Within Incan religious beliefs they combined aspects of animism and a respect for nature. They would worship the sun, the moon, the cosmos, human progenitors, the highest of the mountains and such natural phenomena as lightning and thunder.
It was believed that the head of the panthenon Viracocha created the celestial realm and the earth, and after forming these he wandered the earth teaching humankind the arts of civilisation.
As the sun was worshipped it was believed to be the most powerful aspect of nature as its powerful energy warms the earth, it is vital for life and produces crops; thus sustaining mankind and its civilisations. The incan’s, due to their belief that Inti (the sun god) was the head of the state religion and a greatly important god, they believed themselves to be the descendants of the sun.
As the sun was the most powerful aspect of nature, so the earth was venerated as the mother of all earthly life.