Taira, the dawn of art in Atacama – 2017
The Milky Way as seen in the Southern Hemisphere. Photo, ESO/S. Brunier, 2009.
Yakana, the Celestial Llama, in the Milky Way.
Yakana, the Celestial Llama, in the Milky Way.
icto-engraving representing the Yakana constellation on Panel VIII of Alero Taira. (Figures enhanced with digital treatment.).
Mayu, the Andean Milky Way
To Andean peoples, the Milky Way is Mayu, the Heavenly River that is home to the fox, the llama and its offspring, the tinamou, the frog and the snake. These animals can be seen in the shadowy parts of our galaxy known as “dark constellations”.
One of these constellations is the Celestial Llama or Yakana, whose appearance in the night sky coincides with the arrival of summer. She appears feeding her offspring, as earthly llamas do at that time of year.
