Peripheries in Inca Garcilaso's comentarios reales: the chilean scenario

Abstract

This text aims to show an evolution of the concept of Chile throughout El Inca Garcilaso’s Comentarios reales. The Chilean lands are usually considered a peripheral region, which merely works as a warlike scene where the savage natives are opposed to the civilized Incas. However, we can trace a line that goes from Valdivia’s death, told in the irst part of the Comentarios reales, to García de Loyola’s death, narrated in the second part; this line demonstra tes a clear evolution in Garcilaso’s thoughts regarding the Chilean inhabitants, who end up joining forces with the Incas to accomplish the inal revenge against the Spaniards. Comparing Garcilaso’s text with other chronicles like those of Ercilla and Góngora Marmolejo, I would like to ofer a new perspective of Garcilaso’s attitude toward Chile.