Sun of May

Sun of May

The Sun of May is one of the national symbols of the Río de la Plata countries of Argentina and Uruguay, featured in their respective flags and coats of arms. It is named after the May Revolution of 1810, the event that catalyzed the Independence process in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. It is also known as the Inca sun, since the most widespread explanation of its meaning is that it represents Inti, the solar god of the Incas. However, no contemporary sources confirm an Inca origin for the symbol and this claim which emerged later with the development of Argentine historiography. The Sun of May design appears to be heir to the long previous use of the "sun in splendour" in European heraldry. It consists of a golden disc with a face from which rays emerge, alternating between flaming ones rotating clockwise and straight ones; in the Argentine case being 32 rays, while in the Uruguayan case it conforms to the convention of the European heraldry of 16 rays. However, the original lack of regulation regarding the sun's design led to a great variety of different styles over time, until they were definitively standardized by law in the mid-20th century.

Pantheon: Inca Culture: Andean / Quechua Civilization: Inca Empire Period: 1200 CE – 1533 CE

Source: Wikipedia