Mama Huaco- Inca HeroHero
Also known as: Mama Wako
Description
Fierce warrior among the founding sisters who killed enemies with her sling and once ripped out a man's heart and blew into his lungs, sending the corpse shrieking to terrify all who stood against the march to Cusco.
Mythology & Lore
The Warrior
Mama Huaco came out of Tambo Toco armed. Where her sisters carried knowledge and lineage, she carried a sling and the fierce will to use it. She wielded her weapon with deadly accuracy, striking down anyone who opposed the founding family's march toward the Cusco valley. Betanzos and Sarmiento de Gamboa both recorded her martial ferocity with evident fascination.
The Heart of Terror
When the founders met resistance on the road to Cusco, Mama Huaco killed an enemy warrior with her own hands, then ripped the heart from his chest and blew into his lungs, forcing the corpse to make a terrible shrieking sound. She held the bleeding heart aloft for the remaining enemies to see. They broke and fled.
The Conquest of the Valley
When the founding party reached the Cusco valley, its people did not welcome the newcomers. Mama Huaco led the assault. She hurled golden staffs toward the valley from the heights above and descended at the head of the attack. The existing inhabitants broke before her advance. Only after the land was taken by force could Manco Capac begin building the city and Mama Ocllo begin teaching the people who would live in it.