Page:The Incas of Peru.djvu/163

Rh Cuzco, and was one of the Ayars, brother of Manco Ccapac, turned into stone. It specially presided over the Huarachicu festival. The youths passed the night on the sacred hill, and fasted.

Ccapac Raymi, from December 22 to January 22, was the seventh month, beginning with the summer solstice. On the breastplate it has the solstitial sign, with the diamonds pointing differently. In this month was the grandest Raymi, or festival, in the year, called Huarachicu.

After going through an ordeal, the youths were given arms, allowed to wear breeches, called huara, and had their ears pierced. During the first eight days of the month all the relations were busily employed in preparing the usutas, or shoes made of fine reeds almost of the colour of gold, and the huaras of the sinews of llamas, and in embroidering the shirts in which the youths were to appear when they went to the hill of Huanacauri. The shirts were made of fine yellow wool with black borders of still finer wool like silk. The youths also wore mantles of white wool, long and narrow, reaching to the knees. They were fastened round the neck by a cord from whence hung a red tassel. The youths were clothed in this dress, shorn, and taken to the great square by their parents and relations. The latter wore yellow mantles with black plumes on their heads from a bird called guito. Many 3em