In the Andes, God is the sun, the moon, and the mountains, but also the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Andean syncretism is the blend of ancestral Inca and pre-Inca culture and the Catholicism brought by the Spaniards during the conquest. Initially, Spanish religious festivities were celebrated out of obligation as a way of domination, but over time, people began to worship their own gods within this new context and also assimilate the new religion.
This duality is deeply complex and can be seen in many ways. A vivid example of this syncretism is the celebration of La Virgen de la Candelaria, one of the largest in Peru and South America. During this festival, participants honor the Virgin Mary, who for many people represents Pachamama (Mother Earth). The festivities combine traditional pre-Hispanic dances and rituals with Catholic customs, illustrating the ongoing dialogue between these two belief systems.
The process of this syncretism wasn’t easy and had, as its backdrop, the domination imposed by the Spaniards. The Andean people were subjugated and oppressed, yet their cultural essence endured and evolved within this imposed framework. Over time, they adapted Catholicism, integrating it into their own spiritual beliefs, ultimately making Peru one of the most Catholic countries in the world.
This deep human need to believe in something greater made the fusion of beliefs possible. Both the Incas and the Spaniards shared this impulse, though expressed through different spiritual systems. This coexistence of religions is the lasting result of this shared human experience.
