Monday, June 17, 2013

Ollantay: Quechua Drama, Anonimo (18th c.?)

Here is an online version of the play, for your reading pleasure.



Sobre el autor y la obra
-          Es anónimo, no se sabe quien fue el autor
-          It was written in classic Quechua, so thought to be of Incan origin. It was probably adapted somewhat to fit Spanish/Western tradition.
-          The time period it was written in isn’t certain, but the story itself probably takes place between 1461 and 1471.
-          It was published in Spanish in 18th century, but thought to have been written much earlier and perpetuated by oral tradition.
-          The first written transcript was from a priest in the 18th century – Antonio Valdés
-          Three theories about its origin – completely Incan, totally Spanish colonial, or originally Incan with some Spanish colonial tweaks

Comps Example Questions
-          A comparison (thematic, aesthetic, ideological) of indigenous literatures (Popol Wuj,Warochirí,Ollantay) to other colonial texts (Las Casas, Colón, Cortés, Díaz del Castillo, Vaca)
-          Similarities and differences between indigenous self-representations Popol Wuj, Warochirí, Ollantay, Guamán Poma de Ayala and El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.

Personajes (bien definidos)
Principales
-          Pachacútec – Inca rey; encarna al Inca, ora magnánimo hasta la ternura, ora cruel hasta la vesania.
-          Ollántay – general rebelde que se enamora con Cusi, la hija del rey inca. Es tierno, apasionado, orgulloso y valiente
-          Cusi Coyllor – la hija del rey inca y la amante de Ollantay. Representa la hija dócil y la amante apasionada
-          Rumi Ñahui – general adicto a la corte imperial; expresa el servilismo cortesano y la rampante astucia. (Antenor Samaniego)
-          Tupac-Yupanqui – the Inca Pachacutec’s heir; the new Inca when Pachacutec dies
Secundarios
-          Chaski (Mensajero)
-          Ccoya o Anahuarqui (Reina madre, esposa de Pachakutiq)
-          Hanqu Wallu (Olla Blanda, un noble anciano, nombrado general tras la auto-coronación de Ullanta como Inca de los Antis, o pobladores del Antisuyu)
-          Ima Sumaq – hija de Ollantay and Cusi
-          Mama Ccacca (Madre Roca, gobernanta del Acllahuasi o casa de las escogidas)
-          Piqui Chaqui – gracioso compañero de Ollantay; se caracteriza por darle humor al drama
-          Pitu Salla (Cortesana, tutora de Ima Sumaq)
-          Orcco Huaranca – jefe supremo de los andícolas (Mil Montañas, general de Ullanta, su segundo al mando del ejército del Antisuyo)
-          Huillac Uma (Gran Brujo o Sumo Sacerdote)
-          Runas (Indios)
-          Llapankuna (Coro de Yaravíes)

Resumen
Ollantay, a general of the Inca king dude (Pachacútec) is crazy in love with Cusi Coyllor, the beautiful daughter of the Inca king. He reveals his love for her, and since that would be too crazy of a social jump and is inappropriate for his social position, the Inca king throws him out of the court. The Inca king could have killed Ollantay, but didn’t want to because he was a loved servant with great talent and bravery. Ollantay goes into exile with his buddy Piquichaqui, threatening to come back and destroy the imperial city. Meanwhile, in the palace, Cusi Coyllor has been shut way in a gloomy cavern, where she will be forced to suffer for her sin. Cusi has a daughter, Ima Súmac, who is raised separate from her mother. She wanders all lonely-like through the palace galleries and gardens with her friend, Pitu Salla – she doesn’t know/understand about the mysterious sadness of the court. On the other hand, Ollantay has been amassing power elsewhere, and decides to march against the city of Cuzco with his troops, organized by the general Orco Huaranca. Ruminahui, the general of the Inca king, is sent with the goal of annihilating this rebellion, but his forces are destroyed. Túpac Yupanqui, the successor/heir of the Inca king, blames Ruminahui for being a coward, but Ruminahui promises to win against Ollantay and bring him back to the city in chains. Ruminahui lies to Ollantay, pretending to be severely injured, and manages to get into Ollantay’s castle and lets all the troops in there. The troops severely attack Ollantay and his homeboys. Meanwhile, Ima Súmac (Ollantay’s daughter) finds her mother, Cusi, imprisoned and looking ghastly. Then, the Inca king decides to pardon Ollantay, names him as a chief of the city of Cuzco, and allows him to marry Cusi. 

