[[Image:Qoyllur R'Iti Shrine by night.jpg|thumb|200px|Shrine of the Lord of Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i by night]] ▼
''' Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i''' ([[Quechua language|Quechua]] '' quyllur''quyllu star, ''rit'i'' snow,<ref> Teofilo Laime Ajacopa, Diccionario Bilingüe Iskay simipi yuyayk'ancha, La Paz, 2007 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary): '''''quyllur''''' - ''s. Estrella. Astro luminoso.'' '''''rit'i''''' - ''s. Nieve. Agua congelada que cae en copos.''</ref> " starbright white snow") or '''Star Snow Festival''' is a spiritual and religious festival held annually at the Sinakara Valley in the [[Cusco Region]] of [[Peru]]. The Catholic Church's official position is that the festival is in honor of the Lord of Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i ({{lang-qu|Taytacha Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i}}, {{lang-es|Señor de Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i}}). According to the Church the celebration originated in 1780, when a young native herder called Mariano Mayta befriended a [[mestizo]] boy called Manuel on the mountain [[Qullqipunku]]. Thanks to Manuel, Mariano's herd prospered, so his father sent him to buy clothes for the two boys in [[Cusco]]. Mariano took a sample of Manuel's clothes but could not find anything similar because that kind of cloth was only worn by an archbishop. Upon this discovery, the archbishop of Cusco sent a party to investigate but when they tried to grab Manuel, he became a bush with an image of Christ hanging from it. Thinking they had harmed his friend, Mariano died on the spot and was buried under a rock. An image of Christ painted over this boulder became known as the Lord of Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i, which means Lord of Star Snow. ▼▲[[Image:Qoyllur R'Iti Shrine by night.jpg|thumb|200px|Shrine of the Lord of Quyllur Rit'i by night]]
▲'''Quyllur Rit'i''' ([[Quechua language|Quechua]] ''quyllur'' star, ''rit'i'' snow,<ref>Teofilo Laime Ajacopa, Diccionario Bilingüe Iskay simipi yuyayk'ancha, La Paz, 2007 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary): '''''quyllur''''' - ''s. Estrella. Astro luminoso.'' '''''rit'i''''' - ''s. Nieve. Agua congelada que cae en copos.''</ref> "star snow") or '''Star Snow Festival''' is a spiritual and religious festival held annually at the Sinakara Valley in the [[Cusco Region]] of [[Peru]]. The Catholic Church's official position is that the festival is in honor of the Lord of Quyllur Rit'i ({{lang-qu|Taytacha Quyllur Rit'i}}, {{lang-es|Señor de Quyllur Rit'i}}). According to the Church the celebration originated in 1780, when a young native herder called Mariano Mayta befriended a [[mestizo]] boy called Manuel on the mountain [[Qullqipunku]]. Thanks to Manuel, Mariano's herd prospered, so his father sent him to buy clothes for the two boys in [[Cusco]]. Mariano took a sample of Manuel's clothes but could not find anything similar because that kind of cloth was only worn by an archbishop. Upon this discovery, the archbishop of Cusco sent a party to investigate but when they tried to grab Manuel, he became a bush with an image of Christ hanging from it. Thinking they had harmed his friend, Mariano died on the spot and was buried under a rock. An image of Christ painted over this boulder became known as the Lord of Quyllur Rit'i, which means Lord of Star Snow.
Contrary to the Catholic myth, the festival is known to the local descendants of the indigenous population of the Andes as a celebration of the stars. In particular the Pleiades, which disappears from view in April and reappears in June and signifies a time of transition from old to new and the upcoming harvest and New Year, which for the locals begins on the Winter Solstice. The festival, from the pre-Columbian perspective, has been celebrated for hundreds if not thousands of years.
The Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i festival attracts a large number of peasants from the surrounding regions, divided in two [[wikt:moiety|moieties]]: ''Paucartambo'' groups [[Quechuas]] from the agricultural regions to the northwest of the sanctuary and''Quispicanchis'', which includes [[Aymara ethnic group|Aymaras]] from the pastoral regions to the southeast. Both moieties make an annual pilgrimage to the feast bringing large troupes of dancers and musicians in four main styles: ''ch'unchu'', ''qulla'', ''ukuku'' and ''machula''. Besides peasant pilgrims, attendants include middle class Peruvians and foreign tourists. The festival takes place in late May or early June, to coincide with the full moon, one week before the Christian feast of [[Corpus Christi (feast)|Corpus Christi]]. It consists of a number of processions and dances in and around the Lord of Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i shrine. The main event for the Church is carried out by ''ukukus'' who climb glaciers over Qullqipunku to bring back crosses and blocks of ice which are said to be medicinal. The main event for the indigenous non-Christian population who still celebrate their old spiritual beliefs is the rising of the sun on the Monday morning where tens of thousands kneel down to the first rays of light as the sun rises above the horizon.
