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SYMBOLS: Gold, snake glyph, cavern, horn.
USUAL IMAGE: Thought of as a huge snake with the antlered head of a red deer, it has a segmented tail that is draped with gold chains.
HOLY BOOKS: Unknown
HOLY DAYS: Unknown
PLACE OF WORSHIP: Temples, or before the mouths of caves.
AREAS OF INFLUENCE & CONTROL: Guards the treasures hidden in the Earth, Treasure, Hidden knowledge. Secret Power.
MAJOR TABOOS: Disrespect.
RELATIVES: Unknown.
FORM OF WORSHIP: The sacrifice of gold and other valuable treasures, including blood.
SYNODEITIES: Avanyu (Tewa), Sint Holo (Chickasaw, Choctaw & adjacent tribes), The Uktena (Cherokee), Quetzalcoatl (Mayan) along with many other Mayan serpent gods & goddesses, The Serpent of Obsidian Knives. (Aztec)
DETAILS: Urcaguay was the Incan god of hidden underground treasure who was described as a huge snake with the head of a deer and a tail bearing golden chains. Not much more is known about this diety.
However he is one of a number of Incan gods who's influence seems to have spread widely across the American continent. The Inca had four major godly animals. The Eagle, the jaguar, the condor & the snake.
There were many gods and goddesses linked with each animal, however the snake was especially important as is shown by the many glyphs that show other deities being born by emerging from a snakes mouth.
But what about the unique form of a snake with a mammals head that Urcaguay took? It can been said that the Inca & Mayan civilizations were as great an influence on the people of pre-Colombian America as the Greeks and Romans were to the tribes of Europe.
Might then the many other horned snakes, who appear as gods, spirits, & monsters in other tribes be Urcaguay interpreted by others? Or is Urcaguay just another version of a great unnamed being?
With the Tewa tribe we find Avanyu, a lightning spitting god who brought art, agriculture & science to the People.
Among a number of Southeastern tribes we find Sint Holo, a giant invisible horned serpent who was said to appear to special gifted young men in the tribe who had shown knowledge and drive beyond the norm, he gave these few outstanding ones even greater inspiration.
There are also tales that tell about about less divine horned snakes (sometime with a huge jewell lodged between the antlers) that hide in deep water and destroy all who come near until only the best of the best of warriors challenge them alone, after which great knowledge and power is given to the victor.
There are even modern stories in the Central Rocky Mountain Region about a still existing tribe of `Serpent People' who remain separate from others so they can take on the odorous task of appeasing a powerful entity what takes the form of a giant rattlesnake who cannot be killed and who, if his power is ever released would lay waste for thousands of miles around him.
Whatever the case, whether connected with Urcaguay or some other serpent shaped god of the Incas or not, a look at the Serpent Mounds that dot the American landscape give evidence that this is an important form in the psyche of the inhabitants of Turtle Island.
Me, I'm hoping it's more along the lines of Sint Holo who was said to have inspired Sequoya to construct the Cherokee written language.
- Terry McCombs