Temas/ideas importantes
-          Estilo de escritura
o   Written in verse
o   Divided in 3 acts (in Spanish traditional version) or 15 scenes (in Quechua original)
o   Not quite perfect rhyme scheme
o   Mixture of versos octosilábicos (8) y endecosilabicos (11)
-          Amor
o   El poder del amor; Ollantay no puede evitar de amar a Cusi aunque sea una mala decisión
-          Género
o   The women must be pure (think of the great condemnation against Cusi)
o   The men must be brave (Ollantay is the perfect example)
-          El “elemento humano” (¿Cómo son los indígenas?)
o   Major importance of obedience to Inca leaders – it’s a big deal that Ollantay rebels
o   Importance of bravery especially among men
o   Religious element – superstition and sacrifices
-          Clase social
o   They’re really not big into moving between social classes – major example is the criticism of Ollantay for wanting to marry upwards (Cusi)
o   No marriage outside of social classes (Cusi and Ollantay)
-          Bravery – major value of the Indians, especially the men
-          Religion
o   High priest Huillca-Uma has a relatively prominent role
o   Superstition – the steady belief in the readings of the quipus (device to read future with different colored threads)
o   Sacrifices (of animals)
-          Traición
o   Ollantay betrays the Inca Pachacutec by having sex with his daughter Cusi Coyllur
o   The Anti-Suyu nation betrays the Inca Pachacutec by joining Ollantay in his rebellion
o   The general Rumi-Nahui betrays Ollantay by lying to him and saying that the new Inca Tupac-Yupanqui is a fierce tyrant (in order to get into his castle to be able to defeat him)

Apuntes del texto
ACT ONE
Scene 1 – plaza en el Cuzco
-          Ollantay talks to his friend Piqui-Chaqui about his love for Cusi Ccoyllur, the daughter of the Inca. It’s clear that it’s a forbidden love. (Piqui-Chaqui: “El día que el Inca descubra tu pensamiento, te ha de cortar el cuello”)
-          Ollantay praises Cusi Ccoyllur (“una brillante flor”)

Scene 2
-          The priest and wise man Huillca-Uma adores the sun
-          Ollantay approaches Huillca-Uma to talk with him. Huillca-Uma reminds Ollantay of his great wisdom, and tells him that he has the power to make him a general, and that he knows he will be a leader one day. The Inca loves Ollantay; everyone does!
-          Huillca-Uma warns him not to seduce Cusi-Ccoyllur – it would be an inappropriate action. (“¿Qué, estás delirando por hacerte noble?”) Ollantay is determined and tells him that Cusi is already his wife (they’ve had sexual relations) and asks him to help him talk to her father, the Inca.

Scene 3
-          Ollantay gives himself a pep talk – “Eres valiente, no temas; tú no conoces el miedo”
-          He wants to go see Cusi

Scene 4
-          Cusi Ccoyllur and her mother Ccoya are talking. Ccoya asks Cusi why she’s so sad and if she has fallen in love with Ollantay and been with him.
-          Cusi says her lover has abandoned her.

Scene 5
-          The Inca Pachacutec comes in and finds Ccoya and Cusi (who is crying). Inca Pachacutec tells Cusi that he adores her and that she is the joy of his life and his favorite child, and he asks her why she’s crying.

Scene 6
-          Some children (boys) come out dancing and singing, with musical instruments.
-          One song: to Tuyallay (a bird?), about the harvest
-          Different children (girls) come out and start to sing about “dos palomas amorosas.”
-          Cusi tells them to stop singing because they are making her sad and she’s crying even more.

Scene 7
-          Inca Pachacutec, Ollantay, and Rumi-Nahui (another general) are talking about war plans. Ollantay asks to talk to Inca Pachacutec alone.
-          Stress on obedience – Inca Pachacutec asks other general Rumi-Nahui to leave and RN says “Tu pensamiento es el mío: que se cumpla en el acto.”

Scene 8
-          Ollantay’s monologue to Inca Pachacutec – “You know that I’ve always served you faithfully, and done good work for you. … en mérito de todo lo que te he servido, me acerco a ti como un siervo, humillándome a tus pies para que me asciendas algo más. So… will you give me your daughter Ccoyllur?”
-          Inca Pachacutec flips out and completely rejects Ollantay – you’re lower class, stay that way! “Miras demasiado alto.”

Scene 9
-          Ollantay’s little monologue – “Oh my gosh, I’m so sad! You’ve served so much, yet can’t get anything! Now I’ve lost my wife Cusi forever! I will have to break her heart… So I’ll become an enemy of Cuzco forever!”

