LAKE TITICACA AND ITS LEGENDS--THE SHRINE OF COPACABANA
[Illustration: THE VIRGIN OF COPACABANA.]
Whatever may be the true origin of the Children of the Sun, the legends
of their sacred lake are purely Oriental in character, and might
have come direct from the sources of Hindoo lore, so closely do they
resemble the traditions of the East. The story of the mysterious birth
and divine antecedents of the first Inca, Manco-Ccapac, suggests that
of Vaivasouta, the Son of the Sun among the Hindoos; Manco-Ccapac’s
sister-wife, Mama Ocllo, has also a counterpart in Oriental mythology.
Out of the foam of the sea have risen Mongolian, Hindoo, Egyptian, and
Greek gods and goddesses from remote antiquity, in the same mysterious
way as Viracocha, and their first appearance has usually been on a
sacred island. The ancient inhabitants of the Lake Titicaca region
evolved little new in legendary story to account either for their
ancestry or their religion, unless theirs is the original version. The
lake is particularly fitted to be the cradle of myths and traditions,
its situation high above the clouds seeming to set it apart for some
peculiar destiny, as sacred mountains, lakes, and rivers have in all
ages possessed a unique feature to mark them as divinely chosen.
Popular lore has been well guided in placing here the site of the
American Garden of Eden. In the strange stillness that reigns around,
in the clear atmosphere and cloudless skies through which the Alpine
glow of the encircling summits spreads with unrivalled splendor, in
the varied beauty of its islands, promontories, and bays, and its broad
expanse, sparkling in the sunlight, contemplation is enthralled and
the imagination transported, even in this prosaic age, with visions
of the supernatural, as, under the full light of day, Nature appears
to make strange transformations, and the islands, floating calmly at
one moment, at the next take on curious shapes and present mysterious
illusions, under inexplicable lights and shadows. What more natural
than that such phenomena should be magnified to the wondering gaze of
the primitive inhabitants of this region!
[Illustration: SHRINE OF THE VIRGIN OF COPACABANA, LAKE
TITICACA.]
Lake Titicaca occupies a position on the South American continent about
midway between the Isthmus of Panamá and Cape Horn, and in the midst
of the _nudo_, or knot, which the Andes Mountains form where the
coast range is separated from the Cordillera Real, or Royal Range, by
the Lake Titicaca plateau. By air line it is about three hundred miles
from the Pacific and two thousand miles from the Atlantic coast. It
crosses the boundary between Peru and Bolivia, the limits of which have
not yet been definitely settled by these countries. The altitude of
the lake, which is the highest navigable body of water on the globe,
is twelve thousand five hundred and fifty feet above sea level, and
its area is more than five thousand square miles, measuring at its
greatest length one hundred and thirty-five miles, and in average width
sixty-six miles. The waters of the lake are four per cent warmer than
the atmosphere, and never freeze, though the thermometer sometimes
registers as low as thirty degrees Fahrenheit in the winter months, the
proximity of the snow range contributing to increase the severity of
this season. The water of the lake is brackish and disagreeable to the
taste. Its depth varies from two hundred and fifty to one thousand five
hundred feet, and there are places where it is unfathomable. Around
the island of Titicaca--the famous Inti-Karka of the Inca legend--the
depth is very great, though generally it ranges elsewhere between seven
hundred and eight hundred feet.
In addition to the sacred islands of Titicaca and Coati, better
known as the Island of the Sun and the Island of the Moon, there are
twenty-three of smaller area, of which Cumaná, about nine miles long,
is noted for its excellent marble. On the Island of the Sun are still
to be seen the ruins of the wonderful palace which was occupied by the
Incas when they visited Collasuyo, and there are remains also of the
celebrated Temple of the Sun and of the Vestal Virgins. This island
is the largest in the lake, and is situated about midway between the
Peruvian port of Puno and the Bolivian port of Guaqui, in the line of
steamers passing over this route. It is six miles long and four wide,
and is surrounded by seven small islands, forming what is known as the
Titicaca archipelago. Coati, the Island of the Moon, lies a little to
the east of Titicaca Island, and close to the peninsula of Copacabana.
Its chief interest is found in the famous ruins of the Temple of the
Moon, which are still in a remarkable state of preservation.
[Illustration: LANDING PLACE AT COPACABANA, LAKE TITICACA.]
[Illustration: CROSSES CARVED OUT OF SOLID ROCK, LAKE
TITICACA.]
