The ancient inhabitants of the Andean world, that is, the original indigenous peoples, conceived the Earth as Mother (Pachamama in the Kichwa language), since they believed that she had provided them with everything necessary for life. For this reason, they treated her with respect and honor, accepting the intimate relationship with all the creatures that existed in her, merging in unity with the cosmos.
The different generations were taught to have great respect for all living things on Earth, as their well-being depended on a harmonious balance between human beings and other beings on the planet. This meant striving to care for the land, the water, the plants and the animals, as all things on Mother Earth had a spirit and were intrinsically related.
Thus, human beings acquired a specific spiritual responsibility as guardians of the Earth. For this reason, their culture was based on the teachings of Pachamama, so that spiritual practice was their way of life, that is, inseparable from their daily life.
In addition to the communion between human beings and nature, they also had a close relationship with their ancestors and the gods. For this reason, they conceived the existence of three worlds: the outer or celestial world, of the stars; the inner world, of the underworld or world of the depths; and the terrestrial world, which separated and connected both planes. In the three worlds there were deities, which also had a spirit.
Thus, the community of the living depended on the goodness of the deceased - especially those who were considered ancestors due to their status as heads of prestigious lineages - on deities and other powerful spirits.
To communicate with them, they worshipped volcanoes, mountains, hills, rivers, caves, waterfalls or special places where water comes out of the rock (springs or pugyukuna) because these sites constitute "doors" that allow communication, from where messages can be sent and received from the spirits.
For this purpose they also created a series of extraordinary objects, manufactured from materials charged with spirituality and symbolic power. The objects are all that remains of ancient thought; they are evidence of rites, meetings, celebrations, funerals, myths. They were used in events rich in symbolism, which were accompanied by singing and music. (Stothert, 2006)
SOURCE: Ecuador, Milestones of its pre-Columbian past. Santiago Ontaneda Luciano. p 21.
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