Scene 10
-          Ollantay talks to Piqui-Chaqui about Cusi Ccoyllur. PC says that he went to the palace yesterday and didn’t see Cusi C. anywhere. The palace is all shut up and abandoned; not even the rats are there. Maybe they hung her?
-          And, everyone is looking for Ollantay to take him prisoner.
-          Song in the background: “Perdí una paloma que yo amaba”
-          Everyone has abandoned Ollantay and become his enemy. Ollantay is going to stick with his buddy Piqui-Chaqui, who is a bit afraid. Ollantay tells him, “Sé valiente; con eso, te tendrán miedo.”

ACT TWO
Scene 1 (Inca’s palace)
-          Inca Pachacutec talks with Rumi-Nahul. They are looking for Ollantay and haven’t found him.

Scene 2
-          Some old Indian comes out to talk to Inca Pachacutec and Rumi-Nahul. He has a quipu (which is an old Incan recording device with different colored threads). He says that the entire nation has been stirred up along with Ollantay.
-          Rumi-Nahul will march out with his men in the morning to find Ollantay and any other traitors.

Scene 3
-          Ollantay talks with the general Orcco-Huarancca. OH tells him “La valiente nación de Anti-Suyu ya te recibe y hast alas mujeres te aclaman.”
-          The Anti-Suyu nation has had tons of problems with the Inca Pachacutec in the past; the Inca charges them (makes them share resources). This year, Ollantay will defend them, against the Inca Pachacutec. Therefore, the entire nation adores and praises him, and says they want him to be their Inca.
-          Ollantay warns them that it will be a horrible, bloody and violent battle. Orcco reassures him that he has 30,000 men and there’s not one coward among them. Bring it!

Scene 4
-          Rumi-Nahui has barely escaped the battle with Ollantay alive. He talks to himself, and curses his situation and his weakness. Why didn’t he do more to beat Ollantay? He blames himself for the loss – he underestimated Ollantay’s strength and courage. How will he go back to the Inca Pachacutec now?

Scene 5 (Patio interior del templo de las vírgenes)
-          Ima-Sumac (Cusi and Ollantay’s daughter) is playing in the temple with her tutor/nurse Pitu-Salla. Pitu-Salla says that everyone loves/adores Ima-Sumac.
-          Ima-Sumac says that she’s very unhappy and doesn’t like her life in the temple because everyone is sad there. She also mentions her lack of a mother – “¡Quién sabe si estoy clausurada porque no tengo madre!”

Scene 6
-          Mama-Ccacca (governess or something of the temple) comes to talk to Pitu-Salla about Ima-Sumac. Ima-Sumac needs to get dressed and ready in a certain way so that she will be “chosen” and not left behind as a servant (I imagine this is some type of religious thing).
-          Mama-Ccacca: “Di su nombre, dilo; pues dentro de estas paredes todo queda sepultado como en la nieve, y hasta el nombre se olvida” (reference to Cusi?)

Scene 7 (Calle de Cuzco)
-          Rumi-Nahui and Piqui-Chaqui run into each other in the street. They start to argue, because Rumi considers Piqui-Chaqui to be a traitor, since he went with Ollantay.
-          Rumi-Nahui reveals that the Inca Pachacutec has died, and everyone is mourning. The next leader will be Tupac-Yupanqui, one of Pachacutec’s sons.

Scene 8 (palacio del Inca)
-          Tupac-Yupanqui (Inca heir) is talking to Huillca-Uma (high priest). Today should be a day of great celebration and religious festivity, since there’s a new Inca. The one problem is that we still need to defeat the rebellious nation of Anti-Suyu (with Ollantay).
-          Rumi-Nahui (general) asks Tupac-Yupanqui for forgiveness for any of his past errors – he really wants to help defeat Ollantay and the nation of Anti-Suyu. Priest Huillca-Uma says it will happen soon, according to the readings in the quipus.

Scene 9 (campo cerca de la fortaleza de Ollantay)
-          Rumi-Nahui shows up as a “fugitive,” covered in blood. He asks a random Indian to send for the Inca (Ollantay) for help, but doesn’t tell him who he is.

Scene 10
-          Ollantay shows up and finds Rumi-Nahui, who introduces himself and begs for mercy and tells him he adores him.
-          Ollantay asks him what happened and says he loves him and will help him. Rumi-Nahui tells him that the new Inca Tupac-Yupanqui is a fierce tyrant and is being very violent with his people. Rumi begs Ollantay for help, and Ollantay agrees and says they will have a great festival to adore the sun together so that everything goes well for them.

ACT THREE
Scene 1
-          Ima-Sumac talks to Pitu-Salla and asks who is crying hidden in the garden, and why she’s not allowed to enter that area. Pitu-Salla says she will tell/show her, but that it’s a big secret and it will cause her great pain. Ima-Sumac agrees to keep the secret and Pitu says that she will show her that night.

