Supay

The Inca gods were worshipped along the Andes, from present-day Peru to Chile, from the sacred capital of Cusco. The emperor (Sapa Inca) was held to be the son of the sun Inti, and the people honored the earth-mother Pachamama with offerings. The cult was suppressed after the Spanish conquest, but persists in living Andean traditions.

The Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, gathered the empire in Cusco at the winter solstice — and is re-enacted to this day. The Coricancha temple had walls covered in gold, and offerings to Pachamama remain alive in the Andes, with coca leaves and ritual bundles.

Supay is the Inca god of death and lord of the Uku Pacha, the underground world. Ruler of the souls of the dead and the demons of the depths, he is a feared figure, yet one with whom a pact of respect is sought. Unlike the Christian devil, he was seen ambiguously: powerful and dangerous, but also the giver of the riches hidden beneath the earth. As The Lord of the World Below, this deity occupies a position of supreme prestige in the Inca pantheon. Their domains over Death, Underworld & Mines reflect ancestral cosmic order maintained across millennia. In classical iconography, they are depicted with an aura of unshakeable majesty and sacred attributes that inspired reverence in emperors and peasants alike. Their influence extended beyond earthly boundaries, governing fates and harmony between the visible and invisible worlds. For ancient devotees, contemplating their essence was to understand the very fundamental forces of nature and human existence.

The caves, the metals, the subterranean fire and the horned masks

Lord of the Uku Pacha, the world below; opposite of the celestial deities.

The Andeans divided the cosmos into three planes: the world above (Hanan Pacha), the middle world of the living (Kay Pacha) and the world below (Uku Pacha), realm of Supay. The miners, who labored in the bowels of the earth, made offerings to him — later renamed 'Tío' in the mines — so he would give them the metals and spare their lives. After the conquest, the missionaries equated Supay with the devil, but in Andean folklore he kept his ambiguous character of a feared and propitiated lord. During the great age of Inca myths, Supay performed extraordinary deeds defending cosmic balance against forces of destruction. It is told that when an ancestral threat emerged from the ends of the world, Supay wielded power over Death, Underworld & Mines, summoning divine elements and turning the tide of battle. Ancient bards and poets sang the glory of this combat, highlighting the wisdom and bravery demonstrated before the assembled gods themselves. The triumph consolidated their eternal authority and sealed an inviolable pact of protection over mortal realms, remembered across all subsequent generations.

A celebrated secondary legend preserved in the oral traditions of the Inca recounts the journey when Supay intervened directly in the lives of mortals. During a period of great trial, when droughts and chaos threatened the survival of ancient cities, Supay descended from the heavens disguised among men to test humanity's virtue and generosity. Only a humble family welcomed the mysterious traveler, offering their last meal with devotion and respect. Revealing their true resplendent form as The Lord of the World Below, Supay blessed the region with perpetual abundance and raised a sacred spring that never dried again. This epic saga became a symbol of divine justice and the reward reserved for those who maintain faith and nobility of spirit even in times of greatest darkness.

Historically, the cult of Supay occupied a central place in the religious and architectural calendar of antiquity. Imposing stone temples and open-air sanctuaries were erected in their honor in the major capitals of the Inca, adorned with detailed reliefs and monumental columns. Annually, great public festivals gathered thousands of pilgrims who held solemn processions, lit sacred torches, and chanted communal hymns celebrating harvests and military victories. Priests and priestesses of ancient orders dedicated their lives to preserving the sacred flame and guarding the temple's manuscripts and relics. Contemporary archaeological excavations continue to reveal votive altars, commemorative coins, and architectural innovations testifying to the deep historical veneration of this deity.

The mineral riches hidden in the bowels of the earth, over which he reigns in the Uku Pacha.

The figure of Supay survives in the 'Diablada', a ritual dance of Bolivia and Peru in which dancers with horned masks enact the struggle between good and evil at the patron-saint festivals. In modern astronomy and science, Supay's name and symbols inspired the naming of celestial bodies and geological formations on other planets. Furthermore, their artistic depiction influenced Renaissance painters and Neoclassical sculptors, remaining an iconic figure in contemporary cinema, literature, and video games.