Coniraya Viracocha

Context

In Inca myth, Viracocha was the great creator spirit, the origin of everything who came from the sea and created the lights of the world. He was widely revered and worshiped, and some narratives have Viracocha directing Manco Capac to found the Inca people by guiding his migration to the valley of Cuzco in Peru.

One of the lesser-known spirits in Inca myth, however, is Coniraya. Part of his trickster personality was to also assume the name Viracocha and to impersonate the creator. Coniraya was also known as the god of the moon, and in the short story below he appears as simply a trickster spirit. In this his most famous exploit, Coniraya tricks Cavillaca into bearing his child; Cavillaca in Inca myth is actually a virgin goddess known for her beauty.

Myth

Coniraya Viracocha was a tricky nature spirit who declared he was the creator, but who frequently appeared attired as a poor ragged Native American. He was an adept at deceiving people.

A beautiful woman, Cavillaca, who was greatly admired, was one day weaving a mantle at the foot of a lucma tree. Coniraya, changing himself into a beautiful bird, climbed the tree, took some of his generative seed, made it into a ripe lucma fruit, and dropped it near the beautiful virgin, who saw and ate the fruit. Some time afterwards a son was born to Cavillaca.

When the child was older she wished that the huaca revered ones and gods should meet and declare who was the father of the boy. All came dressed as finely as possible, hoping to be chosen as her husband. Coniraya was there, too, dressed like a beggar, and Cavillaca never even looked at him. The maiden addressed the assembly, but as no one immediately answered her speech she let the child go, saving he would be sure to crawl to his father. The infant went straight up to Coniraya, sitting in his rags, and laughed up to him.

Cavillaca, extremely angry at the idea of being associated with such a poor, dirty creature, fled to the seashore. Coniraya then put on magnificent attire and followed her to show her how handsome he was, but still thinking of him in his ragged condition she would not look back. She went into the sea at Pachacamac and was changed into a rock. Coniraya, still following her, met a condor, and asked if it had seen a woman. On the condor replying that it had seen her quite near, Coniraya blessed it, and said whoever killed it would be killed himself. He then met a fox, who said he would never meet Cavillaca, so Coniraya told him he would always retain his disagreeable odour, and on account of it he would never be able to go abroad except at night, and that he would be hated by everyone.

Next came a mountain lion, who told Coniraya he was very near Cavillaca, so the lover said he should have the power of punishing wrongdoers, and that whoever killed him would wear the skin without cutting off the head, and by preserving the teeth and eyes would make him appear still alive; his skin would be worn at festivals, and thus he would be honored after death. Then another fox who gave bad news was cursed, and a falcon who said Cavillaca was near was told he would be highly esteemed, and that whoever killed him would also wear his skin at festivals. The parrots, giving bad news, were to cry so loud that they would be heard far away, and their cries would betray them to enemies.

Thus Coniraya blessed the animals which gave him news he liked, and cursed those which gave the opposite. When at last he came to the sea he found Cavillaca and the child turned into stone, and there he encountered two beautiful young daughters of Pachacamac, who guarded a great serpent. He made love to the elder sister, but the younger one flew away in the form of a wild pigeon. At that time there were no fishes in the sea, but a certain goddess had reared a few in a small pond, and Coniraya emptied these into the ocean and thus peopled it. The angry deity tried to outwit Coniraya and kill him, but he was too wise and escaped. He returned to Huarochiri, and played tricks as before on the villagers.

To cite this reading, use the following format:

Spence, Lewis.  “Coniraya Viracocha.” The Myths of Mexico and Peru, 1913. Internet Sacred Text Archive, https://sacred-texts.com/nam/mmp/mmp10.htm