Ekkeko- Inca GodDeity"God of Abundance"
Also known as: Ekeko and Eq'eq'o
Description
A cheerful, portly figure draped with tiny bags of grain, miniature llamas, and a lit cigarette in his mouth. Whatever you want, attach a miniature to Ekkeko and he brings the real thing. His cult dates to Tiwanaku, a thousand years before the Incas.
Mythology & Lore
The Laden Figure
Ekkeko is a god of prosperity and good fortune originating in the Tiwanaku culture near Lake Titicaca, centuries before the Inca Empire. He is always depicted as a cheerful, portly figure laden with tiny bags of grain and miniature household goods. Whatever a devotee hopes to acquire, a miniature version is attached to his figure, and he is asked to bring the real thing. Modern Ekkekos carry tiny cell phones and dollar bills alongside the traditional representations of agricultural abundance. A real cigarette, stuck in his mouth and lit during rituals, keeps him alive and satisfied.
The Alasitas Festival
The great festival of Ekkeko is Alasitas, held annually in La Paz and other Bolivian cities. At noon on the appointed day, miniature versions of every conceivable desired object go on sale: tiny houses, diplomas, stacks of fake money. The fair extends for weeks. Buyers purchase what they hope to gain in the coming year and have their miniatures blessed by a yatiri, a ritual specialist. The blessed miniatures are attached to Ekkeko figures or kept in homes.