Peruvian legends tell that many years ago, before the Spaniards invaded Inca land, there were two very powerful kingdoms in the Andean lands.
Kingdom of the North
This kingdom is completely splendid, its walls practically impenetrable, and thousands of riches in gold and silver, which were uncountable. The king's name was Illampu, who had a son, a very strong young man despite his young age, he liked to ride around, always in the care of ten warriors. his name was Red Astro and he was the pride of his father.
*Kingdom of the South
Like its northern neighbor, this kingdom had natural beauties, great springs of water and mountains surrounding its huge palace, its riches could not be measured in quantities. The king was Illimani. This king also had a son named Golden Lightning. He was a prince much loved by all his subjects, completely generous and charitable to others.
Both kingdoms were prospering more and more each day, and their princes were also growing in wisdom and leadership. All the inhabitants of the Andes lived in peace with each other.
Until one day both kings felt envy and ambition towards each other. **Illampu thought of invading the kingdom and declaring it his rival, thus provoking war against Illimani, with the aim of exterminating him and thus seizing all his riches and women.
Both armies were powerful, lethal and completely loyal to the orders of their kings, but it was not enough for both sides and before running almost out of men, each king accepted a one-on-one combat as was the law, thus ending with both kings completely wounded at the point of death.
Each side returned home with its king completely finished.
That evening neither kingdom declared itself the winner. It was a total draw, both kingdoms were strong.
Arriving at the palace, the princes reproached their parents for such an unnecessary act, the young men were taught to respect the lives of others and did not understand how their parents caused the death of so many soldiers and almost the total destruction of their lives.
But the kings were proud, and made their sons swear revenge, It was their obligation to avenge their parents , the princes only wanted to keep the peace between both kingdoms, but their position in front of the people forced them.
In this way Red Astro and Golden Ray took the oath in front of the whole tribe.
Neither of the two princes wanted to initiate the attack, however, they had no choice, they had to do it and thus fulfill their oath. So they fought just as their fathers had fought, mortally wounding each other. Instead of cursing and looking at each other with mutual hatred, the princes each time they launched an attack on each other, they asked for forgiveness and cried with sadness, until, without strength, the young men dropped their weapons and embraced each other, thus dying together.
At that moment something extraordinary happened...
The earth rumbled, all those who were watching the massacre fell to their knees in astonishment at what they saw.
From the depths of the earth emerged a goddess in the form of a woman. 🌻🦅The Pachamama🐍🌾, the sky became dark and the winds whipped the unwary kings.
- I am going to punish the wickedness of your fathers.
the goddess pointed to the sky and made the stars that symbolized the sovereigns fall, turning them into two great inert mountains without shine but only the whiteness of the snow that covered them.
- It will be their punishment for being so ambitious and causing the death of these little ones so dear to the gods.
Some time later, Illampu and Illimani, the two largest mountains of all the American Andes, from so much weeping and lamenting, fertilized the land that guarded the tombs of their most beloved children.
The gods, in spite of the time already passed, did not forget what happened and decided to revive the young princes, thus turning them into a symbol among the Andean peoples.
From the Tomb of those beloved princes sprouted a silver green that grew until in spring it was covered with flowers with the colors of Red Astro and Golden Ray.
La Cantuta .
The Cantuta is the National flower of Peru which it shares with Bolivia, symbol of the peace that should reign in the Andean countries.
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