Dominic Sandbrook

So he sends Sikinchara back.

He says, here's a lovely gift for you and for the emperor, a nice linen shirt.

We've got two glass goblets from Venice and some scissors and some combs and a mirror.

So back they go with the gifts.

Now, important to say at this point, some people may be listening to this and thinking, do the Incas believe that the Spaniards are gods?

Which is a thing you often hear as you do about the conquest of Mexico.

There was absolutely no evidence for this whatsoever.

The Incas definitely didn't think they were gods.

I'm not sure about that, Tom.

I don't agree with that.

I think, for a couple of reasons.

First of all, I think people end up, even in the 16th century, conflating the two conquests and taking details from one and putting them in the other, as the stories are repeated and written down by other chroniclers.

Basically, it's that classic thing that historians do.

The myths are repeated in secondary histories, and then people stop questioning them.

But the thing about, are they the sons of Viracocha, or the messengers of Viracocha, or whatever...

This is almost certainly either a literary formula or it's a courtesy.

I don't think people think they are literally sent by the gods because the way the Incas behaved towards them is exactly as they would behave if they thought there were other human beings like themselves.

I think there is.

I mean, there's definitely apocalyptic there.

There's definitely a strain.