Both historical personage and mythical being, Manco Cápac—whose name means “splendid foundation” in Quechua—was the first Sapa Inca of the Kingdom of Cusco, and, along with his wife Mama Ocllo, founder of Incan Civilization. There are several variations about how all that went down, but the one we heard claimed that Cápac was the son of the Sun God, Inti, and that he and his sister were sent to earth to save human beings from themselves. Appearing one day from either the waters of Lake Titicaca, or the cave of Pacaritambo, Cápac and Ocllo would settle on the Isla del Sol, where they planted a golden staff in honor of their father and proceeded to teach the humans the art of civilization. Incan emperors traced their lineage back to this divine couple, and in so doing, to the Sun God himself.

The historical Cápac is said to have ruled the Kingdom of Cusco for forty years in the 12th century, during which time he created a code of laws and quite possibly got rid of human sacrifice.