The Antlers of a Trilemma: Rediscovering Andean Sacred Sites - Earth Stewardship: Linking Ecology and Ethics in Theory and Practice - page 58

Fig. 5.2 The sacred tree of the Utawalu runakuna is an Euphorbiacea ( Euphorbia laurifolia ),
known in Spanish as lechero and in Kichwa as Pinllu . Associated with the bodily fl uids of repro-
duction in humans, the white latex is ceremoniously collected and used in medicinal applications.
Connected with the fertility of the group, it receives the pagapu of byproducts of birth or even
fetuses that are respectfully buried in the soil around it. It also receives, as payments by lovers,
coins pressed onto its bark for prayers and wishes for good relations and prolifi c marriages. It is
revered on top of the man-made fortress or Pukara of Reyloma , literally the hill of the king. Often
referred to as Yayitu or Taitiku , it is the point of convergence of telluric forces of the Imbakucha
watershed, being the highest point between the two tall mountains that frame the Otavalo-Cotacachi
territory, between the male or Taita Imbabura volcano and the female or Mama Kutakachi volcano
(Photo: Fausto Sarmiento)
fertility of newly weds, but also can include the burying of fetuses, placentas, and
other matter associated with births or abortions in order to placate the fertility god
( wayakil ).
In Peru, several sites that were considered only as ruins in the past are (re)taking
center stage as places of spiritual power, esoteric wisdom, or other sacral property.
The best known example is Machu Picchu. This archaeological site was long held
to be the ruins of Inka buildings hidden in the cloud forests, but Machu Picchu offi -
cially is recognized as a Historical Sanctuary, a sacred site in the Inka citadel of the
isolated mountaintop. The sanctity of the site is highlighted by awe-inspiring vistas