==Origins==
[[Image:Qoyllur R'Iti Cross 1.jpg|upright|thumb|One of the crosses along the road to the Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i shrine]]
There are several accounts of the origins of the Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i festival. What follows are two accounts: one describes the pre-Columbian origins and the other is the "Catholic Church's" version as compiled by the priest of the town of [[Ccatca]] between 1928 and 1946.<ref>Sallnow, ''Pilgrims of the Andes'', pp. 207–209.</ref>
=== Pre-Columbian Origins ===
The Inca followed both solar and lunar cycles throughout the year. However, the cycle of the moon was of primary importance for both agricultural activities and the timing of festivals, which reflected in many cases celebrations surrounding animal husbandry, sowing seeds and harvesting of crops. Important festivals such as Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i, perhaps the most important festival given its significance and meaning, are still celebrated on the full moon.
The Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i festival falls in a period of time when the Pleiades constellation, or Seven Sisters, a 7-star cluster in the Taurus Constellation, disappears and reappears in the Southern Hemisphere. The star movement signals the time of the coming harvest and therefore a time of abundance. For this reason Incan astronomers cleverly named the Pleiades "Qullqa" or storehouse in their native language Runa Simi ("human's language") or Quechua as it is also called.
Metaphorically, due to the star’s disappearance from the night sky and reemergence approximately two months afterwards is a signal that our planes of existence have times of disorder and chaos, but also return to order. This outlook coincides with the recent Pachakuti or Inca Prophecy literally translated from the two words ''pacha'' and ''kuti'' (Quechua ''pacha'' "time and space", ''kuti'' "return") where ''pacha kuti'' means "return of time", "change of time" or "great change or disturbance in the social or political order".<ref>Teofilo Laime Ajacopa, Diccionario Bilingüe Iskay simipi yuyayk'ancha, La Paz, 2007 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary): '''''pacha kuti''''' - ''(Pacha: tiempo y espacio. Kuti: regreso, vuelta). Regreso del tiempo, cambio del tiempo.'' '''''pacha kuti''''' - ''s. Gran cambio o trastorno en el orden social o político.''</ref>
Mariano could not find that type of cloth in Cusco because it was only used by the bishop of the city. He went to see the prelate, who was surprised by the request and ordered an inquiry on Manuel, directed by the priest of [[Ocongate]], a town close to the mountain. On June 12, 1783, the commission ascended Qullqipunku with Mariano and found Manuel dressed in white and shining with a bright light. Blinded, they retreated only to come back later with a larger party. In their second try they were able to reach Manuel despite the intense light. However, on touching him, he became a tayanka bush (''[[Baccharis odorata]]'') with the body of an agonizing Christ hanging from it. Mariano, thinking they had harmed his friend, fell dead on the spot. He was buried under the rock where Manuel had last appeared.
The tayanka tree was sent to Spain, requested by king [[Charles III of Spain|Charles III]]. As it was never returned, the Indian population of Ocongate protested, forcing the local priest to order a replica, which became known as Lord of Tayankani ({{lang-es|Señor de Tayakani}}). The rock under which Mariano was said to be buried attracted a great number of Indian devotees who lit candles before it. To give the site a Christian veil, religious authorities ordered the painting of an image of a crucified Christ on the rock. This image became known as Lord of Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i ({{lang-es|Señor de Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i}}). In [[Quechua languages|Quechua]], ''quyllur'' means star and ''Rit'i'' means snow thus, Lord of Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i stands for Lord of Star Snow.<ref>Randall, "Return of the Pleiades", p. 49.</ref>
==Pilgrims==
[[Image:Qoyllur Rit'i young dancer.jpg|upright|thumb|Dancers at Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i. A ''ch'unchu'' performer can be seen in the background.]]
The Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i festival gathers more than 10,000 pilgrims annually, most of them from rural communities in nearby regions.<ref>Dean, ''Inka bodies'', p. 210.</ref> Peasant attendees are grouped in two moieties: ''Paucartambo'', which includes communities located to the northwest of the shrine in the provinces of [[Cusco Province|Cusco]], [[Calca Province|Calca]], [[Paucartambo Province|Paucartambo]] and [[Urubamba Province|Urubamba]]; and ''Quispicanchis'', which encompasses those situated to the southeast in the provinces of [[Acomayo Province|Acomayo]], [[Canas Province|Canas]], [[Canchis Province|Canchis]] and [[Quispicanchi Province|Quispicanchi]]. This geographic division also reflects social and economic distinctions as Paucartambo is an agricultural region inhabited by [[Quechuas]] whereas Quispicanchis is populated by [[Aymara ethnic group|Aymaras]] dedicated to animal husbandry.<ref>Sallnow, ''Pilgrims of the Andes'', p. 217.</ref> Peasant communities from both moieties undertake an annual pilgrimage to the Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i festival, each carrying a small image of Christ to the sanctuary.<ref>Allen, ''The hold life has'', p. 108.</ref> These delegations include a large troupe of dancers and musicians dressed in four main styles.
