4.1 Immigration and religion: rituals alive today in peru and spain  (Page 2/4)

The celebration of inti raymi in spain

On July 5, 2004 in Madrid, in the Plaza Mayor, more than 2,000 people attended this ceremony. The event was organized by the embassy of Peru in Spain, which began at 6:30 in the evening with the presence of Ambassador Fernando Olivera. The social context of the event had several motives which we are going to review.

The ceremony in cuzco

Inti Raymi is the most important commemoration of the Cuzqueño world and is celebrated on June 24. It is the celebration of the Sun, the most important divinity in Quechua culture. The event take place in the esplanade of the fortress of Sacsayhuamán, located about two kilometers from downtown Cuzco, capital of the Empire of the Incas and where the Koricancha is located. The ceremony represents the gratefulness of the Incas to the Sun for all the gifts granted. It is staged with parsimony and great pomp, with the intention to show thankfulness to divinity throughout the ritual. The actor who plays the Inca Emperor is transported on foot from the Koricancha, or Temple of the Sun, to the Huacaypata, or main plaza of the city, where he asks the authorities to make a better government. An entourage then begins their long trek to the fortress of Sacsayhuamán, where two llamas, a white and a black one, are sacrificed. The organs of both are given to two priests who use them to make the prediction of what is going to occur the next year. These predictions are studied and interpreted by the main priest or Villac Umo, who notifies the Inca. Finally, during sunset, the Inca orders retirement and begins a hubbub that will last days.

The event in spain

The ceremony that occurs in the Plaza Mayor of Madrid somewhat resembles the one in Cuzco. In order to stage the event, they invited the Peruvian actor Christian Esquivel, who represented the role of the Inca. Erika Quintana played the role of the Colla , wife of the Inca. The actor Julio Montesinos represented the Main priest. They walked by the Madrilenian plaza with a group of about 200 Peruvians dressed in typical attire. Here, as much as in Cuzco or any other Peruvian region, the goal was to bring everyone together, and to remember their place of origin and identity. Without a doubt, this representation is not the original one, but it is very similar. In this occasion, the first time it was done outside of Cuzco, the Peruvian Embassy in Spain facilitated the presence of native folkloric sets like Llaqta Perú, Integración Andina, Tradiciones Peruanas, Hatari Perú, Tinkuy, Campesinos del Cuzco, Mensajeros del Perú and the Andean singers Lucy Vega, Seina Velasquez and Ana Berta. Huaynos of the Andean mountain range were interpreted. However, the fact that the celebration is not sponsored by any registered association causes doubt as to its authenticity. The reason being is that few Cuzqueños emigrate. Although the Peruvian presence in Spain is numerous, most are originally from the Pacific coast or the forest or mountains. This celebration is specific to Cuzco.