The crowning glory of Lake Titicaca is the snow range of the Andes,
the highest peaks of which, reflected in its mirror-like surface, are
not more than twenty-five miles away. They form a noble chain, from
bold Sorata to Huayna Potosí and Illimani, the massive white pillars
rising to a height of from twenty thousand to twenty-two thousand feet.
Like the lake itself, these mountains have their legends, the Indians
peopling them with good and bad spirits, about which marvellous tales
are related. From their heights several rivers find their way to Lake
Titicaca, unimportant as a rule, and of little volume, but serving as
means of communication with the lake for many towns and cities of the
Altaplanicie. The largest ports on the Bolivian side of the lake are
Chililaya and Guaqui, the former having been the terminus of a coach
road over which passengers were taken to La Paz upon their arrival from
Peru, before the Guaqui and La Paz Railway was built. It is still a
station of importance on the line from La Paz to Achacachi and Sorata,
through a part of Bolivia which is celebrated for its marvellous
scenery. Sorata is a famous health resort, and was once a rival of
Potosí in opulence, through the enormous yield of its rich placer
mines. In 1781 the town was destroyed by the army of Tupac-Amaru, and
the gold fields were abandoned; but it has been rebuilt in a more
modern style, and is to-day a flourishing little city. At the great
elevation of twelve thousand five hundred feet there is very scant
vegetation even in the tropics, little being seen except coarse Puna
grass and short, thin shrubs. In every sheltered nook, however, flowers
grow in abundance and are of brilliant colors, giving a warm tone to
the grays and browns of the bleak Altaplanicie. In the flower market of
La Paz exquisite blossoms of the richest hues are offered for sale, not
only those gathered in the valley of Obrajes, but from the sheltered
places of the high plateau, the prices being the cheapest in the world.
A few beautiful birds, as the gulls and divers which cross the lake,
and the flamingoes on its shores, give a little life to the silent
scene, and fish of an agreeable flavor are caught in its waters. There
is an old tradition of a wildcat inhabiting the Island of the Sun, and
some authorities derive the name of the lake from _titi_, which
means a “lynx,” and _karka_, a “rock,” but no animals of this
species are seen on Titicaca now. Many of the islands are inhabited,
and the extent to which the Indians have cultivated them is truly
wonderful, their sloping hillsides being furrowed from the margin
of the water to the highest summits, while the land all around the
border of the lake is carefully tilled, producing harvests of barley
and potatoes. The potato is a staple food of the plateau and all
mountainous regions of Bolivia, and is prepared by a peculiar process,
which consists of first freezing it, then pressing out every trace of
moisture and freezing it again, until it is proof against cold and
humidity. In this condition it is cooked and eaten, under the name of
_chuño_, familiar to all travellers in these regions.
[Illustration: PENINSULA AND CITY OF COPACABANA, LAKE
TITICACA.]
[Illustration: RUINS OF INCA TEMPLE ON THE ISLAND OF THE SUN,
LAKE TITICACA.]
Though Lake Titicaca receives many rivers, it has apparently only one
outlet, that of the Desaguadero--“drainage”--River. The tradition which
accounts for the existence of this river is particularly interesting,
as it introduces into the history of this part of South America a
personage famous in religious records as Saint Thomas, one of Christ’s
apostles. The first scene of the story is laid in the town of Carabuco,
on the eastern border of the lake, near Sorata, close to which is
located a fountain called the Saint’s. It is related that, centuries
ago, in a cave by the side of this fountain lived a wonderful man,
tall, fair, and bearded, who spoke a language different from anything
the tribes of this region had ever heard before, and who proclaimed
a new religion, teaching the worship of one God, and preaching the
virtue of self-sacrifice. With the stranger came six disciples, who
were all tortured to death by the ferocious Carabucos. Not content
with this demonstration of cruelty, the savages seized and beat the
holy teacher himself, and, after tying his hands and feet, threw him
into a _balsa_,--a boat made of reeds such as is still navigated
on this lake by the Indians,--and turned it adrift on the water, to be
upset by the winds and storms. As the little craft with its saintly
burden floated out from the shore, suddenly there appeared on the lake
a woman of marvellous beauty, dressed in magnificent robes and wearing
a starry crown, who, as the canoe drifted toward her, entered it, and
turned its course to the southeast, leaving an open track behind which
still exists among the reeds along the margin, and a long, luminous
wake on the surface of the water, which remained for many years, clear
and resplendent as the rays of the sun. When the opposite bank was
reached the ground opened to make a pathway for the _balsa_,
forming a river, broad, tranquil, and many leagues in length, which is
to-day called the Desaguadero. Thus the apostle mocked the persecution
