Witchcraft during the Spanish Conquest

Anyone who has read my book ‘Intrepid Dudettes of the Inca Empire’ will be familiar with the witch trial involving the Inca princess Quispe Sisa. For those who haven’t, let me explain before looking more broadly at witchcraft during Peru’s time as a colony…

Quispe Sisa (or Inés Huaylas by the Spanish) was first in a relationship with the famous conquistador Francisco Pizarro. Then she married Francisco de Ampuero, another conquistador. Quispe found herself a victim of domestic violence at the hands of Ampuero. This included beating her and refusing to let her out…