The Myths of Mexico & Peru

by Lewis Spence

P

Paapiti. Island on Lake Titicaca; Huaina Ccapac and the lake-goddess and, [299]

Pacari Tampu (House of the Dawn). Place of origin of four brothers and sisters who initiated the systems of worship and civilised Peru, [305], [307]

Pacaw. A sorcerer mentioned in Popol Vuh myth, [227]

Paccariscas. Holy places of origin of the Peruvian tribes, [292], [293], [305]

Pachacamac.
I. The supreme divinity of the Incas, known also as Pacharurac, [257], [303]–304;
not a primitive conception, [257];
in the local creation-myth of Irma, [258]–259;
the Ccapac Raymi the national festival of, [267];
Yatiri the Aymara name for, [299];
symbol of, in the Coricancha, [304];
regarded as son of the sun, [306];
daughters of, in the Coniraya myth, [323].
II. Sacred city of the Incas, [310];
ruins of, [273];
in the Coniraya myth, [322]

Pachacamama (Earth-Mother). Name given by the Incas to their conception of the earth, [257]

Pachacta unanchac. Inca device for determining the solstices, [265]–266

Pachacutic (or Yupanqui Pachacutic) (He who changes the World). Ninth Inca; in the drama Apu-Ollanta, [251]–252;
defeats Hastu-huaraca, [282], [284]–285;
formerly known as Yupanqui, [285];
his extensive dominion, [286];
his achievements as ruler, [286]–287;
a man like the Mexican Nezahualcoyotl, [291];
and the legend of the stones that turned into warriors, [294];
and the thunder-god, [300];
and the conception of the creator, [304];
introduces sun-worship, [308];
the vision of, [317]–318

Pachamama (or Mamapacha) (Earth-Mother). The Peruvian earth-goddess, [303]

Pacharurac. A name of Pachacamac, which see

Pachayachachic. A form of Pachacamac, regarded as direct ruler of the universe, [299], [304];
Viracocha called, [307]

“Palace of Owls.” Ruin at Aké, [186]

Palace, The, at Palenque, [183]–185

Palenque. Maya city, [144], [149], [182]–186;
the Palace at, [183]–185;
Temple of Inscriptions at, [185];
Temple of the Sun, [185];
Temple of the Cross, [185];
Temple of the Cross No. II, [186];
“Tablet of the Cross” at, [161], [185]–186

Palpan. Hill near Tollan; excavations at, [34]

Papantzin. Sister of Montezuma II; the story of her return from the tomb, [139]–142

Papaztac (The Nerveless). A pulque-god, [104]

Pariacaca.
I. A name of the Peruvian thunder-god, [299]–300;
and the lake of Pariacaca, [300].
II. The lake of, [300]

Paricaca. A hero, father of Huathiacuri; in the Huathiacuri myth, [324]–326;
in a flood-myth, [326]–327;
and the Choque Suso myth, [327]

Paris (or Tellerio-Remensis) Codex, [37]

Patecatl. A pulque-god, [104]

“Path of the Dead, The,” at Teotihuacan, [33]

Payne, E. J. On the origin of the Maya culture, [1];
on the origin of the Nahua, [10];
on the Toltecs, [21];
on the Teoyaominqui fallacy, [88]–90

Peru. The civilisation of, [1], [248]–290;
the country, [248]–249;
the people, [253]–255;
the mythology, [255]–259, [291]–327;
government, [259]–260, [290];
laws and customs, [264]–265;
the calendar, [265]–266;
the festivals, [267];
architecture and architectural remains, [259], [268]–273;
irrigation works, [273];
no writing or numeral system, [278];
craftsmanship, [259], [279]–281;
history, [281]–290;
religion, [291]–313;
human sacrifice, [313]

Peten-Itza. Maya city, founded by a prince of Chichen-Itza, [156];
the incident of Cortés and his horse at, [195]–196;
a city “filled with idols,” [196]

Petlac. Place mentioned in myth of Huitzilopochtli’s origin, [72]

Piedras Negras. Ruined Maya city, [149]

“Pigeon House.” Ruin at Uxmal, [194]

Piguerao. Peruvian deity, brother of Apocatequil; in a creation-myth, [301]

Pillan. Thunder-god of aborigines of Chile, analogous to Tlaloc, [78]

Pillco-puncu. Door to be passed before reaching Rock of Titicaca, [311]

Pinturas. Mexican hieroglyphs, or picture-writing, [7], [34]–37

Pipil dialect, [145]

Piqui-Chaqui (Flea-footed). Servant of Ollanta, [251]

Pissac. Ruined Inca fortress at, [250]

Pitu Salla. Guardian of Yma Sumac, [253]

Pizarro, Francisco. Conqueror of Peru, [255]

Pizarro, Pedro. Cousin of Francisco Pizarro, [262]

“Place of Fruits.” Valley in which Tollan stood, [14]

Pleiades. Kiche myth of the origin of, [215]

Pocomams. District in Guatemala, [158]

Popocatepetl. The mountain; sacred to Tlaloc, [77]

Popolcan. Aboriginal Mexican race, [24]

“Popol Vuh” (The Collection of Written Leaves). A volume of Maya-Kiche mythology and history, [152], [157], [158];
description, [207]–209;
genuine character, [208];
probable date of composition, [235];
antiquity, [236], [238];
the gods and others mentioned in, [236]–237;
probably a metrical composition originally, [237]–238.
The first book:
The creation, [209];
the downfall of man, [209]–210;
story of Vukub-Cakix, [210]–213;
the undoing of Zipacna, [213]–216;
the overthrow of Cabrakan, [216]–219;
the creation-story probably the result of the fusion of several myths, [235].
The second book:
Hunhun-Apu and Vukub-Hunapu descend to the Underworld, [220]–221;
Hunhun-Apu and Xquiq, [222];
birth and exploits of Hun-Apu and Xbalanque, [223]–224;
the hero-brothers in Xibalba, and the discomfiture of the Lords of Hell, [225]–227;
the conception in this book common to other mythologies, [228];
the savage dread of death probably responsible for the conception of its vanquishment, [228];
other sources of the myth, [228].
The third book:
Man is created, [229];
woman is created, [230];
gods are vouchsafed to man, [230];
Tohil provides fire, [230]–231;
the race is confounded in speech and migrates, [231];
the sun appears, [231];
death of the first men, [232];
resemblance of the myth to those of other American peoples, [232];
similarity of the migration-story to others, [233]–234;
probable origin of the migration-myth, [234]–235.
The fourth book, [238]–239

Potosi. Peruvian city, [248]

Powel. History of Wales, cited, [5]

Poyauhtecatl, Mount. In Quetzalcoatl myth, [65]

Ppapp-Hol-Chac (The House of Heads and Lightnings). Ruin at Itzamal, [187]

Priesthood, Mexican, [114]–117;
power of, [114];
beneficent ministrations of, [115];
revenues of, [115];
education conducted by, [115]–116;
orders of, [116];
rigorous existence of, [116]–117

Pucara. Peruvian fortress-city; leader in the Huanca alliance, [282]

Pueblo Indians. Probably related to Nahua, [24]

Pulque. The universal Mexican beverage, [45]

Pulque-gods, [104]–105

Puma-puncu. Door to be passed before reaching Rock of Titicaca, [311]

Puma-Snake. Mixtec deer-god; in creation-myth, [120]

Pumatampu. Place in Peru; Inca Roca defeats the Conti-suyu at, [283]

Purunpacha. The period after the deluge when there was no king, in Peru, [324]

Pyramid of Sacrifice. Ruin at Uxmal, [194]