In Andean mythology, Amaru is a giant serpent or dragon associated with earthquakes and the underworld.
Amaru appears in Indigenous Andean traditions as a powerful serpent-like being connected with water, fertility, the earth, and subterranean forces. Depictions may give it a snake’s body combined with the head or features of a llama, puma, or other animals. Its form and meaning vary across Andean cultures and historical periods.
The creature is especially associated with the movement of the earth and with channels of water emerging from the underworld. In some interpretations, Amaru represents a link between different cosmic levels rather than a purely evil monster.
Amaru should not be confused with Supay, a spirit connected with the underworld and later Christian interpretations of the devil. Nor is it simply another name for a specific Inca god: the term and imagery have broader regional usage.