The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-11-21

its vestals. They were called the "vir-
gins OF the SUM-" There were converts
OF these virgins in CruZco and other
chief cities of the empire. These YES
tails were chosen from the families of
the incas and the mobiles, but il was not
uncommon for 4 daughter Of the COM
mon people, if she possessed extra
Ordinary beauty 10 be admitted 70 these
cloisters. They had a lady president,
VINO selected them while quite young.
Iheir education and training was looked
after by superinteudents. They lived
encioistered in absolute retreats. with
out any communication with the
world. The only persons permitted
70 enter these sanctuaries were the
reigning Inca and his wife, the coya
and the chief priest. The virgins were
required to take n vow Of chastity, but
Is was from among these maidens the
incas recruited their harems. the VOW of
chastity only being that they would
take no consort except the sun. or him
70 whom the sun should give them
The Inca was the child of the sun, and
bis representative on earth. so be had
the liberty TO bestow these maidens
upon whom he pleased. He would as
sign the most beautiful to himself. and
then bestow some of the others upon
his curacas, or mobiles, and thus the vow
was kept intact, in other respects the
most absolute chastity was enforced. II
any nun violated her VOW or permitted
the sacred fire which burned day and
n'ght in the cloister TO be extinguished,
the penalty was death. IL will be re-
membered that the Roman vestal who
broke her vow was buried alive. This
was the mode of death assigned TO the
Peruvian nun. 1t was believed that by
the sacrilege OF the culprit the whole
country would suffer from the wrath of
the offended god. and his protection
would be Withdrawn. To save the
country from those terrible conse-
quences, the guilty nun must expiate
her guilt and at the same time be buried
from sight, as one who was no longer
worthy 10 see the light of the god she
had so grieVously offended. She had
betrayed her spouse. the sun, and was
to be given over to the powers of dark
ness. alive. Her sccomplice suffered
death by strangulation, and her whole
family were slain even 70 the remotest
branch.
The vi gins were employed in making
garments for members OF the family OF
the Inca, aud tapestries 20 adorn the
temples and palaces. kneading and bak-
ing the sacred loaves, preparing the
sacred drinks, and in Watching and
feedirg the sacred fires. In these re-
spects there is marked difference be-
tween the government of the virgins of
the sun and of those other brides of
heaven" the nuns of the Chistian
church. Theparallel between the Peru
Wan vestals and those of Rome would
furnish curious study for those who
are inclined to trace out the relations
between the inhabitants Of the old and
new worlds. As said before. the Peru
vfsns have a strange mixture of
Hebrew, Pagan and Christian customs.
On this point one distinguished writer
says:
The temples, with their successive
terraces, remind US of ancient Chaldea,
and the hierogiyphics Of ancient Egypt
The converts recall the Indian and
Chinese Buddhism. The constant
bloody sacrifices and the preponder-
auce OF the sun worship have q Semitic
tinge. There are myths and curious
resemblance OF words which wake
thoughts OF Hellenic civilization, and
sacerdotal castles and sacritcial rites
which bring Us round to the Celts Nay,
are there not even beliefs as 70 the ar
rival and return OF deity who will re-
store order and avenge outraged justice,
round which there breathes a kind of
Messianic arr So much so that must
add TO the list Of supposed ancestors Of
American civilization the ten lost tribes
of Israel, who must have fed from the
yoke Of their Nineyite oppressOrs right
across Asia into America"
The Peruyians had no definite idea of
Ev.ev - =
all savages, thought the future life was
but q continuation of this. 1t was this
belief that led them to bury with their
dead all manner Of useful objects. The
worship of ancestors also largely OBJ =
tanned among the common people a
sort OF modern spiritualism, as they
believed their ancestors could and
would protect and inspire them.
Sometimes the corpse was pre-
served. This was always the case
with the departed Incas. This was done
because it was supposed the soul which
had left it still had prediction for its
ancient abode, and would return 10 it
from time to time. They also attributed
magic virtues TO the remains thus pre-
served. Among the higher classes q
different belief prevailed. The Incas
were supposed TO be taken to their
father, the san, where they still lived
together, as his family. The mobiles
would either follow them there, or would
still live under the earth beneath the
sceptre OF Supay, the god of the
dead. 1t was not believed that any
punishment or suffering would be in
flicted in his dominions, but his place of
abode Was very dismal and gloomy.
The souls OF persons of very high birth
or rank, or OF extraordinary valor in
war, were permitted 70 go TO heaven,
where everything was OF more brill
liant order. The entrance into heaven
did not depend upon moral werth or
good deeds, but upon high birth. rank
or ralnr IN urar