Tlaloc (deity)
Tlaloc is the Aztec deity of rain, storms, and fertility, often depicted as a blue figure with goggle-like eyes and long fangs. He is closely associated with caves and springs and shares characteristics with earlier Mesoamerican gods such as the Mayan rain god Chac. Tlaloc held significant importance within Aztec culture, worshipped in major sanctuaries at the pyramids of Tenochtitlan, where various ceremonies—including human sacrifices, particularly of young children—were conducted to ensure rain for crops. Tlaloc was also believed to preside over Tlalocan, a paradise for those who died in specific ways, such as drowning or in storms.
In Aztec mythology, Tlaloc was created alongside other major deities and governed the "Rain Sun." His worship included rituals involving offerings like corn and jade, and he is often represented with four clay jugs, each associated with different phenomena such as rain or disease. The cult of Tlaloc traces its origins to earlier civilizations and expanded as the Aztec empire grew, with notable shrines, including one on Mount Tlaloc, where child sacrifices also took place. While Tlaloc is recognized in contemporary discussions of mythology, he has limited representation in modern popular culture.
Tlaloc (deity)
Culture: Mesoamerican
Children: Tecciztecatl, Huixtocíhuatl,
Overview
Tlaloc was the Aztec god of rain, storms, and fertility, and was also associated with caves and springs. He appears as a blue, goggle-eyed being with long fangs. Both his appearance and his powers are similar to those of several earlier Mesoamerican gods, including the Mayan rain god, Chac, and the Zapotec god Cocijo. In some literature, the name Tlaloc is used to refer to all of these similar gods.
In Aztec tradition, Tlaloc was a major god, worshipped in one of the two large sanctuaries located in the pyramids of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital. To propitiate Tlaloc and thus ensure rain for crops, worshippers of Tlaloc carried out a variety of ceremonies and sacrifices throughout the year.
Human sacrifice—generally of young children—took place on the first and third months of the eighteen-month Aztec year. When the sacrificial children or their mothers cried, it was thought to be a sign that the god would bring life-giving rain. Other ceremonies dedicated to Tlaloc included ritual bathing, use of rattles to bring rain, sacrifices of corn, jade, and shells, and ritual "killing" and consumption of edible idols.
In addition to bringing or withholding rain and storms, Tlaloc was also believed to rule over Tlalocan. This paradise for the dead was thought to be open only to those who died in very specific ways. These included drowning or otherwise dying in storms, or dying from particular diseases such as leprosy. Those who died in appropriate ways were not cremated (as was the usual custom). Instead, they were buried with a piece of wood. It was believed that flowers would grow from the wood when the individual had entered Tlalocan.
In Mythology
According to the Aztec creation myth, a male/female god, Ometecuhtli/Omecihuatl, created itself. It then created four deities representing the major points of the compass—Huizilopochtli, Quetzlcoatl, Tezcatlipocat, and Xipe Totec. These four offspring created the world. Among their creations was Cipactli, a fearsome sea monster. Cipactli devoured any creation that fell into the water. Frustrated, the gods fought and killed Cipactli. From its head, they created thirteen heavens. From its body they created the Earth. From its tail, they created nine underworlds.
Quetzalcoatl and Huitzilopochtli then went on to build more of the universe. Tlaloc was created, along with Xochiquetzal, a goddess associated with youth and fertility. The desirable Xochiquetzal was then kidnapped by Tezcatlipocat and forced to become his wife. After losing Xochiquetzal, Tlaloc married Chalchiuhtlicue, the goddess of lakes and streams (in some versions, Chalchiuhtlicue is described as Tlaloc’s sister).
Following the initial creation, Aztec mythology describes five ages or suns: Jaguar Sun, Wind Sun, Rain Sun, Water Sun, and Earthquake Sun. Tlaloc reigned over the third sun (rain), while Chalchiuhtlicue reigned over the fourth sun (water). The present age is the age of the Earthquake Sun.
Tlaloc is often represented in art with four clay jugs. The first jug was filled with water; when the jug broke, it was believed, the rain fell. When broken or emptied, the second jug would cause disease, the third frost, and the fourth would bring complete destruction.
Origins and Cults
Versions of Tlaloc existed in pre-Aztec cultures as early as the first century BCE. The Aztec temple of Tlaloc was built during the thirteenth century, when Aztecs first arrived in the area that later became Mexico City. As the Aztec empire expanded in later centuries, so too did the cult of Tlaloc. Tlaloc was both beloved and feared; his beneficence could cause the crops to flourish, while his anger could kill with lightning or water.
While the cult of Tlaloc was centered on the great pyramid at Tenochtitlan, the god himself was believed to dwell in mountain caves. Thus Tlaloc’s shrine in the pyramid was called the "mountain abode."
Another important shrine to Tlaloc was Mount Tlaloc, located 44 miles to the west of Tenochtitlan. Featuring two huge statues of Tlaloc and Chalchiuhtlicue, it also held replicas of the god’s four clay pitchers. As at Tenochtitlan, Mount Tlaloc was the site of gory child sacrifices. While many of the sacrificed children were orphans or children of slaves, some were also children of nobles who happened to fit a particular description.
Members of the cult celebrated three major ceremonies each year. During two of these ceremonies, chosen children were dressed up paper finery, taken to sacred mountains, and killed by having their hearts torn out. The winter ceremony involved the substitution of edible figurines for actual children. During this ceremony, the "hearts" of the figurines were torn out and eaten.
Archaeological Finds
In the 1970s, electrical workers accidentally discovered the Aztec Templo Mayor (major temple) in downtown Mexico City and, since then, has been the focus of archeological exploration. This site was the center of Montezuma’s Aztec empire, and fell to ruins when Tenochtitlan fell. The Templo Mayor was built in the form of a pyramid upon multiple layers of prior pyramids.
The fourth temple was built during the mid-1400s and was rich in murals and sculptures. Inside this temple were stairways leading to the shrines of Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc. The shrine to Tlaloc holds a large statue representing the god holding a water vessel, an altar, and a wealth of offerings and other artifacts.
Excavations beneath the Temple of the Golden Serpent at Teotihaucan—about 30 miles from Mexico City—have yielded intriguing results, including an unexpected number of underground chambers. In 2013, a robot named Tláloc II-TC was used to explore chambers beneath the temples; the robot was able to photograph hundreds of golden spheres, or orbs. These spheres, none larger than 5 inches in circumference, are made of clay with a covering of jarosite. The purpose of the spheres remains unknown.
Nearby excavations have also yielded evidence of the cult of Tlaloc. For example, excavations from the 1930s of the Cholula pyramid revealed masks and murals clearly representing the water god.
In Popular Culture
Tlaloc is a relatively well-known mythological figure in today’s world, but outside of a few name references, he is not featured in popular culture. The culture and rituals of the Aztec and pre-Aztec world, however, have played a major role in many films. Human sacrifice, in particular, is featured. Apocalypto, a 2006 film directed by Mel Gibson, tells the story of a Mesoamerican escaping from human sacrifice.
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