to promote the fertility of llama and alpaca herds are still followed. In many ways, the Andean spirituality and way of life followed even before the rise of Incan dominance still exists today, passed down from family to family within the communities scattered throughout modern Peru.

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