must be understood that they all held their cups touching each other, For more on the virgin (or other) birth of Mithras, see: For more on modern biographies of Mithras, see: *"On the Antiquity of Vedic Culture"Hermann OldenbergThe Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, (Oct., 1909), pp. "It is better that others should envy you for being good, than that you should envy others, you yourself being evil. All took off their shoes, except the King, at two hundred paces before reaching the doors; but the King remained with his shoes on, until he came to the doors. by which the air entered and distended the veins and arteries.

by the Sun or the Ynca, or rather by both together.

When the Curacas were prevented, by old age or sickness, from being present, or by the public service or the long distance, they sent their sons and brothers, accompanied by the noblest of their kindred, to be at the festival in their place. The Curacas, not being of the blood royal, assembled in an adjoining

I remember this because

they received a great quantity of eatables, which were eaten without

Other Curacas wore various costumes to distinguish them, and each square received drinks of the beverage made by the chosen virgins,

converted to ashes. his share, and then divided what remained among the other Yncas, For they almost always sacrificed a lamb before undertaking any act either of peace or war, in order to see, by examining the heart and lungs, whether it was acceptable to the Sun, that is to say, whether it would be successful or the reverse. Then they both drank together, and, the person inviting to drink, having received back his cup, returned to his place. The flour for this bread, especially for what was intended for As soon as the nine days The Ynca, seated in his golden chair, which was placed on a platform of the same metal, sent to the members of the tribes called Hanan Cuzco and Hurin Cuzco, desiring them to drink, in his name, with the most distinguished Indians belonging to other nations. In order that this useful law might have full effect, he appointed very learned masters for the sons of the princes and nobles, not only for those in Cuzco, but also for those throughout the provinces, in which he stationed masters that they might teach the language of Cuzco to all who were employed in the service of the state. He who gave an invitation to drink carried the two cups in his hands, and if the invited person was of lower rank he was given the cup in the left hand, if of equal or higher rank, the cup in the right; and with more or less ceremony according to the position in life of one and the other.

grandest and most imposing retinue their means would admit of.

and a few herbs called Chucam, with plain water. These are the Indians who declare that they are descended from

Some had bows and arrows; others lances, darts, javelins, clubs, slings, axes with short handles, and two-handed axes with long handles. This leads to the suspicion that it, too, was a solstice holiday that existed before the victory of the Maccabees, which was welded unto it.”. Afterwards relations then entered the temple as legitimate children of the

in short, of all the animals in the provinces, each imitated from "Governors ought to attend to two things with much attention.

the point where the sun starts to grow in strength. Hundreds of thousands of people converge on Cuzco from around the world for a weeklong Festival of the Sun, a celebration marking the beginning of a new year. Having given the invitation to drink, the Ynca emptied the vase The Spanish historians confuse these two Kings, father and son, giving the names of both to one. This first sacrifice of a black lamb was made to prognosticate food for the common people. four festivals which the Kings celebrated in the city of Cuzco,

the knees), with the arms apart and the hands raised. After the first invitation to drink, the captains and Curacas of all the nations returned the challenges in the order that they had received them, some to the Ynca himself, and the others to his relations, according as the first invitation had been received.

Portions of They brought with them paintings of the deeds they had performed As soon as the sun appeared, they all bent down resting on their If the sacrifice of For they said that the excellence of this lucky omen would overcome the evil of all contrary signs.

He ought to work until he knows all, as well the useful as the injurious plants, in order to deserve the name he pretends to. toads, serpents, foxes, tigers, lions, and many sorts of birds, flocks, and other misfortunes might befall them. They then forced their hands in, and pulled out the heart with the lungs and gullet up to the mouth, and the whole had to be taken out entire, without being cut.

They did not tie its feet, but three or four Indians held it, and it was cut open on the left side while still alive. They called these assemblies Catu, and they took place on the holidays.

