Mama Quilla - Beliefs

Beliefs

Mama Quilla was known as "Mother Moon", and was goddess of the moon. According to Father Bernabé Cobo, writing in the mid-sixteenth century, the moon was worshipped because of her "admirable beauty" and the "benefits she bestows upon the world". She was important for calculating the passage of time and the calendar, due to the fact that many rituals were based upon the lunar calendar and adjusted to match the solar year. She also oversaw marriage, women's menstrual cycles and was deemed the protector of women in general.