Draft:Catequil

Symbolic representation of Catequil

Catequil (also known as: Apocatequil, Apu Catequil or Cataquillay) is a pre-Inca god of lightning. This deity appears in the data collected by the evangelists of the Augustinian order, in the area of the Huamachucos, Cajamarcas and Conchucos ethnic groups (northeast of Ancash). Apart from being a divinity associated with atmospheric phenomena, Catequil also played a primordial role as an accurate oracle. Its Inca equivalent is the god Illapa; Yana Raman, on behalf of the Yaros or Llacuaces; Tumayricapac, on behalf of the Yaros of Chinchaycocha; and Pariacaca, on behalf of the Yauyos. During the expansion of the Tahuantinsuyo, the pre-Inca gods associated with atmospheric phenomena were incorporated into the Inca pantheon as regional variants of the god Illapa..

Mythology

Genesis

On the occasion of laying a couple of eggs, Cautaguan died. The eggs were thrown to the dunghill and from them emerged two effebos - giving howls - one would be Apu Catequil and the other, his twin, Piguerao. Both deities were very honored, outside of the area indicated, their cult spread from Quito to Cuzco.

Creation according to the Huamachuco

In the beginning of everything, the god Ataguchu, creator of heaven and earth, tired of loneliness, decided to create Sugadcavra and Vaumgavrad (also called Ucuzgavrad). They made and ruled everything together with Ataguchu. Likewise, the three of them formed a trinity. Not content with that, Ataguchu created Uvigaicho and Unstiqui as his servants. Together with them, Ataguchu also created Guamansuri. From heaven, Ataguchu sent the said Guamansuri to Earth. When Guamansuri came to the world, he arrived in the province of Huamachuco, which was the place where everything was to begin. Once there, he found some who, in the language of Huamachuco, called themselves Guachemines or Huachemines. Posing as an outsider, Guamansuri accepted the jobs and commissions given by the said Guachemines. These Guachemines had a sister named Cautaguan, whom they kept so secluded that no one saw her. A day came when Cautaguan's brothers went out. This moment was taken advantage of by Guamansuri who, by means of flattery and deception, got Cautaguan pregnant. Upon seeing their sister pregnant, the Guachemines knew that the author of such an unforgivable act was Guamansuri. The brothers captured Guamansuri and burned him alive. His ashes rose to the sky and there they stayed with Ataguchu. After killing Guamansuri, the Guachemines were stricter and confined Cautaguan even more. A few days passed and Cautaguan gave birth to two eggs, dying in childbirth. The Guachemines took the two eggs and threw them into a dunghill. When the eggs hatched, two twins came out screaming. These children were taken by a lady and raised. The first child was named Catequil and his twin brother was named Piguerao. Catequil went to the place where their deceased mother was and brought her back to life. In the act, Cautaguan gave his sons two warak'as, which were left by Guamansuri, father of the two boys. With them, Catequil and Piguerao controlled the forces of the weather, killing the population of the Guachemines. Those who did not die were exiled by the divine twins. Once this was done, Catequil went up to heaven to meet his grandfather, Ataguchu. Catequil said to his grandfather: The Earth is now free. Now I beg you to raise Indians to inhabit and work it. Ataguchu, aware of his grandson's feat and request, ordered him to go to the hill and puna called Guacat. Catequil and Piguerao obeyed their grandfather's command. Once on the hill, Catequil carried a golden chaquitaclla, while Piguerao carried a silver one. With them, the divine brothers dug and extracted humanity from the hill.

Ceremonial centers

Catequil is considered the god of lightning in the northern highlands of Peru and it is said that he answered questions. In his wak'a, as an Oracle, he answered through the coca leaves in the canals, located in the ceremonial center, his ceremonial center is in Santiago de Chuco at the foot of the Icchal hill. It was discovered by the Canadian archaeologist John R. Topic and his wife in 1987. A second temple dedicated to Catequil was in the village of Tauca, province of Pallasca. The Austrian-French visitor, Charles Wiener, verified in the church of Tauca, that there was an image in the form of a circle, evoking the Sun. During the time of the conquest, several chroniclers have exposed information about these ceremonial centers. According to the Spanish chronicler Juan de Betanzos, the Inca Huayna Capac had the temple burned for having given him tragic omens after defeating the hard-working Huamachucos. According to the relation of Augustinians of Huamachuco, the Inca Atahualpa sent to consult to the wak'a of Catequil on who would be the winner in the war against his brother, Huáscar. The priest of the wak'a, an old man with a long robe covered with seashells (possibly mullu), after conversing with the stone idol of the god, predicted a hopelessly adverse outcome for Atahualpa. The priest mentioned that, due to the bloodthirsty and tyrannical behavior of Atahualpa, he had aroused the fury of Wiracocha and, therefore, he would have a fatal outcome, being destined to rule his brother Huáscar. Atahualpa, furious, then ordered the destruction of the wak'a and so it was done: the head and the pieces of the body of the idol were thrown into the river and the sanctuary, plundered. But the story of this famous oracle did not end there: the Andean priests of Huamachuco recovered the head and the remains of the body of the image of the wak'a and returned to worship it until, in 1561, it was discovered by the Augustinian friars Antonio Lozano and Juan Ramirez, who made it into dust and threw it into the river.

Literature

In 1996 Miguel Garnett published in Lima the 268-page novel Catequil.

See also

• Pre-Inca period
• Caranqui
• Quitu

Bibliography

• Rakuta, Nikolai. La política religiosa de los incas Cf Charles Wiener en Perou et Bolivie.
• Ledesma Llaury, Wilfredo: Huamachuco en la historia del Perú / tomo I. (1993) . Editorial La Libertad, Huamachuco - Perú. Primera edición.