Legend of the Ayar Brothers – Summary

According to legend, four brothers and their wives emerged from a cave on Mount Tampotocco: Ayar Manco and Mama Ocollo; Ayar Cachi and Mama Cora; Ayar Uchu and Mama Rahua; and Ayar Auca and Mama Huaco.

They traveled northeast in search of fertile lands. Along the way, Ayar Cachi was deceived and returned to the cave, where he was imprisoned. The others continued on and reached the Huanacaure mountain.

There, they found a stone idol, and when Ayar Uchu sat on it, he was petrified. The rest descended to the valley of the Watanai River, but Ayar Auca continued and, upon arrival, turned into a rock. Ayar Manco then established the Inca city of Cusco here and built a temple for the sun god, which he called Inticancha.

Myth of the Ayar Brothers

The story goes that many centuries ago, a great flood ravaged and inundated the entire Earth.

Once the rains ceased, four brothers and their wives fled from Mount Tampotoco, where they had taken refuge, in search of fertile lands.

The Four Brothers:

• First Brother: Ayar Cachi
• Second Brother: Ayar Manco
• Third Brother: Ayar Uchu
• Fourth Brother: Ayar Auca

The four brothers formed ten ayllus (1 ayllu = 10 families). As the ayllus grew, they faced food shortages because the floods had left the lands barren. The brothers decided to leave the ayllus and head south in search of fertile land.

On their journey south, one of the brothers, Ayar Cachi, displayed superiority over the others by possessing a golden sling.

They had conflicts among the brothers, and seeing that they could not defeat Ayar Cachi and feeling envious, they decided to get rid of him as he was a threat to them. They set a trap for him, sending him for more food to the Pacarina cave. Upon entering the cave, Ayar Cachi was locked in by his own brothers with a large rock.

After dealing with Ayar Cachi, the brothers continued their search. Along the way, they encountered a village at the foot of Huanacaure mountain, where the locals worshiped a stone statue. Ayar Auca paid little attention and wished to continue, but as he passed over the statue, he was turned into a stone and became part of the sculpture.

The two remaining brothers, feeling remorseful, decided to continue their journey. Ayar Uchu chose to explore the nearby area. To his surprise, he suddenly realized he had enormous wings and flew towards the sun. As soon as he landed, he turned into stone.

The last surviving brother, along with his sisters, continued until they arrived at the Cusco Valley, where he planted the golden staff given to him by the Sun God. This was where the city was established in honor of the gods Inti and Wiracocha. He founded Cusco alongside his wife and built a temple dedicated to the Sun God, which he named Inticancha.

Interpretation of the Ayar Brothers

The four brothers represented four tribes: Mara, Tempus, Muskas, and Chilkis, who occupied the southern part of the Aprimack valley and eventually became the location of the Inca Empire's capital, Cusco. Among these tribes, the most fierce, Masca, led by Ayar Manco, would defeat the other tribes and become the founder of the Inca dynasty: the Inca Empire.

This legend, along with other versions compiled by Spanish and Creole chroniclers, demonstrates that the Quechuas from the south were farmers, skilled in gold mining, and possessed impressive construction techniques.

Author and Writer of the Ayar Brothers Legend

There are two legends about the origin of the Incas: the legend of Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo, and the legend of the Ayar Brothers, which was written by Juan De Vetanzos.