of the savages, and was able to continue his civilizing mission, until
he finally suffered martyrdom in Copacabana. On the island of Titicaca
is shown the mark of his footprints, and in Carabuco is still preserved
the crucifix which he carried throughout his pilgrimages. The same
legend, with variations, is related in every part of South America,
and in all these countries the natives have traditions handed down to
them by their forefathers, regarding the arrival, many centuries ago,
of a wonderful man who preached an unknown religion. In the history
of the Jesuits, whose missionaries travelled throughout these regions
teaching and preaching Christianity, one of the priests gives an
interesting account of the Charrúa Indians of Uruguay. He says that
he found them possessing clear ideas of the Christian religion, which
they had absorbed from the teachings of a man they called Paz Tumé, but
who was really Saint Thomas, everything appearing to prove that the
apostle was an evangelist in these countries. Another Jesuit missionary
relates that, upon being received with great kindness by the Indians of
Paraguay, he asked the reason, to which they replied that when Paz Tumé
passed through their country, centuries before, he had said to their
ancestors: “The doctrine which I preach to you, you will forget in
time, but when after many years other priests come, carrying crucifixes
such as the one I wear, your descendants will hear and believe this
doctrine. They and their children and their children’s children will
never forget it, for it will bring to them the assurance of eternal
happiness and salvation.” And it was this tradition, handed down for
generations, which, they explained, had obliged them to give a friendly
welcome to the wearer of the crucifix.
Since the supernatural opening of the Desaguadero River to make a
passage for Saint Thomas and his divine rescuer, who, tradition
says further, was the patron protectress of Copacabana, Our Lady of
Candelaria, it has been a highway for many a craft directed by less
sacred hands and bent on the more worldly mission of conducting war or
commerce. It has been the scene of many a fierce battle between armies
encamped on its borders, and during the dreadful encounters between the
patriots of the Independence and the armies of Spain, a tide of blood
many times marked the course first opened by the little _balsa_
containing the rescued Saint Thomas under the direction of the Holy
Virgin. It is to-day one of the most important waterways in Bolivia,
not only _balsas_, but steamers plying between its ports. The
scientific facts regarding its origin are not established, beyond the
indication that it was formed by an unknown process, at a very remote
period. It is one hundred and eighty miles in length from its source
in Lake Titicaca southeastward to Lake Poopo, into which it empties a
volume of six thousand cubic mètres of water per minute, having a fall
of four hundred and seventy-five feet throughout its entire length. It
is navigable for ships of five hundred tons as far south as Nazacara,
thirty miles down the river, within a few miles of the copper mines of
Corocoro, and considerable freight passes over this route to and from
the great mining centre. Lake Poopo, which receives the Desaguadero
River, is the second in size of Bolivian lakes, being sixty miles
long and thirty miles wide. It has subterranean outlets, but on the
surface not more than sixty cubic mètres are discharged per minute of
the six thousand cubic mètres which it receives within that time. The
Desaguadero is the most notable river of the Altaplanicie.
[Illustration: VIEW OF MOUNT SORATA FROM LAKE TITICACA.]
The peninsula of Copacabana, which lies within the disputed territory
between Bolivia and Peru, is celebrated as the site of a shrine
erected in honor of Our Lady of Candelaria. It is popularly called
the shrine of the Virgin of Copacabana, and was at one time the
most famous as well as the richest sanctuary in South America. It
is related that soon after the conquest an Indian of the family of
the Incas, called Yupanqui, a native of Copacabana, who had been
converted to Christianity, felt such great reverence for the Virgin
of Candelaria that he decided to make a sacred image to be devoted to
her worship, with the idea also of founding a brotherhood. It was at a
time when pious Catholics of South America were particularly zealous
in their devotion to the Virgin of Candelaria, and everything seemed
propitious for his purpose; but he was ignorant and unskilled, and it
was necessary for him to spend years of consecrated effort in Potosí
and La Paz in order to make an image, even of medium value, worthy to
be venerated by the public. At last, however, the work was finished
as described by a friar of the convent: “The bust of the image is
of maguey, so compactly made as to appear like wood. It is gilded,
with the exception of the hands and the face, and over the gilding
curiously flowered and striped designs have been applied in rich colors
to give the desired effect of an elaborate robe, a graceful tunic, and
the customary headdress, over which is worn a magnificent crown. The
crown of gold, and the great jewelled crescent which embellishes the
robe, are the conspicuous emblems of her sovereignty and virginity.
