Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala was born sometime after 1536 and died in 1616 in Huamanga, Ayacucho, only a year after completing his monumental and classic work,El primer nueva corónica y buen gobierno(The First New Chronicle and Good Government [On the History of the World and the Incas up to the Present]). Guaman Poma was the son of “Mr. Martín Guamán Malqui and Mrs. Juana Curi Ocllo Coya, descendant of Capac Apoyarovilca, granddaughter of the tenth emperor from Cuzco, Tupac Inca Yupanqui” (Francisco Izquierdo [2006]: available online; translation mine). As such, he himself was the descendant of Inca...

One of the most fascinating books on pre-Columbian and early colonial Peru was written by a Peruvian Indian named Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala. This book,The First New Chronicle and Good Government, covers the pre-Inca times, various aspects of Inca culture, the Spanish conquest, and colonial times up to around 1615, when the manuscript was finished. The original manuscript, located in the Royal Library, Copenhagen, Denmark, has 1,189 pages and can be viewed on the Internet on the Royal Library’s official Web site along with a transcription prepared by John V. Murra and Rolena Adorno for their 1980 edition...

This chronicle is very useful and beneficial; it will improve the life of Christians and pagans, help the Indians confess, improve their lives, correct their errors, idolatries and help the priests know how to take the confessions of the Indians. It will help the encomenderos or grantees of Indians, district officials, priests, curates of Indian parishes, miners, major caciques, lesser Indian chiefs, common Indians, Spaniards and common people.¹

It is useful for the judicial process of residencies or judicial process and the general inspections of the tributary Indians and the general inspection of the Holy Mother Church, to learn new...

Page 22, drawing 7. The first world, Adam and Eve: Adam / Eve / in the world

Adam begat Seth; Seth begat Enos; Enos begat Cainan. Cain slew Abel; from Cain came the race of Negroes because of his envy. He built the first city, which he called Enoch after his son who was so named.

Cainan begat Malalel; Malalel begat Jared; Jared begat Enoch, the one who is in Paradise. His descendant begat Lamech, who was of the lineage of Cain. Lamech had three sons and a daughter: Jabal, who invented the tent; another son, Jubal, invented the organ...

Page 48, drawing 19. First generation of Indians, Vari Viracocha Runa: the first Indian of this kingdom / Vari Viracocha huarmi [woman] / in this kingdom of the Indies

First generation of Indians, descendants of the Spaniards that God brought to this kingdom of the Indies, the ones who came from Noah’s ark after the Flood.

After the people from Noah’s ark multiplied by God’s order, they spread throughout the world. This first generation lasted and multiplied a few years, 830 years in this New World called the Indies, where God sent them. These Indians were called Vari Viracocha Runa...

Page 79, drawing 23. First chapter of the Incas, their coat of arms: Inti Raymi [Sun festival] / Coya Raymi [queen’s festival] / Choqui Illa Vilca [lightning deity] / idol of Huanacauri / Pacaritambo / Tambotoco / idol of the Incas and the coat of arms of Cuzco / royal coat of arms of the kingdom of the Indies of the Inca kings

The first account is of the first Inca king who was of the lineage of the legitimate descendants of Adam and Eve and the progeny of Noah and the first of Vari Viracocha Runa and Vari Runa...

Page 120, drawing 39. The first account of the queens,coyas, Mama Huaco Coya: She ruled in Cuzco.

The first account of the queens, wives of the Inca kings, begins with the one named Mama Huaco.¹⁰³ She was beautiful and her whole body was dark and well formed. They say she was a great sorceress, according to accounts of her life. It is said she spoke to devils. This lady made stones and boulders speak—huacas, idols. From this woman sprang Inca kings. They say that her father was not known nor was the father of her son, Manco Capac...

Page 145, drawing 51. Chapter [of ] the first captain, Inca Yupanqui: sleepy head, lazy captain,puñuy camayoc, quilla sinchicona/ in Cuzco / Without conquering, he died.

In ancient times there were many brave and famous captains before the Incas, but here nothing will be written about them, but rather about Inca Yupanqui Pachacuti Inca, the first son of Manco Capac Inca. They made no conquests, nor did they do anything. They just slept, ate, went whoring, enjoyed themselves, had parties and banquets and strolled through the city of Cuzco with the other nobles,auquiconaand Incacona [Incas]. They...

Page 173/175, drawing 66. The first queen and lady, Capac Poma Hualca: Chinchaysuyo¹⁵⁰

Before and after becoming an Inca, this lady and queen was very elegant and beautiful. She governed the whole realm very well. She was the wife of Apo Guaman Chaua, the second person of the Inca. She was of the lineage of Yarovilca, Allauca Huanoco, grandmother of the author.¹⁵¹ And after this lady there were other important ladies named Chuqui Timta. . . .¹⁵² Besides these there were other important ladies that your Majesty should reward in this land.

Page 175/177, drawing 67. The second lady, Capac...

The great government of the Incas of this realm and the rest of the lords and grandees of this kingdom present at that time ruled this empire. These Incas of Peru had laws and ordinances, starting with the first law. They added their idolatries and fiestas, like Easter, throughout the year, during each month, including fasting. They celebrated certain rites,rotochico[a boy’s first haircut],huarachico[a boy’s maturity rite],pacarico[all-night ritual],huacachicu[ritual lament], and made sacrifices in selecting virgins and storage places, as well as other ceremonies to honor the devil.¹⁶¹ Topa Inca Yupanqui and the rest...

. . .

