Uñallamacha

Authors: Youla Azkarrula

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Yaqana, the She-Llama. The image depicts another llama, the mother-llama, breast-feeding her baby ("5") is no.4; Milky Way with Inka Dark Constellations (CC BY Jessica and Steven R. Gullberg).

Llama and baby llama at Wiñaywayna (CC BY Bex Walton)

Uñallamacha, The Baby Llama, is an Inka dark constellation. Uñallamacha is the baby llama and forms a super-constellation with Yaqana, the mother llama . As a constellation, he is represented in the area between Centaurus and Scorpius. As an Inka constellation, it has been used in South America.

Provenance, Etymology, History

Origin of Constellation

Llamas figure prominently in many aspects of Inka culture and this celestial figure was thought to animate the llamas on the Earth. Yaqana is a constellation much larger than Hanpatu or Yutu and dominates the Inkas’ dark constellation section of the Milky Way. Yaqana is situated between Centaurus and Scorpius. The prominent stars α and β Centauri serve as the llama’s eyes and as such are known as Llamacñawin, the “eyes of the llama.” Below Yaqana is a smaller dark constellation called Uñallamacha that is said to be a cria, a baby llama, suckling its mother.

These constellations are two of the dark constellations. According to oral traditions in the Qosqo area, Yaqana’s eyes (llamaqñawin) were Alpha and Beta Centauri, and Yaqana (a llama) with a long neck is swimming in a river of stars. It is easy to look the sky and see the constellation and also see the baby llama that breastfeeding.

This celestial figure was thought to animate llamas on the Earth and has strong significance in Inka culture.

Identifications

Depending on the season and context, the term "Yaqana" is identified with a dark cloud in the Milky Way.

Sources, Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

Here we give a list of all sources where the name is attested.

Source		Identification
Llamacñawin	“eyes of the llama.”	α and β Centauri
		...
		...

Image Variants: Transfer and Transformation

• 
  ancient manuscript 1
• 
  Steve's mapping
• 
  Jessica's painting ... something else ...

Mythology

mnemonic tales and cultural significance

All HIP Stars within this constellation

Convex Hull for the stars inside baby llama (CC BY Youla Azkarrula).

Stars within the Constellation Area

id	Label	IAU design.	description	Vmag
1		HIP 84143		3.33
2		HIP 82729		3.62
3		HIP 82729		4.79
4		HIP 84033		5.08
5		HIP 81702		5.65
6		HIP 81733		5.68
7		HIP 84690		5.74
8		HIP 82716		5.84
9		HIP 82650		6.06
10		HIP 83481		6.06
11		HIP 83650		6.18
12		HIP 83216		6.22
13		HIP 81847		6.27
14		HIP 83594		6.27
15		HIP 82091		6.47
16		HIP 83202		6.49
17		HIP 84556		6.49

References

• References (general)