Tlaloc

Tlaloc, also known as Nuhualpilli, in Aztec belief, was the god of rain and fertility. He was greatly feared among the Aztecs, who drowned children to appease him. They believed that Tlaloc was responsible for both floods and droughts, and that he had been created by the other gods.

Origin

Tlaloc was also worshipped in pre-Aztec times, by the Teotihuacan and Toltec civilizations.

Appearance

He is commonly depicted as a goggle-eyed blue being with fangs.

Cult

Human sacrifices were often made in his honor, usually children. Before the victims were actually sacrificed, their tears were collected in a ceremonial bowl, to serve as an offering.

Main Belief

Tlaloc was first married to Xochiquetzal, a goddess of flowers, but then Tezcatlipoca kidnapped her. He later married the goddess Chalchiuhtlicue, "She of the Jade Skirt".

Family

He had an older sister named Huixtocihuatl. With Chalchiuhtlicue, he fathered Tecciztecatl.

In Salvadoran mythology, he also gave birth to Cipitio.

Features

Tlaloc’s underworld included those killed by lightning, drowning and disease. He ruled over the third of the five worlds in Aztec belief.

Related gods

Other Mesoamerican people had similar rain gods with slightly different attributes, such as the Mayan god Chaac and the Zapotec deity Cocijo.

External links

• Tlaloc image at the Federation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies

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