Kuychi (also as: K'uychi, Cuychi, Kuyuchi or Cuyuchi) is the god of the rainbow in Inca mythology. The figure of this god had multiple interpretations; however, his presence was mostly considered a bad omen, as he was associated with death and disease. ^[1]

Its name comes from the Quechua language and literally means rainbow. ^[2] Likewise, the celestial arch is the personification of this god and, based on it, there are numerous myths and beliefs in the Andean area.

Like other Andean gods, Kuychi is described as an ambivalent entity. The multicolored entity was considered a symbol of prosperity, as well as being linked to the appearance of diseases and bad omens.

  The figure of the rainbow was associated with the idol Huanacauri, whose name was used to designate the petrified body of Ayar Uchu. The petrified body of the mythical son of the Sun (Viracocha or Inti) was considered a huaca and, according to some chronicles, to commemorate its conversion to a sacred stone, the Warachikuy ceremony was institutionalized. ^[3]

However, some chroniclers such as Martín de Murúa maintain that this commemoration was dedicated to Ayar Cachi and not to Ayar Uchu.

Likewise, the rainbow is mentioned by the chronicler and is taken as a sign that the world would not be devastated by water. This possibly alludes to the phenomenon known as Unu Pachacútec. ^[4]

In Historia general del Perú, Murúa states the following: ^[5]

«And they saw an Arch of Heaven, which was a time of water, and the one foot was fixed on the hill (Huanacauri), and as they saw it one morning at dawn, from afar, they said one to another: you see that Arch, and all answered yes, and Manco Capac, the eldest, said: That is a good sign that the world will not end by water; let us go there and from there we will see where we will found our people, and they cast lots to see what they would do, and in them they knew how good it was to reach that hill to see what was there and what land looked like there, and walking towards the hill, from afar they saw a huaca, a lump of a person, which was seated, and the arch reached the foot of the huaca. It was this huaca of a small village called Sano, which was a small league away, from there called huaca Chimpo and Cahua, and they entered into consultation and discussed that it would be good to take it and that if they did not take it, they had no remedy, and going to it, Ayarcache, as soon as he arrived at the huaca settled on it and said to him: what are you doing, brother? Let us be together, and the huaca turned his head to know who it was, and as they had him oppressed, he could not see him well, and wanting to deviate, he could not, because the soles of his feet were stuck to the backs of the huaca. The brothers, understanding that he was already imprisoned, went running to help him, and when they saw that he was thus seen, he said to them, when they arrived, "You have done a bad deed to me, that I can no longer go with you; I am now separated from your company and I know that you will be great lords. What I beg of you is that in all your feasts and sacrifices you remember me, and when you make Guarachico to your children as to their father, who remains here for all, may I be adored by them; And so Ayarcache became a stone and they named him Guanacauri, and the brothers, very sad, turned down the hill and came to a place that is at the foot of the Huanacauri hill, called Matahua, and there they pierced the ears of Sinchiroca, who is Huarachico, and they wept for their brother's departure and said: Oh, if our brothers saw this infant, how they would be pleased with him, and they began to weep, and there they invented the weeping of the dead and the ceremonies with which they weep, and taking for it the Phrasis and of the doves, and there they invented the ceremonies of the raimis quico chico and rutu chico and the feast of the ayuscai, which all is declared in its place.»

— Historia general del Perú, capítulo II

The chronicler Santacruz Pachacuti states that the appearance of a double rainbow was interpreted as a sign of a good future. ^[4]

«And being thus beniendo, they say that he arrived at the said çerro highest of all that place, and where, next to the said Apo Manco Capac, a very beautiful arch of the sky of all colors was erected, and on the arch seemed another arch, so that the said Apomanco Capac was in the middle of the arch, and he had said: "good sign, good sign we have.»

— Relación de antigüedades deste reyno del Piru

It is possible that for these reasons, the rainbow was considered a protective entity of the Inca. This can be seen reflected in the banner that represents the Sapa Inca himself. ^[6] It is worth mentioning that this banner only represents the highest ruler, but not Tahuantinsuyo as a whole.

