Mama Killa , the Moon Mother

Mama Killa (Mama Quilla)

Silver Moon Mother of the Andes, sister and wife of the Sun, keeper of the months

Mama Killa, the Moon Mother, is the moon goddess of the Inca and of the Andes. Her name is Quechua for 'Mother Moon'; older Spanish chronicles spell it Mama Quilla. Killa means both moon and month, so festivals and sowing followed her phases. She is sister and wife of Inti the Sun, and ranked among the highest deities of the Inca state.

Devotees turned to her as protector of women, marriage and the monthly cycle. In Cusco's Coricancha her chamber stood beside the Sun's, lined with silver, said to be her tears. Today Killa Raymi honours the moon each September at the equinox, with offerings, prayers and dances, notably in Ecuador, where it is linked to Indigenous midwifery.

Mama Killa (Mama Quilla)

No. 241

How to recognise Mama Killa , the Moon Mother

Silver discLook for a large round disc of silver, the form Inti's golden sun-disc mirrors; no original image survives, so every picture is a reconstruction.
Woman's faceThe disc carries a calm, rounded, gentle human face, for she was imagined as a woman of admirable beauty.
Silver, white and pale blueSilver is her metal as gold is Inti's, and in the Coricancha her chamber was lined with silver, said to be the tears of the Moon.
Night sky or silver chamberShe is set against the night sky or a silver-lined wall, echoing her chamber beside the Sun's temple in Cusco.
The Sun oppositeWhen Inti appears, he is a small gold disc facing her, a reminder of the paired Sun and Moon of the Inca state.
Waning quarter moonFelipe Guaman Poma's 1615 chronicle draws the moon in a waning quarter with a human face, opposite a sun with a human face.

Names and titles

Mother MoonThe literal meaning of Mama Killa: mama 'mother', killa 'moon'
Sister and Wife of IntiHer place beside the Sun in the Inca pairing of Sun and Moon
Protector of WomenHonoured as guardian of women, marriage and the monthly cycle
Tears of SilverIn Inca belief silver was the tears of the Moon, so her Coricancha chamber was lined with it
One Word for Moon and MonthKilla means both moon and month; her phases set the festival calendar

Feast days

Killa Raymi21 September, every year

Killa Raymi, the Moon Festival, is one of the four Raymi festivals of the Andean agricultural calendar. Devotees keep it as a festival of the moon, women and the fertility of the earth. It marks the start of soil preparation and sowing.
How it's celebrated. In Ecuador, communities hold ceremonies with offerings, prayers, music and dance, and give thanks to Pachamama and Killa for the seeds. Large gatherings take place in places such as Cuenca, and at El Tambo and Ingapirca in Cañar province. Corn is central, with local festivals such as the Fiesta del Yamor in Otavalo. Names and details differ by community. Kulla Raymi, Kuya Raymi and Fiesta de la Luna are among the other names.
Sources: PWRDF: Killa Raymi Festival and Indigenous midwifery honour life in Ecuador · Not Your Average American: A Raymi Festival for Every Season · CuencaHighLife: Killa Raymi celebration attracts thousands to Cuenca