por The hatunrunas they were a group of common men who were part of the social system of the Inca Empire. Its population was divided into two parts: the yanaconas, individuals who were placed at the service of the kings; and, the mitimaes, hatunrunas capable of raising cattle, serving in the militia and dedicating themselves to fishing and handicrafts.
The hatunrunas were workers since they were little, before reaching their majority they had to help their parents with all the chores at home and in the fields, depending on their age and sex.
The girls helped their mothers and the boys their fathers. Everything that the hatunrunas did was strictly ordered and evaluated by the Inca State.
The hatunrunas were, above all, farmers and ranchers. They had, as in feudal times, the payment for their daily work in food for their home and clothing for their family, and not in money or coins.
The Hatunrunas were undoubtedly the labor force of the Inca Empire and thanks to them, the Incas were able to advance as a society.
Main characteristics and stages of the life of the hatunrunas
As part of a society, the hatunrunas had customs, rites, ceremonies, and religion. They were part of the Incas, but at the same time they had a different culture from the rest of the peoples and ethnic groups, with characteristics of their lifestyle, location and knowledge.
Below are the most important characteristics of the hatunrunas.
beginning of life
Hatunruna women were strong, they did not let themselves be carried away by pain. When a pregnant woman was going to give birth, she would simply go to the nearest river and, squatting down, she would push until she had the baby in her arms.
Once out of the womb, the same woman bathed the newborn in the river water and cut its umbilical cord with one bite.
After that, to avoid infections in the little one, the woman smeared a kind of herbal ointment with an antiviral and antibacterial effect.
Immediately after giving birth, the woman continued with her daily chores, be it fishing, cooking or less fateful things like washing clothes. Hatunrunas women were an example of firmness before society.
The children received their names when they got home. Usually a baby’s name corresponded to the most prominent physical feature of her or to the place where she was given birth.
child life
Hatunruna infants were breastfed from the ground, that is, their mother did not pick them up. Neither did she hold the baby or help him walk.
When a child of about a year old (average age at which he began to take steps) began to walk, his parents would open a hole in the ground and put him in up to the waist.
It was believed that pampering a child would make him a weak man, so children were treated strictly even from a young age.
When they reached enough age to help their parents in the common tasks imposed by the hierarchs of the Inca Empire, then the boys accompanied their fathers and the girls accompanied their mothers.
From childhood, the way of learning was through observation, example and repetition of the same actions as their predecessors.
While the girls learned to weave, cook, pick flowers, wash in the river and even fish. Boys learned to hunt, fight, raise cattle, grow plants, and other stronger pursuits.
The hatunrunas, in certain cases, were considered well-paid slaves by the nobles. Although their tasks were arduous and continuous, they did not lack food, clothing, or a hut where they could take refuge.
coming of age
Hatunrunas women had to marry when they came of age, it was a law. The formation of new homes every 18 years allowed the hatunrunas to combat the deaths of the war and provided the Inca Empire with a large young population, suitable for heavy construction work, and other jobs that demanded a labor force.
For their part, men got married, if and only if they returned from the war. Usually at age 25. Thus, an annual ceremony was held where all 25-year-old men and 18-year-old women were randomly paired.
alternative marriage
Apart from the communal marriage ceremony that was the Inca custom, the hatunrunas had an alternative marriage in which the man chose a woman and lived with her for a while.
In this way, men determined if the woman they chose was good at housework. If she was good, they married.
Whatever the method of marriage, the hatunrunas could only have one woman. Polygamists were punished by death.
The right to polygamy was only held by kings and leaders of the highest government.
Activity of the elderly
The hatunrunas lived in a monotonous manner, carrying out their daily activities unequivocally for half their lives. When they turned 50, they retired from military service because they no longer had the strength, vitality and resistance that the Inca Empire required.
Likewise, the service they provided to the Inca government was diminished, whether as ranchers, farmers, fishermen, hunters, masons or potters.
The men owned their homes and their utensils and tools, however, they did not own the land they inhabited. Said spaces and lands belonged to the State and it lent them to the hatunrunas for their comfort, in gratitude for their years of service.
In the same way, having decreased services to the Inca Empire, food and clothing also decreased.
However, the governors created a system by which they could feed the adults and provide them with at least the minimum sustenance to avoid calamity, disease and death.
In addition, by the age of 50, the vast majority of Hatunrunas had young sons who served and worked, with the sons helping the parents.
Last years of the hatunrunas
At the end of the life of the hatunrunas, both men and women amused themselves with festivals and religious ceremonies that lasted several days.
Old age meant rest and joy to them, after having lived hard and busy. It was popular for the festivities to drink «acja», an alcoholic drink made from corn.
The older adults, although they had fun and rested from the arduous tasks, did not stop working. They had to make ropes and sacks, raise small animals, and correct the children.
References
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Alan L. Kolata. (2013). Ancient Inca. Google Books: Cambridge University Press.
Stanley Diamond. (1980). Anthropology: Ancestors and Heirs. Google Books: Walter deGruyter.
Paul Richard Steele, Catherine J. Allen. (2004). Handbook of Inca Mythology. Google Books: ABC-CLIO.
Brooke Larson, Olivia Harris, Enrique Tandeter. (nineteen ninety five). Ethnicity, Markets, and Migration in the Andes: At the Crossroads of History and Anthropology. Google Books: Duke University Press.
Gordon Francis McEwan. (2006). The Incas: New Perspectives. Google Books: ABC-CLIO.
Cesar Ferreira, Eduardo Dargent-Chamot. (2003). Culture and Customs of Peru. Google Books: Greenwood Publishing Group.
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