Apu

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In the traditional religion and mythology of the Andes region of Peru and Bolivia, an apu is the term used to describe the spirits of certain mountains, volcanos, and sometimes solitary rocks, typically displaying anthropomorphic features, that protect the local people. While some researchers, such as Christian Mader and colleagues, view the mountains as the dwelling place of powerful deities and ancestors, others, such as Ana Mariella Bacigalupo and Guillermo Salas Carreño, contend that the apu are the actual mountains. Apu are considered the most powerful of nature spirits, can be considered either masculine or feminine, and have varying personalities, with some being protectors and others being malicious. Apu are the most active in the month of August and apu can have romantic and familial ties with each other. Apu are one type of wak'a, which refer to material manifestation of the divine, and can include temples, shrines, sculptures, natural landforms, as well as other material objects and bodies. Apu are frequently associated with condors and are often seen as ancestors.