Mt. Wakay Willka, Consort of Apu Salkantay

Ñusta Wakay Willka’s snow capped peak rises above the clouds.

Apus of the Cusco Region, Part 3

Welcome back, brothers & sisters of Andean Wisdom Path, to our series on Sacred Mountains of Cusco. As we taught in the previous posts about Ausangate and Salkantay, there are male and female sacred mountain spirits of the Andes, usually found in couples. The male mountain spirits are called “Apus” and the female ones are called “Ñustas”. Today’s post is about the sacred Ñusta Wakay Willka, otherwise known as Mt. Veronica, queen consort of the mountain king Salkantay.

The Legend of the Origin of Salkantay & Wakay Willka

Ñusta Wakay Willka on left with her partner Apu Salkantay on the right.

Tales of forbidden love are found in mythologies throughout the world, including the Andes of Peru. Maybe this is why the tragic romance of Romeo & Juliet is so famous. Here, however, the mythic couples are transformed into great, majestic mountains. By miracles performed by the power of the Deities, this transformation saves the couple from persecution, inseparable by any human force, to remain eternally by each other’s side. The mythic couple Salkantay and Wakay Willka is another one of these tragic romantic legends.

As we mentioned before, Ausangate and Salkantay are brothers. Once upon a time, a long time ago, they were human siblings who lived in the Cusco region. After a long and severe drought, the two brothers journeyed to foreign lands in the attempt to find food and save the desperate people of their towns from starvation. Ausangate went south to the Altiplano (the high plateau) and encountered a great store of Andean products. From there he ordered the transport of meat from indigenous camelids (such as llamas and alpacas), maize, quinoa, potatoes and other crops cultivated in the high elevations. Only in this way was he able to save the people of the town of Cusco.

Salkantay, however, didn’t have as much luck in his travels. He went north in search of food for his people, arriving in the land of Antis (the jungle) where he met a beautiful young princess, “Wayna Willka.” (Also spelled “Huaynawillca.”) The two young people fell in love at first sight, against the disapproval of the people of Anti. In outrage, the princess’ jungle community decided to expel Salkantay from their lands. Facing this menace to their love, the two young lovers decided to flee in the direction of the Cusco Valley, where Salkantay was respected and where they would be able to live together forever.

Unfortunately, the people of Anti pursued the amorous couple to the peak of the mountain range where they sacrificed their own princess, preferring her death rather than allow her to be in Salkantay’s arms. The bereaved Salkantay, furious about the death of his beloved, launched a fight against the town of Anti, exterminating them completely in his unquenchable rage. At such a great spillage of blood, the Deities decided to convert Salkantay and Wayna Willka into mountains, so Salkantay would do no more harm to the peoples of the Earth. As a mountain, he could provide food for the people of Cusco, and he could help his beloved bride. And so it is that, for all of eternity, both mountains look upon each other with everlasting love.

The Many Names of Salkantay’s Consort

The female sacred mountain, consort of Apu Salkantay, has had many names throughout the centuries. Now commonly known as Mt. Veronica, she was originally called in the pre-Hispanic times Wayna Willka (meaning “Sacred Maiden”). She stands some 50 km from the city of Cusco and northeast of the town of Ollantaytambo with an altitude of 5,682 meters (1,8642 feet). She played a very important ceremonial role in the Inca times, as she was considered the protector of agriculture. For this reason, the ancient Peruvians offered her ceremonies to improve the harvest, which continues to this day.

According to history Mt. Wayna Willka was given a new name in the year 1536, when the Inca prince “Manco Inca” stirred up a rebellion against the Spanish invaders. After his unfortunate defeat, he was forced to abandon Cusco to the invaders, retreating to a place called Vilcabamba. To get there, he had to pass over this sacred mountain with feelings of deep nostalgia and melancholy for having to leave his beloved city of Cusco. For the sadness that weighed heavy on his heart, the prince Manco Inca gave the mountain a new name, Wakay Willka meaning “Sacred Tears.”