Day 7 - Post a picture about your culture and explain its significance

The Chakana

I am still learning a lot about this particular symbol, but as I was researching more about my Ecuadorian ancestry and came across this symbol. It has so many interpretations but it really spoke to me because of the connections to the symbols & interests that have already shaped my life over the years. So here are a few quick bullet points about this symbol.

A Chakana is an Andean symbol of the Incan civilization. Derived from the Quechua word "chakay," meaning "to cross" or "to bridge," a chakana is a 3-stepped symmetric "cross" with a hole in the center of it. Quechua is a language spoken in Andes of South America, including Ecuador!

• Corresponding to Incan mythology, the cross incorporates the three Incan tiers: Uqhu Pacha, underworld of death, Kay Pacha, world of the living, and Hanan Pacha, celestial world of the gods. there are twelve steps that surround the Chakana. 
• Its speculated that each of the twelve steps is said to represent the present day calendar year
• The four points of the inner cross can represent the four directions, North, South, East & West, as well as the four elements, Earth, Air, Water & Fire.
• It is also a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, which was one of the most important constellations in the Incan system. This constellation held great significance as it is comprised of four main stars, each correspnding to the cardinal points of the compass.
• The circle in the middle can be seen as representing the circle of life

The most facinating to me is the archeitural and mathematical implications of this symbol:

"Without a doubt, the chakana is most important of the inca symbols, but it hold another secret; The mathematics use keys to calculate numbers, like the PI number, PI is an irrational number with a very good approach to the value of the square root of ten, it is commonly use today, so the mathematicians theory is that the chakana was the equivalent of the PI number for us; The chakana as a geometrical figure, hold values and constants, that explain the fundamental mathematics so well, that it is hard to believe that it has been around us for more than 4000 years."

And I love math!!!!!! =D

 ~Z