The Inca term for a sacred mountain spirit was apu.
In Andean religion, an apu was the living spiritual power associated with a mountain, especially a prominent or snow-covered peak. The word is often translated as “lord” or “great lord,” but in this religious context it refers to both the mountain and its personified protective spirit. The mountain’s physical form and spiritual energy were understood as closely connected.
Apus were local guardians. Communities addressed them through offerings and rituals intended to secure water, fertile pasture, healthy herds, and protection. High mountains were particularly important because glaciers, snowfields, springs, and rainfall made them sources of life in the high Andes. The most important peaks could have influence well beyond a single settlement.
Cusco’s sacred landscape included a group of major apus, including Ausangate, Salkantay, Pachatusan, and Wanakawri. The term is sometimes confused with huaca, a broader word for a sacred person, place, object, or manifestation of supernatural power. Viracocha, Inti, and other named deities were distinct beings; apu was a category or title associated with mountain spirits rather than one single god.