Aiapæc or Ai Apaec (from Colonial Mochica ⟨ aiapæc⟩ "creator"), Wrinkled Face, the snake-belted figure, or the god of the mountains, is a mythical character identified in Moche iconography, and possibly the main Moche

deity A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...

. According to some archaeologists, it may have been the most feared and adored of all punitive gods, worshipped as the

creator god A creator deity or creator god is a deity responsible for the creation of the Earth, world, and universe in human religion and mythology. In monotheism, the single God is often also the creator. A number of monolatristic traditions separate a ...

, protector of the Moche and provider of water, food and military triumphs. The existence of such iconographic character was first proposed by archaeologist

Rafael Larco Hoyle Rafael Larco Hoyle (18 May 1901 in Chicama Valley, Peru – 23 October 1966, Lima), raised at Chiclin, his family's estate, was sent to school in Maryland, United States, at the age of twelve. He later entered Cornell University to study agric ...

. Contemporary analysis have questioned that it may have been a single god, instead finding several mythological characters.

Representations

The most common representation of Aiapæc is the one seen in the murals of the Temples of the Sun and

the Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It orbits around Earth at an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth's diameter). The Moon rotates, with a rotation period ( lunar day) that is synchronized to its orbital period ( lunar ...

, which present an anthropomorphic face with feline fangs surrounded by ocean waves. Aiapæc was represented in several ways, depending on the period, place and medium used. In metallurgy, for example, Aiapæc is often seen as a

spider Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...

with eight legs and an anthropomorphic face with

jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...

fangs. In ceramics, the divinity is often more anthropomorphic, usually with his head in his hands and sometimes with two snakes sprouting from his head. In sculpture, he is shown with a staff. It is said that during human sacrifices, prisoners were decapitated and their heads given to Aiapæc.

References

* ''Art of the Andes, from Chavin to Inca''. Rebecca Stone Miller, Thames and Hudson, 1995. * ''The Incas and their Ancestors''. Michael E. Moseley, Thames and Hudson, 1992.

External links

* — a Museo Larco media presentation
www.huacas.com

Sun and Moon Official Project information
{{Archaeological sites in Peru Feline gods Moche sites Moche culture Mythological felines Mythological spiders Creator gods

Representations

See also

References

External links