What was the Inca coming-of-age ceremony for young noblemen called?

The Inca coming-of-age ceremony for young noblemen was called Warachikuy.

Warachikuy was an Inca initiation ceremony associated with young men of the nobility. It tested physical ability, discipline, and readiness for adult responsibilities within the imperial state. Participants underwent demanding contests and ceremonial instruction before receiving recognition as adults.

The name is connected with the wara, a garment or breechcloth associated with male status. Inca ceremonies often combined political, military, and religious meanings, so Warachikuy was more than a private age ritual. It helped prepare elite young men for roles in administration, warfare, and service to the empire.

Warachikuy is sometimes confused with Capac Raymi, another important Inca festival associated with December and initiation themes. Inti Raymi, meanwhile, was a major festival dedicated to the sun. Qhapaq Ñan refers to the extensive Inca road system, not a ceremony.

Knowledge of Warachikuy comes largely from historical and colonial-era descriptions, so details of its practices should not be assumed to have been identical everywhere in the empire.