Felipillo

Felipillo (or Felipe) was a 16th-century Amerindian interpreter who accompanied Spanish conquistadors Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro on their various expeditions to Peru during their conquest of the Inca Empire.

According to Pedro Cieza de León, since Felipillo belonged to a rival tribe and was having an affair with one of Atahualpa's concubines, he deliberately translated Pizarro's messages inaccurately to the Inca king, and spread false rumors: Atahualpa had as wives and concubines many principal Indian ladies, natives of the kingdom's provinces, most of them extremely beautiful and some very white and of exquisite figures.

While the lord was alive, he did not find courage —by entreaty, threat, or promise— to gain her, but it seemed to him that if [Atahualpa] were to die, he would ask Pizarro for her or he would take her and she would be his.

The camp was full of thieves, whom we call yanaconas —the name of a perpetual servant— so having such a design, [Felipillo] had some conversations with them and other local Indians whom he understood because he was an interpreter and who were on bad terms with Atahualpa: they should spread the fictitious news that Indian warriors were coming from all parts, assembled on Atahualpa's orders to attack the Spaniards.

Felpillo is a significant character in Rafael Dumett's novel, El espía del Inca.