Homosexuality in ancient Peru
Encyclopedia
Some evidence for homosexuality
in ancient Peru has survived since the Spanish conquest of Peru in the form of erotic ceramics (Spanish
: huacos eróticos). Such pottery originated from several ancient civilizations of Peru, the most famous of these being the Moche
and Chimu cultures.
Francisco de Toledo and the priests were aghast to discover that homosexuality was accepted and that the indigenous population also did not prohibit premarital sex
or hold female chastity
to be of any particular importance.
This tolerant view of sexuality was suppressed. One of Peru's most famous colonial-era churchmen, Jesuit José de Acosta
, wrote in 1590:
Historian Maximo Terrazos describes how the Spanish reconciled this native sexuality with the Catholic faith
:
cultures, especially the Moche, created at least tens of thousands of ceramics (Spanish
: huacos
). Many such ceramics were sexual in nature, though most (as much as 80 percent) depict heterosexual anal intercourse. Others depict intercourse between women and intercourse between men. One shows a pair of erections joined together. All Moche erotic pottery has been found in the ceremonial context of tombs with some depicting two male skeletons masturbating while others show skeletons engaged in lesbian anal intercourse and gay male anal intercourse.
, masturbation
and a common social practice which roughly translated from the native Quechua means "trial marriage". As Terrazos describes, "You couldn't talk about them because they were considered [pornographic]." They were prohibited due to "taboo imposed by the Christian religion that men have sex only for procreation and that women do not experience sexual pleasure."
in Lima
, Peru
is well known for its gallery of pre-Columbian erotic pottery.
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in ancient Peru has survived since the Spanish conquest of Peru in the form of erotic ceramics (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: huacos eróticos). Such pottery originated from several ancient civilizations of Peru, the most famous of these being the Moche
Moche
'The Moche civilization flourished in northern Peru from about 100 AD to 800 AD, during the Regional Development Epoch. While this issue is the subject of some debate, many scholars contend that the Moche were not politically organized as a monolithic empire or state...
and Chimu cultures.
Arrival of Spanish and banning of homosexuality
Once the Spanish arrived they were astonished at the sexual practices of the natives. ViceroyViceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
Francisco de Toledo and the priests were aghast to discover that homosexuality was accepted and that the indigenous population also did not prohibit premarital sex
Premarital sex
Premarital sex is sexual activity, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex, practiced by persons who are unmarried. Although it has always been practiced, in the West it has increased in prevalence since the mid-1950s...
or hold female chastity
Chastity
Chastity refers to the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion....
to be of any particular importance.
This tolerant view of sexuality was suppressed. One of Peru's most famous colonial-era churchmen, Jesuit José de Acosta
José de Acosta
José de Acosta was a Spanish 16th-century Jesuit missionary and naturalist in Latin America.-Life:...
, wrote in 1590:
Historian Maximo Terrazos describes how the Spanish reconciled this native sexuality with the Catholic faith
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
:
Ceramics
Over a span of 800 years, pre-Columbian central AndeanAndes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
cultures, especially the Moche, created at least tens of thousands of ceramics (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: huacos
Huaco (pottery)
Huaco or Guaco is the generic name given in Peru mostly to earthen vessels and other finely made pottery artworks by the Indigenous peoples of the Americas found in pre-Columbian sites such as burial locations, sanctuaries, temples and other ancient ruins...
). Many such ceramics were sexual in nature, though most (as much as 80 percent) depict heterosexual anal intercourse. Others depict intercourse between women and intercourse between men. One shows a pair of erections joined together. All Moche erotic pottery has been found in the ceremonial context of tombs with some depicting two male skeletons masturbating while others show skeletons engaged in lesbian anal intercourse and gay male anal intercourse.
Destruction
Many of the ceramics, along with most indigenous icons, were smashed. In the 1570s, Toledo and his clerical advisers organized to eliminate sodomySodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
, masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
and a common social practice which roughly translated from the native Quechua means "trial marriage". As Terrazos describes, "You couldn't talk about them because they were considered [pornographic]." They were prohibited due to "taboo imposed by the Christian religion that men have sex only for procreation and that women do not experience sexual pleasure."
Survival
In spite of this organized effort to destroy these artifacts, many have survived to the present day. For decades, the erotic ceramics were locked away from the public, accessible only to an elite group of Peruvian social scientists. Occasionally and reluctantly they were made available to select foreign researchers from the United States and Europe. The Larco MuseumLarco Museum
The Larco Museum is a privately owned museum of pre-Columbian art, located in the Pueblo Libre District of Lima, Peru. The museum is housed in an 18th century vice-royal mansion built over a 7th century pre-Columbian pyramid. It showcases chronological galleries that provide a thorough overview of...
in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
is well known for its gallery of pre-Columbian erotic pottery.