What does a society that primarily worships female deities look like? How does this relate to social organisation, the position of women, and sexuality? What sacrifices are offered to them? And finally, what do they teach us? In this story, we will use terms from the extinct mochica language for the first time. It was the foundation of cultures that created states, buildings, and stunning works of art. All in honor of Mæcha Ñañ, or the flow of sacred fluids – ñañ signifies the flow of fluids, while the word mæcha means sacred or sanctity.
Environment and Experience
For the coastal Andean cultures, fluids were the driving force of everything. They provided fertility to the land, carried energy, and enabled the multiplication of life. The high value placed on fluids is not surprising considering the conditions in which these coastal cultures developed. Their environment is one of the harshest deserts in the world. Every drop of fluid is precious. By building an extensive system of irrigation canals, they witnessed the miracle of water transforming the desert into lush gardens.
The Andean civilisation is the only ancient civilisation that emerged from the ocean. The Humboldt Current flowing along the South American Pacific coast brings abundance of life. Fishing allowed for surpluses that led to the development of complex social relationships and advanced culture and art. The connection to the sea directed these people towards both water and the Moon, which governs the tides, and dictates the rhythm of life in these communities.
In addition to the benevolent aspects of fluids, there are also their dark sides. Earthquakes can generate massive waves, tsunamis, which occasionally devastate the Pacific coast. The ocean also influences drought and rainy periods. Phenomena like El Niño and La Niña create long periods of drought and floods that can last for several years. These were the reasons for the decline of several coastal Andean cultures.
Deification
This life experience and natural environment have left their mark on the spirituality of the coastal cultures, which placed sacred fluids – water, blood, and semen – at the centre. According to Andean sacred principles, these fluids represent both energy and fertility, enabling the circulation of life. At the top of their pantheon were the goddess of the Moon (Ši) and the goddess of the Ocean (Ni), symbolising energy and fertility, as well as the god Pachakamaq, the god of fish and one of the most revered deities of this region, and the ancient Spider-like deity. Temples – waka (Spanish: huaca) – of impressive proportions were built for them.
These pyramids of irregular shapes with platforms protruded in the middle of desert landscapes. They were richly adorned and painted. The murals of Moche temples, such as the Temple of the Moon (Spanish: Huaca de la Luna), are particularly significant. Although smaller than the Temple of the Sun (Spanish: Huaca del Sol), the Temple of the Moon has much better-preserved depictions of sacrifices, deities, and dignitaries. Centred around the Spider-like deity, these ceremonies offered the most valuable and sacred sacrifices that these people could offer – jewellery, fish, and humans.
Blood – Food of the Gods
Blood was the most sacred offering. On the aforementioned murals of the Temple of the Moon, we see horrifying scenes of escorting and mistreatment of war captives by guards towards the sanctuary. They wound them along the way, and at the top of the pyramid, in the presence of the ruler and priests, they ritually sacrifice them. Then, the high priest offers a cup filled with blood to the ruler, who drinks it in the name of the gods, as their representative on Earth. In this way, the deity gets the food and energy it needs.
Archaeological research has revealed that among the human remains found in these sanctuaries, there are far more females than males. The sacrifice of women, as well as gifts of marine origin – fish, sharks, shells – confirm that the rituals were dedicated to female deities of the sea and the moon. In this sense, female blood was considered a more valuable sacrifice. This also reflected on the relatively favourable position of women in coastal cultures. The discovery of the tomb of the Lady of Cao (Spanish: Dama de Cao), which was richly equipped in the manner of rulers and high priests, testifies that the position of women in coastal cultures was far better than in mountain cultures, which were oriented towards the sun and male deities.
In addition to women and the marine world, these cultures also had much more terrifying sacrifices – children. In the Moche and Chimu cultures, as well as some others, there are examples of child sacrifice. Particularly striking and deeply distressing is the site near the Peruvian city of Trujillo, where over 220 remains of children and young people were excavated. According to archaeological findings, they were sacrificed in honour of the water goddess in order to stop the devastating rains, most likely caused by El Niño. This drastic action surely speaks of the depth of despair and hopelessness that this society experienced. In every community, the sacrifice of children is a drastic, last resort.