One hand, covered with rings, clasps the image of the infant Jesus,
who also wears a gold crown. A collar of priceless pearls, earrings
of diamonds, brooches of rare and costly gems, and rings of great
value, are a few of the more striking adornments, a large fortune being
represented in these jewels. The entire robe is studded with precious
stones, and from the wrist of the hand which holds the image of the
infant Jesus hangs a gold staff, the present of the Conde de Lemos,
one of the viceroys of Peru. The altar of the Virgin is embowered in
lilies, and candles burn constantly in the sacred shrine.” Marvellous
are the miracles attributed to the Virgin of Copacabana, and ancient
chronicles abound with records of her beneficence. During the colonial
period the shrine was in charge of the order of Saint Augustine, but
after the Independence it passed into the hands of the parochial
priests, and later was committed to the supervision of the Franciscan
fathers, being at the present time under the administration of the
parish of Copacabana. The church is built in accordance with the
colonial style of Spanish architecture, its white cupolas giving it the
appearance of an imposing cathedral, as seen at a distance. It occupies
a conspicuous situation on the peninsula of the same name, and is
visited at all times of the year by devout pilgrims. In front of the
church are three crosses, cut out of solid rock, which attract special
attention.
Steamers make regular calls at Copacabana, and it is worth the journey
to spend a day in the little town, which is as quiet as its famous
church, except when the annual _fiestas_ transform it into a scene
of the wildest gayety. The population is almost entirely Indian, of
Aymará origin, and the chief occupation of the people is tilling “a
churlish soil.” Their stoic calm is proof against ordinary diversions;
but when the great feast day of the Virgin is celebrated, they seem to
make up for reticence and silence during the rest of the year. Dances,
songs, and weird spectacles succeed one another in a chaos of mirth.
At the beginning of the _fiesta_ the ceremonies are impressive,
and there is something quaint and picturesque in the scene, as these
primitive natives of the soil appear in their gorgeously colored
_traje de fiesta_, or holiday costumes, and join in the sacred
procession, singing in the Aymará tongue the sacred songs, to which
they give the _triste_ note so characteristic of their own music,
and so eloquent of their unhappy destiny. In the clear atmosphere the
sound is carried far out over the lake, and echoes are repeated for
miles around when the joyous exclamations of the pilgrims rend the
air. As the _fiesta_ continues, the Indians and _cholos_
become more and more excited and noisy, and their dances and songs
take on many grotesque features. In their curious carnival dress
and the ludicrous character which the celebration takes before its
close, the influence of primitive beliefs and customs becomes more and
more visible, until the conglomeration of Indian rites and Christian
ceremonies presents a unique though picturesque effect. During recent
years the _fiesta_ of Copacabana has lost some of its more
marked characteristics, but it is still an interesting spectacle to
travellers, as it has some features not seen in similar celebrations
elsewhere in South America.
[Illustration: ABOVE THE SNOW LINE, MOUNT ILLIMANI.]
[Illustration: INCA PALACE, ISLAND OF THE SUN, LAKE TITICACA.]
All around the border of Lake Titicaca, both on the Bolivian and on the
Peruvian side, are towns celebrated for their handsome old churches
and convents, which the Jesuits built in this region when they began
their missionary work in Alto Peru at the beginning of the seventeenth
century. Books still exist in the libraries of La Paz which were
printed by them on their own printing press in 1612, and their grammars
and dictionaries of the Indian languages of Spanish America, North and
South, published here, are the earliest, and in many cases the most
valuable, in existence. In some cases these Christian temples stand
side by side with the ruins of Inca architecture, which abound not
only on the islands of the lake, but along its borders. The sanctuary
of Copacabana is said to occupy the site on which, centuries ago,
Tupac-Inca-Yupanqui founded a city for the accommodation of pilgrims
who came every year from all parts of the Inca’s empire to visit the
Temple of the Sun and to pay homage to their great chief. The city
must have presented a brilliant appearance when the noble vassals of
the empire, representing forty-two different tribes, who acknowledged
their spiritual and temporal lord in the person of the Inca, assembled
with their retinues on the shore of the sacred lake. From the time
of its foundation, this famous resort became a sacred city, enjoying
special prerogatives by the Inca’s order. Handsome hotels, called
_carpahuasi_, were built here, and immense storehouses were
provided, which were always kept well stocked with food, so that
the pilgrims should have no cause for preoccupation regarding their
material comfort and well-being, but should be free to give all their
time to spiritual meditation and devotion. From the peninsula to the
Islands of the Sun and the Moon it was but a short distance, and the
temples and palaces which adorned these sacred resorts could be plainly
seen from the mainland. The story of the consecration of the temples
of Lake Titicaca is romantic and fascinating, and lends an especial
charm to the ruins which remain. It is related that the Inca came in
person from Cuzco, attended by his nobles and vassals, to perform the
ceremony, fasting a whole year from the use of meat and _aji_,
and holding secret conferences with a spirit from the other world,
who had been sent to him by his father the Sun. Many priests and more
than a hundred virgins were consecrated to the service of the temple,
and immense sums were levied in tribute on the vassals of the empire.
