Justo Hermoza 22 Oct 2022
The festivity of Corpus Christi in Cusco began to be celebrated after the years of the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century, on a moveable date between the first weeks of June. The invading Spaniards of that time imposed their religion by invading the Qosqo Incaico; seeing that the Incas sacredly took out the mummies of their sovereign ancestors in procession as a prelude to the festival of Tayta Inti (Inti Raymi); they forced to change it, the mummies for the Saints and Virgins. Now, far from being an Inca festival, it is a Catholic celebration that has become an Andean tradition.
In the old P'isaq llaqta, the month of August had different and tremendous celebrations, for this reason they called it the JATUN AUGUST FIESTA, specifically from the 15th the festival of the Assumed Virgins of Pisac, Sacaca and Chahuaytire began; and the following week when the rural peasant population of Pisac massively held a great district party with a procession of the Virgins, Saints and Patron Saints of the 12 communities; Each Saint had his own whistle and drum music, they were celebrated with a huge revelry that began with the assembly of three gigantic altars adorned with flowery glass and/or mirrors in the Plaza Constitución, which was full of participants from the peasant communities along with their indigenous and mestizo receivers from the district capital of Pisac for a week; all that time the Saints and Virgins on their litters remain inside the Temple.
They say that the altars were rented from Cusco and on those dates when there were no vehicles, everything was transported on foot; It was incredible to see rows of porters walking the Cusco – Pisac route, and from the Wayrancalle sector of the Apu Ñust'ayoq, the caravan came down noisily with starts, rockets and our Apus reverberated with their echo before the eyes of all the people who waited. anxiously the pieces of the altars of mirrors for the party. The altars were competitively assembled and also around the square "toldos" or tents were installed where they sold breakfast, broths and other foods during the day, for their preparation there was only the "q'oncha" or q'awa-based stove. or firewood, they used ceramic pots (manqa) and plates (p'ukus) or k'arpa and the inevitable chicha or ajka in rakis or puyñus with qeros and glass caporales, as well as the cane shots that they brought from the valleys of q' osñipata or from the hacienda waskiña in the convention, this liquor was transported by the muleteers in goatskin skins (there were no current drinks).
At night he whistled the traditional "te piteado"; while in the streets of Pisac and Plaza Constitución the dancers of San Roque surprised you with blows to the head of their “poros” (dried zucchini); characters covered with white blankets or sheets who, to the beat of the classic "banday war", music of whistles, drums, bass drums and a bugle, danced in qhaswa and lined up, hitting all the people who at the end laughed and even thanked because traditionally it was understood that in this way they cured some ills of the body. There was also a burlesque character with bizarre women's clothing, called LAYQA PAYA (old witch) who proclaimed the bad actions of the authorities or any character in the town, thus embarrassing them and it was a good way of sarcastically correcting from the opposite perspective the citizen misconduct; the layqa paya from time to time shouted or shrieked melancholy knowing that at the end of the party, the last night they would simulate burning her in a straw ch'uklla and thus evoke that the evils be consumed by the fire together with the witch.
It was a party of and for the community members, that is why in recent years it has been known as CORPUS ANDINO, since we find a resemblance to the corpus of Cusco.
Proud to share with the whole world, our customs, festivities, news and events of our district, our sacred valley and the entire city of Cusco. The Willcamayu Hotel awaits you with open arms to offer you the best service during your stay in our city.
By Justo Hermoza
