The Mexican cosmogony it is made up of archetypes on which a vision of the world rests. The vision of our ancestors was pantheistic, which is why they recognized different gods. One of the most important was tlaloc.
Tlaloc, the god of rain and lightning, was important to the prehispanic culture for his power to dominate the waters. Well, this element was always linked to the ability to contribute to the growth of corn crops.
Who was Tlaloc?
Its name comes from the Nahuatl Tlaloctli, which means “nectar of the Earth”.the wine that intoxicates it so that it produces exuberant vegetation.
In figures and codices, Tlaloc appears with his face covered by a mask made up of two snakes that form a twist as a nose with their bodies coiled around their eyes and their tails serving as mustaches.
This double serpent refers to the fact that Tlaloc is the cloud serpent that appears in the sky, from which he hangs to cause a storm.
It is assigned the color blue, which is that of the waters. His temples were painted blue, like the one in Tajín, in Veracruz.
Why was it important to the Mexica?
When the drought took over the fields, the Mexicas used to invoke this god to intervene.
In the same way, when the harvests were successful, he was thanked for his intervention.
It is important to note that for the Mexicas, this god was too powerful, since he was the ruler of atmospheric phenomena and the spirit of the mountains. For these reasons he was worthy of great honors and sacrifices, which included both animals and humans.
These sacrifices in turn allowed prosperity for the agriculture of the towns that worshiped the god.
Where did Tlaloc live? Tlalocan, paradise of the rain god
Tlaloc’s residence was Tlalocan, a pleasant enclave from Mexica mythology where abundance manifests itself.. All kinds of fruit trees grow there, corn, squash, tomatoes, chili peppers, among other things. He was in the first heaven, right at the top of La Malinche hill.
Due to these characteristics, described in the texts of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, life in this place is completely happy.
Subsequently, a mural was discovered in Teotihuacán in which there is a representation of what the indigenous people narrated to Fray Bernardino. This discovery allowed us to know graphically what the writings narrated.
What other names did Tlaloc have?
- Lord of the Third Sun, Chaac (maya)
- Pittao Cocijo (zapotec)
- Chaneco (among the contemporary Nahuas of Veracruz).
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