;[[Ch'unchu (dance)|Ch'unchu]]: Wearing feathered headdresses and a wood staff, ''[[Ch'unchu people|ch'unchu]]s'' represent the indigenous inhabitants of the [[Amazon Rainforest]], to the north of the sanctuary.<ref>Sallnow, ''Pilgrims of the Andes'', p. 222.</ref> There are several types of ''ch'unchu'' dancers, the most common is ''wayri ch'unchu'', which comprises up to 70% of all Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i dancers.<ref>Randall, "Qoyllur Rit'i", p. 46.</ref>
;[[Qhapaq Qulla]]: Dressed with a "waq'ullu" knitted mask, a hat, a woven sling and a [[llama]] skin, ''[[Qulla people|qulla]]s'' represent the aymara inhabitants of the ''[[Altiplano]]'', to the south of the sanctuary.<ref>Randall, "Return of the Pleiades", p. 43.</ref> ''Qulla'' is considered a [[mestizo]] dance style whereas ''ch'unchu'' is regarded as indigenous.<ref>Sallnow, ''Pilgrims of the Andes'', p. 223.</ref>
;Ukuku: Clad in a dark coat and a woolen mask, ''ukukus'' represent the role of [[trickster]]s; they speak in high-pitched voices, play pranks and keep order among pilgrims.<ref>Sallnow, ''Pilgrims of the Andes'', p. 218.</ref> In Quechua mythology, ''ukukus'' are the offspring of a woman and a bear, feared by everyone because of their supernatural strength. In these stories, the ''ukuku'' redeems itself by defeating a ''condenado'', a cursed soul, and becoming an exemplary farmer.<ref>Randall, "Qoyllur Rit'i", p. 43–44.</ref>
==Festival==
The festival is attended by many who journey to the glacier from as far away as Bolivia. However, the Christian celebration is organized by the Brotherhood of the Lord of Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i ({{lang-es|Hermandad del Señor de Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i}}), a lay organization which is also in charge of keeping order during the feast.<ref>Sallnow, ''Pilgrims of the Andes'', p. 215.</ref> Preparations start on the feast of the [[Ascension of Jesus Christ|Ascension]] when the Lord of Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i is carried in [[procession]] from its chapel at [[Mawallani]] to its sanctuary at Sinakara.<ref>Sallnow, ''Pilgrims of the Andes'', p. 225.</ref> On the first Wednesday after [[Pentecost]], a second procession carries a statue of [[Our Lady of Fatima]] from the Sinakara sanctuary to an uphill grotto.<ref>Sallnow, ''Pilgrims of the Andes'', pp. 225–226.</ref> Most pilgrims arrive by [[Trinity Sunday]] when the [[Blessed Sacrament]] is taken in procession through the sanctuary; the following day the Lord of Qoyllur Rit'i is taken in procession to the grotto of the Virgin and back.<ref>Sallnow, ''Pilgrims of the Andes'', p. 226.</ref> On the night of this second day, dance troupes take turns to perform in the shrine.<ref>Sallnow, ''Pilgrims of the Andes'', p. 227.</ref> At dawn on the third day, ''ukukus'' grouped by moieties climb the glaciers on Qullqipunku to retrieve crosses set on top, they also bring back blocks of the ice, which is believed to have medicinal qualities.<ref>Sallnow, ''Pilgrims of the Andes'', pp. 227–228.</ref> They undertake this because they are considered the only ones capable of dealing with ''condenados'', which are said to inhabit the snowfields.<ref>Randall, "Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i", p. 44.</ref> According to oral traditions, ''ukukus'' from different moieties used to engage in [[endemic warfare|ritual battles]] on the glaciers but this practice was banned by the Catholic Church.<ref>Randall, "Return of the Pleiades", p. 45.</ref> After a mass celebrated later this day, most pilgrims leave the sanctuary except for a group which carries the Lord of Quyllur RitQuyllurit'i in procession to [[Tayankani]] before taking it back to Mawallani.<ref>Sallnow, ''Pilgrims of the Andes'', p. 228.</ref>
[[Image:Qoyllur R'Iti panoramic overview.jpg|thumb|center|600px|Panoramic view of the festival]]
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