Incas Masks and Masks in Our Life

We are human and we can be afraid to be rejected or put aside for the simple fact of being
different. We want to belong and be accepted but what is the price to be accepted; people
today use masks to cover their true being either because they have some fear or want to
belong or maybe they feel out of series with people. The masks that are used can protect us
either sentimentally or physically, for example, a child who is rude and large may be afraid of
being bullied and that is why he is the one who even does not like doing it. That child protects
himself from bullyers by bullying. But in ancient Peru what were the masks used for?
The masks in Peru have existed since the pre-hispanic era according to the evidence in
Toquepala and you can see the images in the Moche ceramics where masked characters or
half human and bird faces are presented but historians also found evidence in Mochica and
other nearby cities. In those cities the masks were used for religious rituals, For example,
When someone die the Incas need to shown the cult of the dead, so when they buried the
dead people, they dressed them with Golden masks to show their greatness. But it must be
added that not all the masks were made of gold but could also be made of wood, ceramic and
copper. They could also have other elements that would accompany them as in the Lord of
Sipan mask or the best mask of the Inca civilization was the Gold mask, this mask was created
when they conquer the capital in 1476. They took the best artists and make beautiful masks.
The painted wooden figures where placed at the start of every temple or some special places.
But we also have to recognize that the missionaries who came from Spain since they used
masks in the form of demons and angels to teach the Incas the Catholic religion and with the
passage of time they began to use them in festivals and celebrations. Of course, these masks
have changed over time and we can observe these changes with the masks of the
missionaries but the Incas or Peruvians continue to use them now?

Today the masks are still used but in some regions and only for celebrations. For example, in
Cusco there is a festival that is in tribute to the virgin of Carmen in which it is filled with dances
and one of the most important characters is the machu, who wears a truly grotesque mask.
There is also the celebration of the Candelaria day in Puno where there is a representation
with a great variety of masks. The most important or the one that stands out the most is the
devil king mask which has a golden crown. They also have another dance called la diabla in
which they are huge tin masks, they are really striking. But how we can use this maks on our
daily life?

In our daily life we can use many masks and for many reasons, but one thing that we have in
common with the Incas is that they are used for teaching, they were taught with masks and we
teach people with them, for example, how many times are you dying of fear and you but on a
mask of courage to teach a friend, brother or even a stranger that there is nothing to be afraid
of. We can teach good things like the example or bad things such as putting on a mask to be
accepted, you know why you want to belong there but you are aware that when you put on a
mask there are more people there with masks because they want the same thing as you and
the person that manipulates others is harming others.

Fear can make us wear one or more masks but we must remember that these masks should
not cover what we really are. People get lost in the reality of those masks and can do things
that are against what they are. Masks can protect us and help us grow, but they can also put
us in a world full of lies. It must be remembered that not all people are like us and they do not
think like us and they must be accepted in this way and perhaps in this way people will stop
wearing these masks and show themselves as they are to the world.
DK History: Incas. (2019, junio 26). Recuperado de
https://www.factmonster.com/history/world/dk-history-incas

https://www.aboutespanol.com/las-mascaras-en-peru-1190666