The INCA CROSS (known in the traditional Peruvian Quechua language as “Chakana”) is symbolic of the “Southern Cross” constellation …prominent in the southern sky. “Chakana” resembles a series of steps and represents the three levels of existence in the world of the INCA.
The first step, symbolized by the SNAKE, represents the underworld and death. The second level represents the present, human life, and is represented by the COUGAR (Puma). The highest step represents the celestial/spiritual plane of the gods and is symbolized by the CONDOR. The central circle is Q’OSQO (Cusco), the political and religious center of the great INCA empire.
The INCA people, who worshiped INTI, the sun god, as their supreme god, and thus called themselves “the children of the sun”, dominated the western regions of South America when the Spanish conquistadores arrived in the 15th century.
