the Inca

 

 

play by Ruth Salles

This small piece was written from the myth that tells the story of the beginning of the Inca people.¹ After the opening song, the stages of creation are symbolized by stanzas in which the number of syllables in each verse increases. The 1st stanza has two syllables in each line, the 2nd has three, the 3rd has four, and the sun and moon stanzas have five. Then the verses open up, with seven, eight and nine syllables. In the end, the verses of Mother Earth's children are four syllables again. The music is based on a melody of Incan origin.

CHARACTERS:
Viracocha, the sun god
Quilla, the moon goddess
Tambotoco Mountain Components (at least 4)
Flame Cloud Components (2 or 3)
Moon Cloud Components (2 or 3)
Manco Capac, the Inca, and his 2 brothers
Mama Occla, his wife, and their 2 sisters
nobles
priests
tribes of people
Children of Mother Earth

 

ALL (sing the hymn to Viracocha, at the beginning or end of the piece):
“Viracocha, king of the origin of everything,
whether of a man or a woman.
He is the great Creator!
Above, below, through,
send your light!
Hear the voice of the Inca, my Lord!”

MOUNTAIN COMPONENTS (in the center; the sun god rising from behind):
- At first
of the times
stood up
the big
sun god
Creator:
Viracocha!

FLAME CLOUD COMPONENTS
(flames evolve from the side, ahead, as the mountain kneels):
- Before him,
adoring him,
knelt down
our grandfather,
the mountain
tamboco,
what is the top
of this world!

MOON CLOUD COMPONENTS
(evolve slightly on the other side, as the flames rush and surround the mountain):
– In worship
from Tambotoco,
cloud of flames
came to envelop him:
Oh…………!
from it came out
Sun Children!

VIRACOCHA (the sun god, while the children are emerging from the flames):
– There are three of my children!
They were united to them (the moon appears with its cloud and its daughters):
three young maidens:
the daughters of the moon.

MOON (as her cloud evolves and the daughters hold hands with the sons of the sun):
– I am Quilla, the Moon,
the goddess who, at night,
descended in a cloud.

VIRACOCHA:
- There are three of my children,
and who leads them
is Manco Capac, (he appears, bends over and receives the disc and the golden baton)
who brings his coya, (it appears and bows)
that is Mama Occla.

ALL (except the mountain, which opens on 3 sides, one in the center and two on the sides):
– In this, the grandfather-mountain opened.
The three flanks open up…

NOBLES (coming out of the center flank):
– From the first came the nobles,
the children of gold.

PRIESTS (coming out of one of the side flanks):
— From the second, the children of silver,
who are priests.

PEOPLE (coming out of the other side flank):
— From the third the children of copper,
the tribes of peoples.

(Manco Capac walks around with the Incas and goes towards the children of Mother Earth, who narrate, while the scene takes place in the rhythm of the verses of a sower):

CHILDREN OF MOTHER EARTH:
– Manco Capac
guide your people
with your stick
all gold
that Viracocha
had given him.
he released it
with great strength
and saw him fall
in the fertile valley
where did you live
our people:
the children of Pacha Mama, Mother Earth!
the sacred Inca
we received.
We help
your people
to build
the great empire
is the capital,
call Cusco!

ALL (while Manco Capac turns his sacred golden disc back to the sun):
– Here we live
in harmony.
honoring the sun,
in hot weather,
at the exact time
in which he hits
finally the zenith.
The fine stake,
on the ground planted,
does not form a shadow
at the holy hour.
the great sun
it makes germinate
all plants
and make it grow
the animals
and bring life
All of us!

(Everyone kneels to the Sun. If they want, they can then sing the song from the beginning again.)

*1: SCHUBERT, Marie. Minute Myths and Legends. New York: Grosset & Dunlap Inc. Publishers, 1934.

 

 

 

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