Don Francisco de Toledo, viceroy of this kingdom, ordered an inspection tour in which he was informed of these ancient laws and ordinances from which he selected the best. Following the instructions of our Catholic lord King Philip II, Toledo ordered everyone to eat in the public square and to have a fiesta there.

That said, I believe in one God, the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and his blessed mother, Saint Mary, in all the saints, angels of heaven. I believe in the Holy Mother Church in Rome which...

The Incas counted months, years, Sundays in this kingdom. The philosophers and astronomers of this kingdom counted a ten-day week and a thirty-day month. They kept track of how the year would unfold by observing the stars, the sun, and the moon. They knew when the sun was at a higher point than the moon and the sun set over the moon making it blood red. Thus it became dark and the people believed they would die. With the eclipse of the moon, it would burn and fall to earth. Thus the people would be made to shout, play drums,...

Page 261/263, drawing 102.Huaca vilca incap[the Inca’s local deities]: Huanacaurihuaca/ Topa Inca / “Huaca vilcacona—pim cam cuna manta ama parachun—caza chun runto chun ninqui rimari chaylla” [“Deities, who among you has said for it not to rain, not to freeze, not to hail? Speak, that is all.”] / “Manam nocacunaca Inca” [“It was not us, Inca.”] / The Inca speaks to all thehuacas.

It is as follows: First, Topa Inca Yupanqui used to speak to thehuacas, stones, demons. He knew by their magic the past and the future of his people, of...

There were common sorcerers in this kingdom, and there still are to this day. The following is about them. In the first place, there are bad sorcerers who use poisons to kill. They are calledhampiyoc.²⁶¹ They kill with poison. Some die quickly, others slowly. The latter would dry up during a period of one year; then they get stiff like a stick and die. Originally only the Inca had poison, and no one else had it. On the Inca’s orders the Indians who had poison were put to death. They were stoned with all their family; none survived except...

Page 287/289, drawing 112. First chapter of the burial of the Inca, Incayllapa aya, dead body:pucullo[tomb] /yllapa, dead body / burial

The Inca was buried and embalmed without moving his body. He was given eyes and a face that made him look as if he were alive. He was also dressed in fine garments. The dead Inca was called Yllapa.²⁸¹ All other dead were calledaya. The Inca was buried with elaborate dinner ware of gold and silver.

The Inca’s servants and women he loved were killed, including thecoyathe Inca loved the most. Before...

Page 298/300, drawing 117. The first chapter of the nuns,acllaconas[chosen women]: high priestess /mamacona/ nuns

During the time of the Incas there were virgins calledacllaconawho were cloistered. There were six groups of virgins dedicated to their idols, and another six groups of common virgins in the kingdom. The first virgins,uayrur aclla[high priestess]. They were consecrated to the cult of the Sun, the Moon, stars,chasca cuyllor[Venus] andchuqui ylla[lightning].²⁹⁵ These virgins did not speak to any man in their lifetime. They started this service at twenty years of age.

There...

On the system of justice, punishments, prisons and jails of the Incas, other lords and the royal counsel in this kingdom to punish wrongdoers.

Traitors,yscay sonco auca, were sentenced to thesancay[dungeon].³⁰² There were jails in cities, towns and villages,uatay uasi, piñas[prisons].

Page 302/304, drawing 118. Punishment, justice,sancay[dungeon], Inquisition:yscay sonco auca[traitor] /yaya pachacamac uanazac[Father, Pachacamac, I will learn my lesson.] /yaya cay soncuypa yuyascanmi[Father is my heart’s memory.] /caypaccho yaya yumauarcanqui[Father, did you beget me for this?] /mama uachauarcanqui[Mother, did you give birth to...

Easter-like celebrations and dances, taquis of the Incas, capac apocona, leaders and common Indians of this kingdom, those from Chinchaysuyo, Antisuyo, Collasuyo and Condesuyo

The dances andarauis[festive songs] have no sorcery, idolatry or incantations, but rather enjoyment and festival. If there were no drunkenness, these affairs would be most enjoyable.

These are calledtaqui,cachiua[choral songs],haylli[farmer’s chants], girl’saraui[narrative songs], boy’spincollo[small flute], herdsman’s celebrations,llama michics,llamaya[herder’s songs],pachaca harauayo[farmer’s songs], and the people of Colla—quirquina,collina,aymarana—of the girls,uanca[girls’ songs], of the boys,quenaquena[cane...

. . .³⁴⁹

Royal palaces of the Incas, principal lords of this kingdom, stature and pleasures that they have and still have to this day

This was also for theallicacconaIndians,camachicocs[officials]; and for thecoyas,ñustas,pallas,capachuarmis,curaca huarmisin the whole kingdom.

Page 329/331, drawing 129. Royal palaces,Incap uasi[the Inca’s house],cuyus manco[guard house?]:³⁵⁰cuyus manco/carpa uasi[house with awning] /churacona uasi[storehouse] /quenco uasi[curved house] /suntor uasi[circular house] /cumo punco camayoc[humpbacked door official] / houses of the Inca³⁵¹

The court, royal...

Page 340/342, drawing 133. Viceroy and contracts, council, Incap Rantin Capac Apo [the Incas’s replacement great lord], Guaman Chaua Excellency Duke, second person of the Inca king and his Majesty, duke prince, duke of Alba:chicchi rampa[brown litter] / second person, viceroy of the Inca

Incap Rantin [the Inca’s replacement], viceroy of the Inca and of this kingdom,capac apoGuaman Chaua Yarovilca Allauca Huanuco, grandfather of the author of this book. This Guaman Chaua was the second person of Topa Inca Yupanqui, as well as in Castile his excellency the Duke of Alba.³⁸⁸ These viceroys, or councilmen, under...