Margarita B. Marin-Dale (American University)
Inkarri: The Return of the Messianic Native Andean King The underground head is growing roots and looking for its body. This is a recurring leitmotif in a corpus of Native Andean myths prophesying the return of the messianic hero, Inkarri (“Inka King”). His legend foretells that when head and body are reunited, the reconstituted body will mark the beginning of a new age of the world. The myth founded on historical events and Native Andean beliefs about the “upside-down world” created by colonization predicts that the restored body of Inkarri will usher in a new Indigenous Age, ending European domination.
Part of 02-14 Religious Beliefs, Symbols, and Rituals, Thursday, November 02, 10:30 am–12:30 pm