The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-11-21
sun WORSHIPERS.
The Religious Rites Observed
by the Peruyians.
POWER OF THE CONFESSIONAL.
The Ideas and Practices in Peru Com
pared with Those ofthe Chris
tian World.

the ancient Peruvians, referred briefly
to the festival Citna Raymi. or the
feast of cleansing. Is 1t not possible
the idea of that feast, if not some Of its
ceremonies, was derived from the
ancient Hebrewsf In fact, there is
traceable very marked resemblance
II rather combines some OF the features
of two of the Jewish feasts those of the
day of atonementand the passover. at
the feast of the passover, the Jews
sprinkle blood on their doorposts. At
the Citua Raymi. the PeruVians rubbed
their doorposts with the cakes in which
was mingled blood. On the day OF
atonement, the high priest loaded down
the goat with thes sins OF the people, and
he was led away into the wilderness of
an uninhabited country, and there
turned loo e, The sins were the evils
which afflicted the people. The Peru
VANS chased away the evil spirits by an
armed warrior. who chased them at full
speed until the frontier was reached.
What their sins we're 70 the Jews. the
various maladies were to the heatben
Peruyisns.
In fact. among the Peruyians was
found strange mixture of the customs.
forms ard beliefs of the Pagans. Chris
tians and Jews Of the old world. The
reader of history will remember the
strong faith exhibited by many nations
II the power Of diyination By the use of
The entrails OF animals. This belief was
l1St ss strong among the followers OF
the Iucas. The oracles of Delphi were
at one time the arbiters of the fate of
nations in the old world So in the new
were the oracles Of the Valley of Rimac.
We fnd, too. that the Peruvians had q
Ceremony resembling the Christian
communion. In the Christian commu-
MON the bread is first partaken of and
then the ccnsecrated wine. Both are
administered at the same tine. With
the Peruvians the sacred beverage was
presented first. The Inca first drank
OF II and then passed IL on TO his fol-
lowers. The ceremonies we're very
much like those now practiced by
the Catholics and High Church
Episcopalians. The next day the holy
bread was broken and eaten with similar
ceremonies. The object OF this COM
into closer relations with his deity-the
object of the Christian sacrament.
Baptism was also practIced in Peru.
From fifteel TO twenty days after birth
the child was plunged into water and
then given his first name. The Christian
baptism carries with il the idea of re-
generation. but not so with these wor-
shippers of the sun. This baptism was
simply 70 exercise the evil spirits aud
protect the child from their influence.
But might not that have even been born
from a heather and untaught idea of
sin? The baptism was 10 shield the
child from evil, and to the heather
mind that always partakes Of the nature
of spirits.
They had another peculiar custom
which bears close resemblance to one
that prevailed among the early Chris
tians, II It dees not yet among the
Catholics. Between the ages of 10 aud
~ the child was consecrated TO the sun
"a sort of confirmation as it were. On
this occasion the nails and hair were
cut off and offered 70 the sun and the
guardian spirit. This was done to OBJ
tain the protection of divine power
The baptism was TO preserve the child
from the evil spirits; the confirmation
was to secure theprotection Of the good.
At this time the child was given its full
name. They also had q confessional
and an lnquisition. The priests nad a
queer way of determining 20 their own
satisfaction, whether the penifent had
confessed all his sins OF omission or
commission. When the confession was
ended the priest would take in his hand
q few grains of corn. and If. on count
ing them the number would turn out
even he would declare the confession
good and grant absolutioD, but
If the number was odd he would say
the penitent had concealed something.
and force him to confess again. In
this day such q course would DC locke ,
upon as q sort of game Of chance, but
no doubt TO the Peruvians it had all the
force and sscreduess Of the confession
and absOlution OF the present time.
The confessional was used by the
government to extort secrets OF con
spiracies against the peace and safety
OF the State. A person suspected OF
plotting against the State would be
called to the confessional, and by its
power his secret would be forced from
/ him. The inq1isitIon had power TO
punish these who refused to confess,
| but there Is no record that anything
| ike torture was employed.
The priesthood reformed very inn
portant part of the political power OF
Peru. as well as of the religions. The
family OF the Inca retained for itself all
the highest positions in the priesthood,
as il did in the army and civil admins
I tration. The priests of the higher rank
wore special garments and insignia,
while those of the lower order were for
hidden TO wear any but the ordinary
costumes. The reigniBg Inca was the
! head OF the priesthood. Next 10 him
was the Vllac Onman, the chief sacri-
fcer. he was appointed b. the reign
ing Inca, and in turn appointed all his
assistants. He was the living oracle.
He il was who interpreted TO the people
the will Of the sun. After him came
the other priests, who were all
or nearly all. OF the family OF
The Inca. When We remember
that through the inquisition and
the confessional the priesthood had
wonderful. police powers, the policy OF
keeping these agents OF the church il
his own family. exhibited great deal
Of cunning statecrait. At Huz8 the
oriests all had to be Incas. They were
divided into two squadrons, which
officiated in succession. according TO the
quarters of the moon. The whole order
of the priesthood was cunningly de-
,y;sad nv the IucaS 10 perpetuate their