The figure of the rainbow was also associated with the advent of death and disease. Several chroniclers attributed these characteristics to the rainbow. Among them is Fray Martin de Murua. In his work General History of Peru, he gives the following information about Kuychi: ^[5]

«The arch of heaven, which they called Cuychi, was always a horrendous and frightening thing to them, and they feared for what seemed to them most of the time to die or to come to them some evil. They revered him and did not dare raise their eyes to him. If they looked at it they did not dare to point a finger at it, thinking that they would die or that it would get into their bellies, and they would take earth and smear it on their faces and on the part and place where it seemed to them that the foot of the arch fell; they considered it a fearful thing, and that there was some huaca or something else there worthy of reverence. Others said that the arch came out of some spring or fountain and that if it passed through some Indian, he would die or disasters and illnesses would befall him.»

— Historia general del Perú, capítulo XXXIV

Today, the beliefs that establish the rainbow as the bearer of misfortunes persist in the memory of the Andean people. ^[1]

Throughout time, the rainbow was represented by various Andean cultures. Generally, the meteorological phenomenon was strongly linked to supernatural serpents and felines. ^[7]

In the case of the Incas, the rainbow was known as Kuychi and its importance was such that it was considered a deity and was taken as a coat of arms representing the Sapa Inca. This coat of arms was the Inca Imperial Standard.

The figure of Kuychi was mostly associated with the mythical Amaru serpent. ^[1]

Even today, the beliefs that revolve around the rainbow survive in the memory of the Andean peoples.

Below are some myths associated with the arc of heaven.

In the current region of Cusco, there is a belief that Kuychi (rainbow) can reduce its size and, in order to go unnoticed, it adopts the form of a human being. When it finds a man, Kuychi will try to enter through the person's mouth; in the case of finding a woman, Kuychi will try to enter through the vagina. ^[8]

Among their stories is the story known as Amaru Aranway.

In this story, mention is made of powerful and destructive creatures in a primordial world. The ancestors of the Huancas begged the great Viracocha for a solution. The god agrees and orders the Tulumanya (first rainbow) to beget a fabulous being to help the settlers.

Tulumanya stretches its multicolored legs in a lagoon and, accompanied by a great roar, a colossal snake known as Amaru is born from its chest.

The latter took charge of putting an end to the ferocious creatures; however, the hunger of the colossal serpent was such that it began to devour the Huancas.

They again requested Viracocha's help. In the same way, another Amaru was begotten to fight the first one.

However, between the two and their massive battles, they generated more destruction than a definitive solution.

Fed up with the situation, the god Viracocha sends Illapa (the lightning) to exterminate the two Amarus.

When the god annihilates the giant serpents. The bodies of both serpents swell and petrify, resulting in the mountain ranges that shelter the Mantaro Valley. ^[9]

In the mythology of the Quechua people of Tayacaja, it is believed that the rainbow represented the hair of the gentiles. These hairs are lethal because they can cause damage to people's health.

The gentiles are the Spanish name for the Wari Wiraqucha Runas, described by Guamán Poma de Ayala. ^[10]

The gentiles were the first humans to inhabit the world. They were described as powerful giants who had some mastery of time. They were also destructive and were therefore punished by the gods. ^[9]

The goddess in charge of the extermination of these giants was Pachamama, who made two suns appear in the sky. ^[11]

According to testimonies from Cajatambo, in the center of the village of Mangas, there was a fountain called Rimay Pukyu (the fountain that speaks).

Inside the fountain dwelt a female deity known as Anco Anaco. This was the sister of the hill-mallquis that protected the town. Anco Anaco sometimes appeared at the fountain in the form of a huge woman. The waters of the fountain were collected by unmarried women in a pitcher also called Anco Anaco.

Offerings were dedicated to her for fortune in new houses, for abundance of water in the spring, a good harvest, and for divination. During the ceremony, a figure of a woman used to appear in the water of the pitcher; however, sometimes a rainbow would appear above the pitcher. This meteorological phenomenon was interpreted as an omen of the coming death of a participant and, perhaps also, as a promise of prosperity. ^[12]

According to some inhabitants of the town of Huanta, the rainbow was associated with a woman named Chirapa. She was described as a beautiful woman dressed in all kinds of weaving threads.

