Chiaraje a blood ritual

  • Dates
    2015 - 2015
  • Author
  • Topics Documentary, Editorial, War & Conflicts
  • Location Cusco, Peru

Chiaraje a blood ritual.

Since ancient times occur in the Andes encounters rituals of offering to earth to satisfy their gods. In several of the meetings in the region, the offering to Mother Earth it is with human blood.

One of the encounters more striking is the Chiaraje offering that has the particularity of facing two brotherly peoples in a battlefield through throw rocks thrown with slingshots, called huaracas.

The confrontation occurs every 20 January, on top of a mountain at over 5500 meters from sea level, which limited the territories of each of the communities. Thus the winner will be who gets to bleed more opponents and thus fertilize the earth with spilled blood.

Whoever wins will get good harvests. The loser must wait better luck next year.

The meeting, which is between the towns of Checca and Quehue essentially maintains the tradition until today, and in history coexist different versions of the conception. For some participants this meeting is taken as a game, for others it is a religious ritual of deep roots that have left their ancestors who were trained by indigenous leader Tupac Amaru who regarded as strongest warriors of the entire Inca empire.

© Gianni Bulacio - Image from the Chiaraje a blood ritual photography project
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Teófilo Mamani Gutierrez leaves his home with his typical clothes enlisted to participate in the ritual battle of Chiaraje. Since ancient times happen rituals in the Andes in relation to the earth. In several meetings in the region, the offering to Mother Earth is with human blood. One of the most striking encounters is the Chiaraje that takes place every January 20th in south of Cusco, Peru. Checca, Canas, Peru. 2015 © GianniBulacio.

© Gianni Bulacio - Image from the Chiaraje a blood ritual photography project
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Warriors preparing their costumes to go into battle, that takes place on top of two mountains that converge in a valley located more than 5500 meters from sea level, where the combat is in order to hurt rivals, to shed his blood in offerings to the Pachamama mother earth to obtain good harvests. Checca, Canas, Peru. 2015 © GianniBulacio

© Gianni Bulacio - Image from the Chiaraje a blood ritual photography project
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In the highland province of Canas in Peru, women dressed in traditional costumes ascend a hill, where they will dance and sing to give encouragement to the participants of the battle of Chiaraje. The ritual battle is fought to ensure the fertility and abundance of the land. Their songs raise the request for the protection of the Apus (Mountain Gods) for communities and their warriors, as well as for crops and livestock. Checca, Canas, Peru. 2015 © GianniBulacio

© Gianni Bulacio - Image from the Chiaraje a blood ritual photography project
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Wilber Montañez, is a warrior who believes in the spiritual root of Chiaraje, through the worldview inherited from their ancestors. The meeting participants have a strong connection to the Earth, and they understand its importance for the evolution of life. Checca, Canas, Peru. 2015 © GianniBulacio

© Gianni Bulacio - Image from the Chiaraje a blood ritual photography project
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Teófilo Mamani Gutierrez, Peruvian warrior, demonstrates how throw the stones with his Huaraca, the name in Quechua of their slings of pre-Columbian design. This meeting has the uniqueness to confront two brotherly peoples through throwing rocks. Teófilo participated since twelve years old in the pitched battle of Chiaraje with his two brothers and his father. Checca, Canas, Peru. 2015 © GianniBulacio

© Gianni Bulacio - Image from the Chiaraje a blood ritual photography project
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A participant of the battle in accion. The battle takes place on top of two mountains that converge in a valley located more than 5500 meters from sea level, where around 3,000 men face in order to hurt rivals, to shed his blood in offerings to the Pachamama mother earth to obtain good harvests. Checca, Canas, Peru. 2015 © GianniBulacio

© Gianni Bulacio - Image from the Chiaraje a blood ritual photography project
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Horsemen participate using as a weapon, the ligüis. A wooden or metal handle with a leather rope and some strong metal element in the end. Men on horseback, are responsible for opening the combat, as well as carrying the wounded in the battle, back toward the base of each of the participating communities. Horses are also hit by the stones. Checca, Canas, Peru. 2015 © GianniBulacio

© Gianni Bulacio - Image from the Chiaraje a blood ritual photography project
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Mario Gutierrez, within the ritual battle Chiaraje hit by a stone. He participates from the ten years old because he firmly believes that in this way he will remain alive the practice of this religious ritual of deep roots, which have left their forefathers who, in times of conquest, were trained with the same weapons by indigenous leader Tupac Amaru. Checca, Canas, Peru. 2015 © GianniBulacio

© Gianni Bulacio - Image from the Chiaraje a blood ritual photography project
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Residents of Checca, preparing the soil for planting. Beyond the form or violent connotations and the controversy who aroused in the society about the practice of the Chiaraje battle. There is a single purpose according to the belief: the fertilization of the earth through human blood. The Chiaraje, like other rituals of the peoples of the Andes, in its essence conveys a deep love for the land, taken as a living thing and life giving. Checca, Canas, Peru. 2015 © GianniBulacio

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