Capaccocha
When the Inca Empire was at its height, a ceremony was held that reestablished the equilibrium between men and the gods, it was called Capaccocha ; natural disasters such as earthquakes or droughts were the usual reasons for holding a Capaccocha , though the ceremony was also held when a new Inca was chosen, the birth of a child to the Inca to celebrate his triumphs or to safeguard his health.
The volunteer human sacrifices saw their role as a privilege and they were taken from the caste that was very close to the Inca himself: his court or nobles.
Chronicles tell us that for the Capaccocha , children were chosen from the most perfect in the empire and from the privileged caste; if none could be found they were chosen from the people. These children, aware of their transcendental mission, were reared in a special house of the chosen, where they were looked after with the greatest care before their great sacrifice at the time of the Capaccocha : “ the call of the great waters ”.
Only the Inca could make this call and he did so every four to seven years, the children were brought from the house of the chosen to the central square of Cuzco, where the Inca himself was waiting for them, surrounded by the mummies of his predecessors, together with fine food and drink, textiles, ceramics, gold, wooden carvings and sea shells, which were the Inca's gifts to the children. One hundred white llamas were sacrificed in the square, coordinated by the priests of the Capaccocha.
The children were received and embraced by the Inca so that he could absorb their beauty, youth, health and perfection; at that moment they left the earthly life.
When the ceremony reached its height the Inca nominated the apu or sacred mountain where the children were to be sacrificed.
Thus it was that “ Sarita ”, " Urpicha ", " Juanita ” and other children left Cuzco on a second pilgrimage to the apus or sacred mountains through villages where they would be greeted by the local children dressed in white and singing, who offered them food and drink. Meanwhile the adults watched this procession of perfection from nearby hillsides.
Once on the summit of the apu, they would set up a temporary camp using ichu (an Andean grass), wood and skins to protect them from the cold, while the ceremonial platform was being built.
These boys or girls were dressed in the finest clothes, an ACSU or garment supported by two TUPUS or brooches joined by a necklace; it was drawn in at the waist by a CHUMPI or belt reinforced by a WUATU or rope. Their shoulders were covered by a LLICLLA or shawl and a pair of beautiful POLQOS or shoes made of embroidered wool was placed on their feet and they were crowned by a colourful feather headdress.
Once at the summit the chosen ones fasted and on the day before the offering ate their last meals consisting entirely of vegetables, 6 to 8 hours before they died, for which they were prepared with herbs and coca leaves to ensure a peaceful death.
