Inca Myth Choice #One—"The Rod of Gold"
The first Inca myth used in this unit is the Bierhorst translation of "The Rod of Gold" from Black Rainbow. Bierhorst terms this myth a legend, because he feels it is a "fantastic interpretation of an historical event" versus a myth which he classifies as a story told for entertainment or moral it teaches (18). To be a legend, the story must have historic fact and "The Rod of Gold" in my view is pure fantasy. Therefore, I label it a myth for this unit.
This story is a good example, because it incorporates many of the myth writing structural elements, as well as, epitomizing the many motifs common in Inca literature. The story is a creation myth meaning it gives an explanation of how the world is the way it is, deals with the theme of birth, and a supreme being that triggers the birth (Murtagh).
Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo are the heroes even though they do not seem to have a period of reluctance in undertaking their journey or a final trial. Their tests are the many times they must thrust the golden rod into the earth until it finally is engulfed. Then they must create a mighty civilization with Manco Capac teaching the men how to provide for a family and Mama Ocllo teaching the women how to weave, clothe their families, and take care of a home. Inti acts as the mentor. The narrator works as the herald. The shapeshifters can be the people who willingly follow the Inca. The shadows can be seen as the people who refuse to follow the Inca. For this story, one difficult item to place according to the hero's journey writing structure is the worlds Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo come from and stay in. It can be argued that they come from the special world and stay in the ordinary one or vice versa. This is something you and your class must decide upon either collectively or maybe never agree on.
The story opens by describing the world before Inti sends his children, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo to civilize the world. Note that people already inhabit the world, but they are beasts. The children come to the earth by Lake Titicaca. The children, though, brother and sister become husband and wife. The Inka would continue this practice of marrying their sister and allowing only their son to become the next Inka. Later interpretations would use this incestuous relationship as a reason for the Inkas' eventual downfall.
Note also that Inti commands his children to rule wisely, justly, and with pity. Later interpretations would seize upon the idea that the Inkas were cruel, particularly Atahualpa, who was the last Inca ruler. Bierhorst believes the emphasis on Atahualpa as being especially cruel was because he was the one responsible for the loss of the empire to the Spanish. As far as the cruelty of the other Inkas, Bierhorst states that the expansion of the Inca Empire could not have been accomplished without ruthlessness (15).
The golden rod Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo use to put into the ground can be likened to the rod or scepter of gold kings have used as a symbol of their power for thousands of years. The burial of the rod into the ground symbolizes this place—Cuzco, as the seat of the god-appointed king.
The story highlights the fine dress and distinctive look of high level Inca with the passage, "And they saw the pierced earlobes, greatly stretched, that we Incas who are their descendants still have today" (30). Bierhorst notes that the elite would pierce their earlobes and stretch the piercing with huge disc-like ornaments. This piercing gave the Inca a very distinctive look (6). This section also shows the Inca attempting to show that it is they who have made the best of everything in the world. They are effectively stealing the show from all previous civilizations before them and claiming it was they who created it all.
The separation of the Inca society into two was a system of hierarchy employed by them. The halves were not equal as the upper half or hanan were the ruling class and the lower or hurin were the commoners. The division was rigidly adhered to and a hurin could never become a hanan. Yet the hurin had its own elite circle.
The story continues with the people excitedly going off to tell others about the glory of the Inca and how many joined the Inca people for the promises of a good life, too. The piece ends with the warning, though, that those who would not so easily join will be forced into submission. The last lesson Manco Capac teaches the Inca people is how to use weapons, not for defense or peacekeeping, but to gather those into the Inca world who do not come willingly.
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