The travels of Pedro de Cieza de Léon; part 2Cieza de León, Pedro de
History
The travels of Pedro de Cieza de Léon; part 2
Cieza de León, Pedro de
Incas; Peru -- History -- To 1548
Blas Valera relates that Inca Rocca reigned for more than fifty years;
and this writer preserved some of his laws, regulations for his
schools, and wise sayings, which are given in _Garcilasso_ (i, p. 336).
[168] “Y se hizo en el Cuzco la piedra que llaman de la guerra,
grande, y las engastonadas en oro y piedras.” So in the Escurial copy,
but the meaning is not clear.
[169] This Ynca Yupanqui of Cieza de Leon, son of Ynca Rocca, is the
Yahuar-huaccac of Garcilasso and other writers. When he was a child
he is said to have wept blood, and hence the name. _Yahuar_ (blood),
and _Huaccac_ (weeping). Others declared that he was born weeping
blood. During his reign, according to the account of Garcilasso, all
the coast region from Arequipa to the desert of Atacama was annexed
to the empire by the Ynca’s general and brother named Apu Mayta. The
Ynca was much troubled by the headstrong disposition of his son, whom
he banished to a lofty plateau called Chita, to the eastward of Cuzco,
to live with shepherds who tended the flocks of the Sun. Three years
afterwards, the son returned to Cuzco and told the Ynca his father
that an apparition, calling itself Uira-ccocha Ynca, had appeared to
him while he slept under a rock. It ordered him to repair to Cuzco
and report that there was a great rebellion in the western province,
threatening the existence of the empire. Yahuar-huaccac did not
believe the story, and ordered his son to return to his banishment in
the pastures of Chita. But soon the news came of the great rebellion
of the Chancas, Yahuar-huaccac fled to Muyna, five leagues south of
Cuzco, while his son put himself at the head of the army, and defeated
the rebels. He took the name of the apparition, calling himself Ynca
Uira-ccocha, and dethroned his father.
There is little resemblance between the stories told by Cieza de Leon
of Ynca Yupanqui, and by Garcilasso of Yahuar-huaccac, except that
they were both unfortunate. It will be seen further on that Cieza de
Leon places the great rebellion of the Chancas after the reign of
Uira-ccocha, and tells quite a different story about it.
[170] He contradicts himself, for, at the end of the last chapter, he
said that Ynca Yupanqui had no son.
[171] Garcilasso describes the apparition which, according to his
story, appeared to the prince who was afterwards Ynca Uira-ccocha, as
having had a beard.
[172] Garcilasso gives the same name to the wife of Ynca Uira-ccocha
(ii, p. 88). _Runtu_ means an egg.
[173] In the valley of the Vilcamayu, near Cuzco.
[174] The river Vilcamayu.
[175] Or Vilcamayu.
[176] Only Cieza de Leon could have said this. Bahaire is the town in
the bay of Cartagena where he was with Heredia in 1533.
[177] In the bay of Cartagena.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account