It is said that, before the arrival of the Inca Pachacutec in these lands, the town of Huanta was a wild place full of forests. At that time, there was an immense lagoon. On the shores of this lagoon lived some large and long giants. They were called Huillca and they were not afraid of anyone, although few were powerful. They fed on clay and salt water. Their father and chief was called Turuncana.

The day Chirapa met Turuncana, the latter gathered all the Huillca and informed them of his encounter with the woman.

He mentioned that the woman was fleeing from a formidable mythical being known as Mancharu..

The Mancharu is described as a black monkey, with a horrible head, it looks like a cloud, it looks like a river. He walks like thunder itself: Bunrururun! His eyes flash like fire itself until they burn. He is very angry. In his mouth he has a poisonous foam. With his tongue he soaks everything, eats everything and dissolves everything. Do not let yourself be surprised by him while sleeping. Whoever falls asleep, the Mancharu skinned him.

Turuncana also told them that the woman, transformed into a ball, hid in her hands.

The chief of the Huillcas concluded by saying that he would try to lead the ferocious Mancharu astray; and if not, the chief and the giants would wait for him to try to drown him in the lagoon. Likewise, Turuncana warned the others that, in case Mancharu found him alone and he defeated him, they too could be exterminated.

As he spoke, the Great Viracocha had already arranged what was to happen; and then, Turuncana's fear came true.

Turuncana, at any rate, during the month that passed day and night, kept awake waiting for Mancharu; and, when neither he nor anyone else arrived, his eyes blinked for a single instant. In that blink, Mancharu appeared to him and, seizing him by the neck, tore him to pieces and threw his body far away. The moment he grabbed him by the body, the water of the whole lagoon emptied; and, right there, the Huillcas, in the places where they were, sat down to move no more; and that is why, to this day, they are found where we see them: Uyu Huillca, Allqu Huillca, Pichca Huillca, Mayhua Huillca; so are called the hills that are in those places.

And the ball of Chirapa, falling from Turuncana's hands, bounced here and there fleeing, like something that was making a bridge. From then until now, it moves unceasingly from spring to spring, from lagoon to lagoon, from hill to hill, building a bridge. Since that time also, Mancharu, already turned into the Mantaro River, on the side of the Huatuscalla hill, is climbing into the jungle in pursuit of Chirapa. ^[13]

According to information obtained from some chroniclers, there was a section in the temple of Coricancha dedicated to the deity Kuychi.

One of these chroniclers is Guamán Poma de Ayala. In his work Nueva corónica y buen gobierno, the chronicler mentions the following characteristics: ^{[14] [15]}

«In the tenple of Curi Cancha, that all the walls high and low estaua uarnecida of gold finícimo and in the high of the ceiling estaua hung many crystals and to the two sides two lions (pumas) pointing the Sun alunbraua of the uentanas the clarity of the two parts yndios blew two and they [...] Entrauan the uiento of the blow and a bow that they call them Cuychi came out. And there in the middle the Ynga would kneel on his knees with his face to the sun and to the image of the sun and would say his prayer and answer the demons what he asked for.»

— Nueva corónica y buen gobierno, capítulo 12, página 264 y 265

Similarly, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega describes the temple of Kuychi as follows: ^[16]

«Another room (which was the fourth) was dedicated to the arch of heaven, because they found that it came from the Sun, and therefore the Inca Kings took it as their motto and coat of arms, because they boasted that they descended from the Sun. This chamber was all adorned with gold. On a canvas of it, on the gold plates, they had painted very naturally the arch of the sky, so large, that it took from one wall to another with all its colors alive. They call the arch Cuychu, and, having him in this veneration, when they saw him in the air they closed their mouths and put their hands forward, because they said that if they uncovered his teeth he would wear them out and impoverish them.»

— Comentarios Reales de los Incas, capítulo XXI, página 196

• Amaru
• Flag of Tupac Amaru
• Cuchavira
• Inca Empire Standard Banner
• Iris
• Founding Myth of the Inca Empire
• Inca Mythology
• Religion in the Inca Empire
• Rainbow Serpent
• Urkawari