The solar eclipse was so important to the Incas because they considered it a “grave matter” and the sorcerers believed that the eclipse “predicted the death of a prince.” Therefore, they believed that the Sun went into mourning, so they made sacrifices of young boys, girls, gold, silver and cattle. Women went on long fasts, wore clothes that represented sadness, and offered frequent sacrifices. For the Inca it was essential to make the Sun "happy" and not mourn any loss. They wanted a way to show their love and dedication to the Sun. The Incas enjoyed making sacrifices to the Sun demonstrating their appreciation for all it did for them. The Sun was very important to them because it represented the “man” of the family or “husband”, the Moon represented the “woman” of the family or “wife”, and the Stars represented their daughters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The sun (in conjunction with the Earth) had power over all food: it was by its will that crops grew and animals thrived. The Moon was a woman, the wife of the Sun. The Incas believed that the eclipse of the Moon was caused by a serpent or mountain lion trying to devour her. One of the things the Inca could not predict were solar eclipses, they felt the eclipses caused them problems. They tried to scare the snake by pointing their weapons and shouting. They would also try to understand why the Inti was displeased and sacrifices would be offered. Human sacrifices were not a common practice, but sometimes an eclipse was a reason to make that kind of sacrifice. The ruling Inca often fasted for days after an eclipse and performed public duties.