The Story:
Act 1 begins with a gathering of Inca Indians, performing a ceremony in preparation for the sacrifice of a young girl on the mountain. They chant a traditional Inca prayer to their chief God, Viracocha.
Act 1 begins with a gathering of Inca Indians, performing a ceremony in preparation for the sacrifice of a young girl on the mountain. They chant a traditional Inca prayer to their chief God, Viracocha.
Click here to hear an excerpt from the ceremony. (414KB, 34 sec.)
"Viracocha!" |
Francisco Pizarro arrives with his soldiers, priests, and his accountant. They arrest and execute an Inca priest who is holding a quipus, a group of knotted strings used by the Indians (who have no writing) to record events and beliefs. Saying that it is full of blasphemy, they burn the quipus.
Among the Spaniards is Pedro, a young nephew of Pizarro, who came along to keep a record of events. He meets an Inca girl, and the two become friends. As the accountant records the loot brought in by the soldiers, the girl overhears.
Among the Spaniards is Pedro, a young nephew of Pizarro, who came along to keep a record of events. He meets an Inca girl, and the two become friends. As the accountant records the loot brought in by the soldiers, the girl overhears.
Click here to listen to an excerpt. (863KB, 1 min 13 sec.)
Don Diego: One fifth for the King. He will expect his share. Pizarro will deliver what he promised. Girl: Who is your king? Who is your king? Don Diego: Charles the Fifth. The greatest Prince in the world! Cortez returned to Spain. He carried wealth beyond belief! Treasure from Moctezuma. The King grew thirsty for more, made Francisco the governor, and sent him here. He will be pleased. Already we have secured more than Cortez, and we’re not done yet. All the temples in Cuzco have been emptied. Girl: You take our land! You destroy our temples! You make our people slaves! We pray and offer sacrifices to God that you will leave us alone. That is why we do it. We pray that you will all go away and leave us in peace! Our Viracocha is a God of Peace. |
In the next scene, the Spaniards discuss how primitive and cruel the Inca are. The girl asks Pedro how they defeated the Inca King, Atahualpa. We hear parts of the two separate conversations.
Click here to listen to an excerpt. (1.52MB, 2 min 13 sec..)
Girl: How did you defeat our King, the Sapa Inca Atahualpa? His army would cover all the hills, and you are so few. Pedro: Pizarro, with 180 men, camped in the shelter around the plaza at Caxamarca. They pretended to be friendly, and since their force was so small, the King did not fear them. He greeted them the next day in friendship, bringing thousands of citizens to pay them honor. Bishop: (Separate conversation) These Inca are a bloody race. Pedro: On a signal from the Governor, his troops fired a cannon, and all his men leapt on the Indians. Of course, we had swords, and the Indians were unarmed. So Pizarro’s men killed about 7,000 of them – many more had their arms cut off – and then they captured Atahualpa. Girl: What did they do to him? Friar: We must convert them to the True Faith! Pedro: They made him collect all of the gold and silver in the kingdom, and bring it for ransom. When they had filled a room with it, they voted to burn him alive. Bishop: The Inca are a cruel race! Girl: The poor King! Pedro: But then the Friar urged them to have mercy. He is a very kind man. He made an offer to the King: Convert to Christ, and you will not be burned alive. So the King agreed to be converted, and he was strangled instead. |
While the Spanish criticize the morals of the Inca society, the girl asks about the conquest of Cuzco.
Click here to listen to an excerpt. (369KB, 31 sec..)
Girl: I heard that when Cuzco fell, the Spanish soldiers gathered the nuns from the temple and raped them all. Pedro: According to the Bishop, that was okay. You just have to believe it. Some things cannot be understood by ordinary people like you and me. But trust the Bishop. It was okay. |