Ollantay & Cusi Coyllur
The Inca love with a happy ending
The common-born general Ollantay loves Cusi Coyllur ("Joyful Star"), daughter of emperor Pachacútec; rebuffed for not being royal, he rebels for a decade while she is imprisoned, until the new emperor pardons and reunites them.
01Why it matters
It is the masterpiece of Quechua literature and, rare in the world canon, has a happy ending.
02The conflict
The class divide: a commoner cannot love a daughter of the Inca.
03The iconic moment
Túpac Yupanqui's pardon and the reunion with their daughter Ima Súmac.
04What survived
The Quechua drama "Ollantay"; the site of Ollantaytambo.
05Where to travel
06Frequently asked questions
Why is the story of Ollantay & Cusi Coyllur famous?
It is the masterpiece of Quechua literature and, rare in the world canon, has a happy ending.
How does the story of Ollantay & Cusi Coyllur end?
Túpac Yupanqui's pardon and the reunion with their daughter Ima Súmac. The Quechua drama "Ollantay"; the site of Ollantaytambo.
Where can you visit the story of Ollantay & Cusi Coyllur?
You can visit Ollantaytambo, in Valle Sagrado. The Inca fortress that bears his name.
Related loves
Popocatépetl & Iztaccíhuatl
The warrior who became a volcano
The warrior sent to war who receives a false report of his death; the princess dies of grief and he watches over her body forever. The two become Mexico's twin volcanoes.
Read the story
Naipí & Tarobá
The love that created Iguazú Falls
The maiden Naipí, destined to be sacrificed to the serpent god M'Boi, flees by canoe with the warrior Tarobá; the enraged god splits the river to create the falls, turning her to rock and him to a tree leaning over the water.
Read the story
The Cantuta legend
Two mountains that reconciled
The enmity of two kings passes to their sons, who kill each other but forgive in death; Pachamama turns their stars into the snow peaks Illimani and Illampu, their snow "tears of regret."
Read the story