mount misti means my lord, arequipa

It was also the place where Jaunita was sacrificed. Since the people think the mountain god Misti was a male so they picked a girl. At age thirteen, she became the Virgin of the sun whose life time career was to be sacrificed. It was a great honor for her family and herself. They probably received some special privileges (e.g. tax deduction, free vacation to Lake Titicaca etc). It was believed that the sacrificed animal will continue to live as part of the mountain and the sacrificed girl will live as a princess in the other world.

Incas believe that life came from Pacha Mama (mother earth). Pacha Mamma gave us live. So sacrifice return life to Pacha Mama.

Jaunita was discovered by an American Explorer Johan. When he found the mummy, the same volcano activities happened just 500 years ago. The thick ice on the mountain was melted and Jaunita's body was dropped into the Volcano just five days before it was found. It's kind of spooky. Now Jaunita was traveling around Japan (as a mummy, not alive).

Usually, human sacrifice didn't stopped the volcano eruption. So the Incas punished the mountain by removing it's name. So later when the Spanish came, no one know the name of this mountain. But obviously some farmers around the area forgot to forget the name, that's why they found the real name of the mountain, Misti, which means my lord.

Besides Jaunita, 3 other mummies were found in the same mountain but they have no names. It's so sad. Everybody deserves a name, whether they are alive or mummified.

For details check out Nova's web site.