>I'm pulling some dusty memories out of the bin of history.... According to Dewy Farnsworth, IIRC, one of the reasons why the Inca's were not totally suprised by the appearance of bearded men on horses coming from across the waters was because they had a tradition predicting the *return* of such visitors. The extraction of the heart from sacrifical victims was a distortion of an earlier rite taught by the original visitors who claimed they were going to return in the future. Some believe (but I have not seen any evidence to support this) that the first visitors were early Christians or perhaps even an apostle. ???
>JLK
Yes, I heard that that was the reason the Spaniards could overcome the Incas easily - at first, the Incas thought that they were the ancient prophets, promised long ago.
Another reason, I understand, is that the Inca empire also had internal problems (two brothers fighting over the throne), making them more vulnerable.
Hilmar.
Difference in opinions hath cost many millions of lives: for instance, whether flesh be bread, or bread be flesh; whether whistling be a vice or a virtue; whether it be better to kiss a post, or throw it into the fire... (from Gulliver's Travels)
