Cachiche is a community located just four kilometers from
Ica, Peru
Ica () ( Quechua: ''Ika'') is a city and the capital of the Department of Ica in southern Peru. While the area was long inhabited by varying cultures of indigenous peoples, the Spanish ''conquistador'' Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera claimed its found ...
that is known for an interest with witchcraft.
History
This village owes much of its current fame to the
Spanish Inquisition
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition () was established in 1478 by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile and lasted until 1834. It began toward the end of ...
of the
early modern
The early modern period is a Periodization, historical period that is defined either as part of or as immediately preceding the modern period, with divisions based primarily on the history of Europe and the broader concept of modernity. There i ...
age. During the Inquisition, several women accused of being
witches
Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...
were hunted down for their
pagan
Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...
beliefs. Some of these women escaped to
Lima
Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
, however, they found themselves unsafe even there. The women then moved further south to the
Ica valley and settled in the village of Cachiche. In the 1980s, renewed interest in Peru about
alternative medicine
Alternative medicine refers to practices that aim to achieve the healing effects of conventional medicine, but that typically lack biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or supporting evidence of effectiveness. Such practices are ...
brought this village back from being forgotten.
Legend of Julia Hernández Pecho Viuda de Díaz
According to local legend, one of the most famous witches of Cachiche was Julia Hernández Pecho Viuda de Díaz. She was known to have cured the stammer of local boy named Fernando Leon de Vivero, who later became a congressman in Lima. Tell the story, when he returned to Cachiche, he wanted to show his gratitude, so he set up a statue in form a woman with her hands stretched upward in the form of a V with both an owl and a skull at each of her sides carved out of a single huarango tree, nowadays you can visit. It popular story said that in 1987 at the age 106 Julia witch dies. On her death, this famous witch prophesied that then the seventh head of the palm tree appeared, Ica would be wiped out. The story was forgotten by long time, but in 1997 (an El Niño year) torrential rains was inundating the city. The people decided to cut off the tree's seventh head but the flooding stopped before they did so.
[ This palm tree is located in the centre of the village and the local people said that once upon a time it was a normal, erect tree, but under influence diabolic rituals performed nearby it has become deformed.
]
References
Populated places in the Department of Ica
{{Ica-geo-stub