Mallku- Inca SpiritSpirit
Description
The snow-capped giants that tower above all other peaks, controlling glacier melt, weather, and the waters that sustain highland life. While Apu applies broadly to mountain spirits, Mallku are the supreme few, and their moods manifest in avalanches, drought, or abundance.
Mythology & Lore
The Highest Peaks
Mallku are the greatest mountain spirits of the Andes, the snow-capped peaks whose summits often exceed 6,000 meters. Their glaciers store the water that sustains highland life. In the dry Andes, where rain falls only seasonally, the gradual melting of mountain ice provides steady flow to irrigate terraces throughout the year. The Mallku determine how quickly or slowly their glaciers release this water, generous in good years, withholding when displeased. Communities made offerings at the glacier's edge, llama blood and chicha poured onto the ice, to keep the water flowing through the dry months.
From their heights, the Mallku also controlled weather. Storm clouds gathered around their peaks; lightning originated on their shoulders. Cold winds descended from their glaciers. They could trap rain-bearing clouds or allow them to pass. Their moods manifested in avalanches and sudden storms that devastated without warning.