What was the Inca name for the earth mother goddess?

The Inca name for the earth mother goddess was Pachamama. She was associated with the Earth, fertility, crops, harvests, and the broader life-giving forces of the Andean world.

Pachamama was not understood simply as soil or farmland. In Quechua and Aymara, pacha can refer to the world, universe, space, time, or a total order of existence, so Pachamama may be interpreted as “Mother Earth” or more broadly “Mother of the World.” She was believed to sustain humans by providing food, water, and fertile ground, but she could also bring hardship when disrespected.

Worship involved reciprocity: people made offerings to Pachamama in gratitude and in hopes of securing successful planting, healthy animals, and good harvests. Offerings could include food, drink, coca leaves, miniature objects, or sacrificed animals. Pachamama is sometimes confused with Mama Quilla, the Moon goddess, or Inti, the Sun god; in several Andean myths, she is described as the mother or companion of these major celestial deities.