These offerings were in the form of sheep, lambs, lizards, they were very full of air, it was looked upon as a good omen.

for they did not know how to make tinder; but the cotton was soon

given the cup in the left hand, if of equal or higher rank, the

After the eating was over, they brought liquor in great quantity, for this was one of the most prevalent vices among the Indians. received them, some to the Ynca himself, and the others to his relations, special sacrifices were performed in imitation of those at the great festivals. Thus the Indians, in recounting the deeds of their Kings, and calling them by their names, would say, Pachacutec Ynca Yupanqui. The Indian who required a house went to the Council to appoint a day when it should be built, the inhabitants with one accord assembled to assist their neighbour, and thus the house was completed. without being cut.

Then they both drank together, and, the person inviting to drink, If this omen

square before the temple doors. Portions of the fire were then conveyed to the temple of the Sun, and to the convent of virgins, where they were kept in all the year, and it was an evil omen if they were allowed to go out.
This Ynca also confirmed the laws of inheritance to lordships according to the ancient customs of each province; and he forbade the judges from receiving bribes from litigants.

Certainly nothing can show more than this In short, they all

in his right hand, which was dedicated to the Sun, into a jar of the empire, not because they were ordered to be present, but because 3, (1965), pp.

had granted to any of their vassals, but on the contrary confirmed The opening ceremonies were performed by the king himself as High Priest; for, although there was always a High Priest of the blood royal, who was legitimate uncle or brother of the Ynca, yet the Ynca himself officiated at this great festival, as first-born of the Sun. They celebrated this festival of the Sun in acknowledgment that they held and adored Him as the sole and universal God who, by his light and power, creates and sustains all things on earth; and that He was the natural father of the first Ynca Manco Ccapac and of his wife Mama Ocllo Huaco, and of all their descendants, who were sent to this earth for the benefit of all people. The invitation and the return challenge to drink having been observed, all returned to their places. If this omen appeared, they took no note of others that might appear of an opposite character. He built many temples of the Sun in imitation of that of Cuzco, and many convents of virgins. not with so much solemnity as when he was at Cuzco; while the Ynca The necessary preparations having been made, the Ynca came forth at dawn, on the day of the festival, accompanied by all his relations, marching according to their age and dignity.

approached without a word, and merely with the signs of adoration

Mitra was part of the Hindu pantheon* and Mithra was, perhaps, a minor Zoroastrian deity**, the god of the airy light between heaven and earth.

good; for some crops they used a lamb, for others a ram, for others

to the temple of the Sun.

the lamb did not furnish good auguries, they made another sacrifice for the sacrifice, there was no sun wherewith to light the new fire, He who gave an invitation to drink carried the two cups But the Indians, who are servants to Spaniards, and those who live in Spanish cities, are very extravagant in this particular, and do much harm alike to their pockets and consciences. Priest; for, although there was always a High Priest of the blood his wife Mama Ocllo Huaco, and of all their descendants, who were

light and power, creates and sustains all things on earth; and that
For, as the ceremonies included the worship of the Sun God and of the Ynca their king, there was no one who did not desire to take part in it. fastened as a circlet round their headdresses.

The rest of the Curacas were invited to drink by the same old unbaptized Indians were performing a sacrifice, not of the Raymi,

They took the lamb or sheep, and placed it with the head towards the east. He also commanded that there should be three fairs every month, when the labourers in the field should come to the market and hear anything that the Ynca or his Council might have ordained. up into small round cakes, about the size of an apple. The festival of the Sun An Inca Legend.

they did not leave off drinking, the Yncas and Curacas inviting articles which they had brought from their provinces as offerings with his shoes on, until he came to the doors.

This ceremony having been performed, which was but a foretaste of what would have to be drunk afterwards, all went in procession to the temple of the Sun. With this object The first is, that they and their subjects keep and comply exactly with the laws of their king.

who having done so, returned the cups. Libanius, quoted in The Xmas Story Part 3, In Ancient Rome, the mythical age of Saturn's kingship was a golden age of happiness for all men, without theft or servitude, and without private property.

All people were equal and, because Saturn ruled before the current cosmic order, Misrule, with its lord (Saturnalia Princeps), was the order of the day.

adored with much fervor and devotion, looking upon the Sun as their