Animals were sacrificed on the sacred rock of the Sun, and precious
stones, gold, silver, and the fruits of the earth were afterward
showered on the spot in adoration of the great deity. Finally, on the
altar of the Sun was laid a huge gold disk, the image of the Sun, and
on the altar of the Moon was placed the circular emblem of that sphere
in silver. With these and minor ceremonies the islands were dedicated,
one to the Sun, the other to the Moon, both of which were worshipped as
progenitors of the divinely descended Incas.
Lake Titicaca possesses a remarkable variety of claims to general
interest, its natural scenery being only one of many charming
attractions. Scientists find the study of its formation and the
investigation of its wonderful ruins a fascinating subject. Travellers
of romantic temperament are enchanted by its legends and traditions,
apart from any historical significance they may possess or any
relation they may bear to scientific facts. The more practical and
matter-of-fact visitors to this wonderful spot see in it the glorious
possibilities of modern development, and are no less delighted at the
unlimited prospect it presents as a great entrepôt for the distribution
of traffic throughout a vast territory hitherto closed to outside
communication. To everyone it presents an aspect different from any
other lake in the world. Its situation is unique, the towns on its
borders are not like lake villages elsewhere, its people are distinct
in character and feature even from their neighbors a few leagues
distant, and its native boats, the curious-looking _balsas_, are
not quite like those of other waters. They are made of reeds or rushes,
called _totora_, found growing near the banks, which are first
woven into watertight rolls and then bound together with an extra roll
at the top to serve as a protection. They have broad, flat sails, also
of reeds, and are pushed through the water by means of a long pole.
They formerly carried a great deal of freight between the lake ports,
but since the inauguration of the present steamship line they are used
only by the Indians. It is entertaining to look at them as they float
idly on the water, with their miscellaneous cargoes of _chuños_,
llamas, and Indians, or scud before a sharp breeze with astonishing
rapidity. They are managed with great dexterity; and as the Indian is
a good weather prophet, he is seldom wrecked, though the storms on the
lake are at times very destructive. Professor A. F. Bandelier, of the
Hispanic Society of America, New York, spent several months on the
islands of Lake Titicaca studying their archæology, and he gives a very
interesting description of the natural phenomena of the lake: “During
winter the sky is mostly of an intense blue, the air chilling, while
the sun’s rays scorch and burn the face and hands. Still, thunderstorms
occur every month, and snowfalls are not uncommon. In summer a lowering
sky often covers the mountain ranges, thunderstorms are of almost daily
occurrence, thunderbolts very frequent, and waterspouts not rare. We
saw two together, in the middle of the lake, and reliable informers
state that as many as five have been observed at the same time. During
tempestuous nights St. Elmo’s fire gleams on the steamers’ masts. And
yet, rare is the evening when, for a few hours at least, the Bolivian
cordillera does not shine out, even if thin vapor rises before it
from the deep gorges at its foot, and seldom is the whole chain, from
the Carabaya range in the north to Illimani in the south, completely
shrouded. In August when winter is at its height and the skies are
cloudless, the Bolivian Andes display an Alpine glow of unrivalled
splendor.”
Whatever secrets the islands and rivers of Lake Titicaca conceal in
their mysterious past, science will no doubt bring them to light
some day, when the spirit of modern progress directs the study of
their origin and history with more interest than at present. It seems
incredible that in this advanced age there should exist a region so
rich in scientific problems and so generally unknown to scholars. The
few who have visited its shores and studied on its islands have found
material for wide speculation, and have expressed very conflicting
theories concerning its antiquity. But all have agreed as to the many
attractions offered by this picturesque lake to the traveller, whether
tourist or scientist; and as the South American route grows more
popular, Swiss lakes and Scottish highlands will be neglected for the
more marvellous charms of Lake Titicaca.
[Illustration: INDIAN PADDLING HIS “BALSA” ON LAKE
TITICACA.]
[Illustration: EXCAVATION IN PROGRESS, SHOWING CARVINGS,
TIAHUANACO.]