Apu means Lord or Mountain spirit, the tutelary nature deity of a village or region, inhabiting the peaks of the highest mountain, typically speaking of mountains in and around the Cusco, Peru area.
Traditionally there are twelve tutelary mountain spirits of Cuzco city Peru:
- APU AUSANGATE
- APU SALKANTAY
- MAMA SIMONA APU PIKOL
- APU MANUEL PINTA
- APU WANAKAURI
- APU PACHATUSAN
- APU PIJCHU A
- PU SAQSAYWAMAN
- APU WIRAQOCHAN
- APU PUKIN
- APU SENQ’A
Apus are generally considered male nature energies, except for a few aberrant females like Mama Simona in Cuzco, Veronica in the Sacred Valley, and Putukusi of Machu Picchu.