tumi

Tumi (Quechua for 'Knife', variants: 'Tome', 'Tume'), is a generic term encompassing the many kinds of sharp tools utilized in pre- and post-colonial eras of the Central Andes region, Tumis were employed for a diverse set of purposes such as kitchen knives, agricultural tools, warrior or hunting secondary weapons, sacrificial knives, barber implements, pendants, or medical tools. In addition, the tumi form, in metal, was used as a type of coin. Pre-columbian Tumis were usually made of metal or stone. Overview Perhaps the highly ornate ax-shaped ceremonial tumis made by the North coastal Peruvian cultures are the most widely acknowledged, characterized by a semi-circular blade, made of either bronze, copper, gold-alloy, silver alloy or wood and often inlayed with semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli. Sacrificial Tumis are most often associated with Pre-Inca cultures in the Peruvian North Coastal Region and in some cases with the Inca culture itself. The most popular examples of ornamental tumis are associated with the Peruvian cultures of the Chimu and the Sican (also known as Lambayeque). In Inca mythology, Incas were descendants of the Sun God, Inti, who was worshipped annually with an extravagant celebration known as the 'Inti Raymi'rata (Quechua for "sun festival"), which is still alluded to today in the form of the Inti Raymi Festival. The festival took place at the end of the potato and maize harvest in order to thank the Sun for the abundant crops or to ask for better crops during the next season. During this important religious ceremony, the High Priest would sacrifice a completely black or white llama. Using a tumi, he would open the animal's belly and with his hands pull out its bowels, so that observing those elements he could foretell the future. Later, the animal and its parts were completely incinerated. Thanks to archaeological research, it is known that Andean cultures such as the Paracas or Inca have used tumis for the neurological procedure of skull trepanation. Many of these operations were carefully performed, suggesting that the surgery was done for the relief of some body disturbance other than that associated with injury, perhaps an organic or mental condition.