The Pururaucas – The Stone Warriors of The Inca
James Bustamante is Native to New York but born to Peruvian parents. He has been traveling throughout Latin America since early 2003 and finally made his home in Peru. James has made his way by eating and traveling through almost every country in Central and South America.
Last Updated on April 16, 2021 by James Bustamante
The Inca legend states the Pururaucas were stone soldiers that helped the Inca defeat their rivals, The Chanca in a battle that took place in 1438. While the Inca did not have a written language, they were able to tell their history and local folklore through songs and stories which have been passed down through generations.
What Were The Pururaucas?
The Pururaucas legend dates back to when the Incas were able to finally defeat their long-standing rivals The Chanca. The Pururaucas were stone warriors that suddenly came to life and helps the Incas defeat the warrior tribe known as the Chanca back in the year 1438 at the battle of Yahuarpampa.
What Does Pururaucas Mean?
The name “Pururaucas” does not mean stone warrior. It is Quechua (the language of the Andean people) and it translates to the “unconquerable enemies.” This name was apparently given to the stone warriors of the legend by the defeated Chanca.
What is The Inca Legend of The Pururaucas?
The Inca legend states there was a very big battle where the Incas were up against a powerful enemy army. They saw themselves outnumbered by the Chancas so they decided to invoke the god of creation, Viracocha.
Once the Inca asked Viracocha for help, the legend states that rocks were suddenly turned into stone soldiers that would assist in defeating the Chanca.
The opposing army was beaten and overwhelmed to the point the Chanca had to retreat out of fear of the mighty stone soldiers.
The Incas vs Chanca Conflict
One of the most important events that happened during the time of the Incas was the decisive victory they held of their Andean rivals, The Chanca.
The conflict between the two tribes goes back to 1428 when the leader of the Chanca, “Hanan Chanca Anccu Hualloc decided to gather over 50,000 soldiers and began a crusade to conquer the Incan city of Cusco.
The massive army of Chanca left destruction as they moved closer to the city before eventually surrounding Cusco.
One version of this story describes the then Inca ruler Hatun Topac or The Inca Huiracocha and his son Urco fleeing Cusco, leaving the people behind to face the incoming Chanca army. This is a popular version of the story so it might be somewhat true according to scholars.
The Inca Pachacutec to The Rescue
One of the young princes was called Cusi Yupanqui, he was the younger brother of Urco who had apparently run away with his father. Cusi would later be known as the Inca Pachacutec. The second in line for the Incan Empire decided to take control of the situation and formed a resistance.
Cusi went ahead and was able to gather a small army to form a resistance to the invading Chanca. The problem was that not many tribes wanted to join Cusi Yupanqui and his small army, except for the “Canas.”
The young prince Cusi decided to turn to the creator god Viracocha and asked him for assistance. The powerful Andean god decided to respond to the young Incan prince.
According to the legend told down to generations, Viracocha decided to appear in Cusi Yupanqui’s dream and told him that he would send an army that would help defeat the Chanca.
The Chanca would previously think that the upcoming battle would be an easy one and that Cusco would be taken over.
Little did the Chanca know that as they came closer to Cusco the stones that would surround them would turn into The Pururaucas. The battle would give the Incas a decisive victory over the Chanca and cause them to retreat from Cusco.
After the battle was over the “Pururaucas” or stone warriors, would return to their original forms as inanimate objects scattered throughout the landscape. Cusi and his small army had finally won the battle through this divine act just as his dream with Viracocha had stated.
This moment was one of the pillars of Incan supremacy in the Peruvian highlands and solidified their dominance over the Chanca.
Is The Legend of The Pururaucas Real?
This legend of the Pururaucas has been passed down through generations as stories that are continuously told. Scholars believe that the Pururaucas were part of a clever plan concocted by the Incas.
They believe that the young prince did take control of the situation and came up with a strategy that would make his small army seem much bigger. What might have happened was that the Incas would make mounds of stones and make them look like if they were part of a bigger army.
The Inca Used Guerilla Warfare
This type of guerilla warfare would be something that these Andean tribes could try. With the sun in the enemy’s eyes and the uneven terrain, the Andes is known for it might have been a creative way to trick the Chanca.
There are also some sources that believe many tribes or ethnic groups which had at one point declined to be part of the battle join in as a surprise attack. Scholars believe it is possible that tribes only declined to throw off the Chanca and hid among the stone mounds the Inca had put together.
The truth is the battle really did take place and the Incas were the victors. This is proven by the fact that the Chanca, later on, became part of the Inca empire and not the other way around. Now whether the stones really did come to life is another thing altogether.
Another Explanation For The Inca Victory
The Chanca was known to be the warrior class of the Peruvian highlands. They were thought of as being a violent tribe who loved going into battle and conquering anyone who opposed them.
In contrast, the Incas were a more organized tribe that had also gone ahead and conquered many lands.
There are historians who suggest that the Incas indeed planned ahead and made sure the Chanca thought all other tribes would stay out of the conflict only to step in at the last minute.
They also believe the Incas had set up mounds to look like soldiers big enough to have warriors hiding among them to jump in when the Chancas came closer to Cusco.
Lastly, they also believe that The Incas had purposely let loose Llamas in the battlefield to further provide cover for their warriors.
All these factors might have played a part in the final victor of the Inca over the Chanca.
The Battle or Yahuarpampa
The battle of Yahuarpampa was a historic military event that happened between Chancas and the Inca. This victory would be considered the beginning of the Inca dynasty and the many military campaigns that would later form the Tahuantinsuyo or Incan Empire.
There are two different endings to how the Chanca fared at the end of this battle. The first is that the Incas forgave most of the Chanca and allowed them to be part of the Inca empire, however, they punished any towns or tribes that had helped them in battle.
The other ending is that the Chanca generals were all hung after they had lost the battle and the Incas forgave anyone that helped them. In both versions, the Chanca form part of the Inca empire.
Conclusion
The legend of the Pururaucas has been told through many generations and it is still a story that “Cusquenos’ ‘tells to their children. The truth is that there was a battle that took place and the Inca came out as victors. Who knows what might have happened if the Chanca were the victors. Would Machu Picchu have been built?
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