Scene 2
-          Later that night, Pitu-Salla shows up with a candle, a cup of water, and some food. She goes with Ima-Sumac and opens the door to a cavern… “He aquí la princesa a quien tu corazón busca.”
-          Ima-Sumac is terribly frightened and faints. Pitu-Salla wakes her up and says not to be afraid – “es una princesa que en este lugar se lamenta.”
-          The woman (Cusi) is like a cadaver, almost dead. Pitu-Salla tells Ima-Sumac to give her some food and water. Cusi tells Ima-Sumac that she is very happy to see her, and Ima asks her why she is so oppressed and anguished. Cusi explains that she married someone against the Inca’s will.
-          Cusi asks Ima-Sumac who she is, and realizes that it’s her daughter and says that she’s her mother. Pitu-Salla says that they need to go now, and Ima-Sumac tells her mother that she’ll come back for her.

Scene 3 (Sala en el palacio del Inca)
-          Inca Tupac-Yupanqui asks the priest Huillca-Uma for an update on Rumi-Nahui and Ollantay, and the priest says that Ollantay has been defeated.
-          Inca Tupac is happy – “Nuestro padre el Sol nos ha favorecido, como que soy de su linaje.”

Scene 4
-          An old Indian shows up with a quipu to give the Inca Tupac news, and the priest Huillca reads the quipu and says that Ollantay and the Anti-Suyu nation have been defeated.
-          The Inca Tupac asks the Indian for his report, and the Indian says that Rumi-Nahui had come to see him and told him his plan. They had to go during the night, because Ollantay and his men were going to have a big party, and meanwhile, we would be able to come in with our army and surprise them… it went exactly according to plan.

Scene 5
-          Rumi-Nahui comes to talk to the Inca Tupac-Yupanqui, all victorious and happy. They have defeated Ollantay but not too much blood has been shed – they took everyone prisoner; they’re waiting for their punishment.
-          Lots of focus on not killing off the nation: Inca Tupac doesn’t want a lot of bloodshed, and so he asked Rumi to take people prisoner rather than killing them. Rumi says they can kill people as punishment, “pero es menester separar a las mujeres que están embarazadas, pues ellas bastan para la propagación de la especie.”

Scene 6
-          Inca Tupac-Yupanqui goes to meet the traitors – Ollantay, Ancco-Allu (rebel general), Orcco-Huarancca (rebel general), and Piqui-Chaqui.
-          Piqui-Chaqui says that if they’re going to kill his friends, they have to kill him too.
-          The Inca Tupac asks the traitors why they betrayed him. They don’t answer, and Inca Tupac asks the priest Huillca-Uma and the general Rumi-Nahui what he thinks their punishment should be (how they should die). Huillca-Uma says he has a soft heart, he doesn’t know. Rumi-Nahui says they should be trampled by the Inca’s soldiers and then their army should be killed by bow and arrow.
-          Then, all of the sudden, the Inca Tupac decides he will have mercy on them and sets them free, and makes Ollantay an official governor of Cuzco (like the Inca instead of him…)
-          Ollantay pledges his obedience and allegiance to the Inca Tupac.
-          Then, the Inca Tupac tells Ollantay that he can marry whoever he wants so he will be happy. Ollantay says that he’s already married, and the Inca Tupac says he wants to meet his wife, Ollantay says he’s lost her.
-          Then, Ima-Sumac shows up crying and tells them to let her speak.

Scene 7
-          Ima-Sumac approaches the Inca Tupac and begs for his mercy, and says that her mother has been locked away and left to slowly die. The Inca Tupac demands to know who has done this, and he goes with Ollantay to where Ima-Sumac says her mother is imprisoned.

Scene 8
-          They open up the cavern and find the woman imprisoned inside, almost dead. The Inca Tupac asks how this was allowed, and Mama-Ccacca says that it was ordered by his father Pachacutec to punish the woman severely.
-          Ima-Sumac says the woman is Cusi-Ccoyllur, and the Inca Tupac says she must be mistaken, because she’s dead and buried. Ollantay then realizes that it is his wife Cusi, which makes Ima his daughter. And Tupac realizes that the woman Cusi is his sister.
-          Ollantay to Cusi – “¿Dónde está tu risueño semblante? ¿Dónde tus lindos ojos? ¿Dónde tu belleza? ¿Eres acaso una hija maldita?”
-          They’ve been separated for 10 years.
-          Tupac says they can be married – happily ever after! “No te aflijas; vive contento con tu dicha, pues ya posees a tu esposa y te has libertado de la muerte.”

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