Ecuador has a very rich and diverse cultural heritage. I’m just gonna share a bit of the important symbols we can find here, related to different regions and peoples.
Let’s start with Andean people, mostly related to Inca traditions and symbols (or what has survived of them):
Chacana or Andean Cross: The chacana is a stepped cross with four arms and a square hole in the center. Each arm represents one of the four cardinal points and three cosmogonic levels: Hanan Pacha (upperworld), Kay Pacha (earthly world), and Uku Pacha (innerworld or underworld). In the center, the void symbolizes the heart of the universe, the connection with the Great Spirit, and the axis of cosmic harmony.
Inti (Solar Disc): Inti, the Inca sun god, was represented by a golden disc or rays radiating light. He was the protector of agriculture and the source of life. His cult sought to ensure the fertility of the land and the well-being of the community.
Mama Quilla (Moon): Represented as a silver disc or crescent moon, Mama Quilla is the moon goddess linked to female cycles, the agricultural calendar, and purification rituals. Her presence regulates the inner and outer tides, balancing the world of water and emotions.
Amaru (Cosmic Serpent): In the Quichua dialect, Amaru means snake and is considered a mythical being that represents the perpetuation of life and wisdom. It’s seen as a bridge between the underworld with the surface. It also represents duality between opposites, reflecting the complexity of nature and the interaction between the spiritual and the material.
Puma: The puma embodies strength and vigilance in the Kay Pacha (earthly world). As guardian of the valleys and mountains, its silhouette was often carved into ceremonial stones to protect the roads, guard the crops and call for bravery upon warriors.
K'uychi (Rainbow): The rainbow, a bridge between heaven and earth, is a symbol of alliance and balance. In textiles and ceramics, the multicolored pigments of the k'uychi invoke harmony between opposites and the uninterrupted cycle of renewal.
Andean Spiral: The spiral is drawn on ceramics, stone, and textiles to represent the flow of vital energy (the path of the spirit). It evokes both the movement of the sun and the cycles of birth, death, and rebirth that all forms of life go through.
When it comes to the Coastal and Amazonian regions, I want to share with you the following symbols (just a few among a great number of them):
Magical symbols of the Ecuadorian Amazon
Yagé (Ayahuasca): This plant pattern, often depicted as a cluster of intertwined leaves and vines, is the symbol of Amazonian shamanic medicine. It invokes inner vision and spiritual healing, connecting the drinker with the forces of the jungle and the ancestors.
Jaguar: In wood carvings and body paintings, the jaguar appears as a central figure. It represents protective power, secret knowledge of the jungle, and access to the nocturnal spiritual world.
Hummingbird: Shamans often depict the hummingbird as a messenger between humans and the spirits of vegetation. Its bright colors symbolize the lightness of the soul and the ability to attract blessings.
Magical symbols of the Ecuadorian coast
Spiral petroglyphs: Carved into rocks along rivers and cliffs, these spirals record astronomical cycles (solstices and equinoxes). They functioned as ceremonial calendars to align communal life with the cosmos.
Birds and Monkeys in Petroglyphs: The figures of birds and monkeys represent migrations, fertility, and the interdependence between land and sea. In coastal rituals, offerings were made next to these engravings to ask for abundant fishing and protection from storms.
