The scene is Chavin in the Early Horizon Period, and the top of the mound, called by the people “The Mountain”, had just been finished. The people were planning a celebration complete with hallucinogens, huge fires, music, and best of all, the new tunnel system that was part of the new plan. Since he was the oldest brother of his siblings, Alehuanko would be the first to try it out besides his parents before him. The horn was blown and people started to assemble at the foot of the great steps of Chavin.
My house was on the other side of the river from where the horn was being blown from atop our man-made Mountain as the sun was beginning to set. We all knew what this meant, and a shiver ran down my spine and legs when I realized this would be one of the best nights of my life. I quickly ate the potato in front of me, and my family did much of the same. It was hot and I burned my mouth, but that wouldn’t matter in an hour or so – I would be in another world then.
The crowded neighborhood was always bustling, but after the horn blew, our close quarters became absolutely alive. Through the walls we could hear the sudden escalation of conversation, children ran out into the narrow streets since they could not contain their excitement. My little sisters did much of the same, but my older sister and brother (but still younger than I) kept calm. However, I could feel the excitement radiating from them as well.
People were moving out into the street wearing brightly colored clothes (if they had them), and feathers in their headbands. I grabbed my bright teal and red poncho and yellow headband, and my year-younger sister had already braided her hair with tiny shells on strings tied to different places of her head. Our parents led us out the door, our grandma and grandpa following behind since they were a little slower.
We all processed across the new bridges we’d built since the diversion of the river a few years ago. They were better than the rope we had put in place, since those had never survived any of the El Nino floods that came through. They were made of nice, proper adobe brick. My family had built half of the one we were currently striding on, and we crossed it many times a day to worship and build at the Mountain. Now that the building is finished for now, we could solely have rituals there.
As we came closer to the Mountain, the sky drew dark, but the fire in the large pit on top was already built very high – so high we could see the flames licking up into the sky. We made our way up the Mountain to the edge of the circular plaza at the top, where our shamans were standing near the blazing fire in the middle, looking excited. This was their night to show us the fantastic information we can get from our new Mountain. Hopefully our gods can hear us tonight!
Once everyone had assembled, we could stand side by side around the entire plaza comfortably, one of the reasons why we made it so big. The Other Shamans handed out torches, and those who brought instruments sat on the edge of the plaza and got ready to play. The Head Shaman lifted his hands to silence us. Nothing had to be said – the celebration had begun.
Instantly, drums were beat, flutes were played, and people started wailing! Some jumped into the pit to dance close to the fire, while others laughed with each other, singing and chanting. I jumped into the pit and began dancing as crazily as I could, until the sweat began to pour from my skin. It seemed chaos, but the most joyous chaos anyone has ever seen!
After we had all started sweating and panting from the exertion, we returned to the edges of the plaza. The Head Shaman came to the center again, but this time he spoke.
“Friends, we have completed a great achievement just two days ago. Our
A silence came upon the sweat-drenched crowd, and my stomach was churning. Expectant faces gleamed in the fire-light. Although I had danced out most of my nerves, it was still daunting to be the first. But I must do it.
I stepped forward and the crowd looked at me. Four of my closest friends also stepped forward, but we would not be experiencing this together. The only way our gods could speak to us was to be alone.
We were each handed a shell full of crushed leaves. I knew this was the only way to see the gods, so I took my shell, knocked on my head to clear it of bad thoughts, and downed the concoction. I did not taste a thing I was too excited for the effects to take me over. Someone started beating drums again, and the dancing once again commenced. The fire was dying slowly, and as my friends downed their leaves, we processed to the base of the narrow staircase leading into the Mountain’s depths.
Snakes were painted on our bodies after we were stripped naked. Pendant eyes were drawn on our cheeks and sweaty broad backs to help us see. We were armed with nothing but our own hands against what we will experience, as if we would need to fight our deities. We walked in single file to the top of the stairs and waited for instruction. All the while music was being played, and dancing commenced behind us. The Other Shamans had disappeared, and the Head Shaman was the only one standing behind us.
Before any of us knew it, he yelled above the music, “Go, and find what we must do to bring rain.” In a second I was in the darkness.
I made my way through, feeling the walls to find turns. In seconds my friends had left in other directions I could hear the music from behind me, and that was when I started to see things. Great snakes began to slither on the floor, under my feet, and birds flying over my head in the direction I was walking. Pachamama spoke to me through the ground, telling me to follow the ground dwellers (snakes) to the heart of the Apus. I wouldn’t have even noticed if my friends were in front of me at that point.
Slowly, I made my way through the tunnels, passing rooms on the way, but they were not the ones I was told to go into. I went down some stairs, through some more tunnels, and back up. And then suddenly I could hear the coming of a great wind. The sound of water beginning to rush through this wonderful mountain’s depths overtook me. The fantastic sound of it! It shook the earth beneath me, as if Pachamama were trying to encourage me. The roaring, the breathtaking roaring rumbled my chest and it never ceased. The snakes beneath me left into the ground, the birds flew away up into darkness, and I saw water rushing into the passageway all around me, although I could tell I was still dry.
The water around me, though, was not just water. Blood, guts, and semen flew past me in a flurry of red and white, and I knew I was heading the right way. My hands shook as I reached forward, trying to feel what was in front of me beyond the gushing fluids. Suddenly I found myself falling into a small room, although at that time it seemed so large compared to the passages behind me. The roaring in my ears continued as I cowered beneath our deity, and his thousands of terrible faces bore down upon me.
I had not the courage to speak, but he spoke, “What do you do here in the depths of the world?”
I vomited up the potato I’d eaten earlier before answering. “I’m here to ask where the rains have gone and what we must sacrifice to be free of this drought.”
He stared at me for what seemed eons before he answered. Eyes rolling and searching in all directions, he said, “You must be faithful to me and return frequently. Create many pots representing tinku with visions of me on them (stirrup spout pots), and let your family members visit me as well. Build a larger plaza, with more space for the generations to come. They will also visit me, and rain will come.” He changed colors with each sentence he spoke, and it mesmerized me. I would never forget the words he said to me.
I stayed on the floor until I could move again, since his words had frozen me. I got up, felt my way out, and once again could hear the music. This time, it was ahead of me, and I saw the faintest hint of moonlight not too far off.
I exited the Mountain pale and full of knowledge, which I immediately told the Head Shaman. The Shaman looked at me affectionately and said “You have done great things tonight.” At that moment, my friends all emerged as well. They were also pale in the moonlight and said other commands of our Apus that he had not told me.
With this, we decided to go on with our new plan the next night, and danced until we couldn’t anymore.
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