Despite the emotional impact, the magnitude of this practice and the presumed societal consensus on its necessity also tell us about their views on death. Like some other cultures around the world, they believed in the continuation of life after death. Moreover, they believed in the active role of the deceased within the other pachas and their living interaction with people in this world.
Semen – Life and Death
Christian authorities in Peru were shocked and appalled by the explicit erotic ceramics created by the Andean coastal cultures. They considered them so godless and offensive that they destroyed countless specimens of this exceptional art in a wild rage. What they could not understand is that these erotic scenes represented one of the highest expressions of spirituality in the culture they conquered.
Fortunately, over five hundred examples of erotic ceramics have been preserved (we can only imagine how many thousands existed!). They were mostly found on the estates owned by Rafael Larco Herrera. Today, they are exhibited in the magnificent Larco Museum in Lima, in a separate gallery called Checan, after the mochica word for love.
What surprises European visitors is that the majority of the depicted relationships are non-reproductive in nature. The vast majority depict anal sex, followed in frequency by oral sex, masturbation, and occasional instances of vaginal sex. Not a single depiction of cunnilingus has been found so far. The participants in these relationships are also interesting. In addition to heterosexual couples, there are couples in which the gender of one participant is not entirely clear, while it is presumed that some couples are homosexual. Perhaps the most intriguing are the dead men who, in the form of skeletons, masturbate on their own or with the help of a living woman.
It can be concluded that this ritualistic ceramic did not aim to encourage procreation but to produce semen as a sacred fluid. Ejaculation and the flow of semen symbolically represented blessings and the guarantee of abundance in this world. In the same way, the masturbation of the dead should be understood. As inhabitants of the underground realm, they cared for their offspring in this world and fertilised the soil to continue enabling life.
Water – Wealth
Fertility and wealth in coastal cultures primarily came from water – the ocean and rivers. People first fished before planting gardens, primarily cultivating cotton to weave fishing nets. The sea has been deeply ingrained in the dawn of this civilisation. Many coastal cultures built boats and rafts and traveled far – to Ecuador, Colombia, and even Mexico. There are theories that they sailed to Polynesian islands, including Rapa Nui. Creation myths involving the sea and maritime travel were numerous. The most famous is the founding myth of the Chimor Empire, in which Tacaynamo arrived on a raft over the ocean to the Peruvian coast and established this empire and it’s cities with his sons.
Although the question of Polynesian voyages remains controversial, journeys along the American Pacific coast are certain and archaeologically proven. They were highly profitable for all cultures along that route. The main currency used for trade was the Spondylus shell, which thrived abundantly in the Peruvian coastal region. Besides serving as currency, the shells were used for the jewellery of the most powerful individuals, as well as for the most sacred ritual objects. In ancient Peru, shells held almost the same status as the quetzal bird feathers in Central America.
Freshwater was undoubtedly significant. River valleys, where these cultures developed, teemed with life thanks to skilfully constructed and intricate irrigation systems. They mastered the water management and passed on that knowledge from generation to generation, from culture to culture. Its importance is immortalised in the city of Chan Chan, where one of the most magnificent sanctuaries is an enormous walled lake in which the greatest deity of this region – the Moon – is reflected on warm tropical nights.
Understanding
Mæcha Ñañ was the flow of sacred fluids, but also the flow of life, at least as believed by the coastal Andean cultures. They were completely dependent on these fluids and always turned to them for help and blessings. From them, some unusual concepts about life, sex, and death emerged.
The reliance of these cultures on female deities contributed to a more favourable and respectful position for women. They could rise to the highest social ranks, which was revolutionary on a global scale for that time.
The absence of rigid patriarchal deities and beliefs relieved many pressures that other civilisations suffered from. Sex was liberated, pleasing to the gods, desirable, and invited enjoyment and experimentation. Furthermore, fertility was not seen merely as the reproduction of humanity but as a supporting environment in which everyone could thrive. This also opened up a liberal attitude towards homosexuality and relationships that did not primarily aim for offspring.
Beliefs about sacred fluids have long vanished from the practices of Andean peoples due to the harsh assimilation and acculturation of coastal areas. Today, they exist in stories, ceramic remains, and the devotion to the ocean on which modern Peruvians still rely.
