Manco Capac, Inca Origin Myth Illustration

Inca Empire for Kids
Inca Origin Myth
Manco Capac

There is an old Inca myth that goes something like this:

The first Inca man was created by Inti, the sun god. The god named him Manco Capac. The sun god did not want the man to be lonely. So he created a sister (a wife) for Manco Capac. She did not have a name. She was only a woman, and really did not need one.

The sun god gave Manco Capac a staff made of gold, and told Manco Capac to use the staff to find a special place to build a city. According to the sun god, who knew everything, the staff would sink into the ground when the spot was found.

And so it did. Manco Capac and his sister (his wife) found the special place. As the god had advised, they named it Cuzco. And that's how the city of Cuzco and man began.

There were other tribes in the area, but Manco soon took over leadership of all the tribes. Manco became the first ruler of the Incas.  

Manco went on to have 400 children. When Manco died at a very old age, the Incas built the Temple of the Sun on the spot where he died.

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