Tlaloc, the Aztec god of rain and fertility

Archaeologists and historians suggest that Aztec rulers legitimized their rule over the region by emphasizing this well-known god. For this reason they built a sanctuary to Tláloc on top of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlán, the capital of the empire. His temple was right next to the one dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec patron deity.

• Tlaloc’s sanctuary in the Templo Mayor represented agriculture and water, while Huitzilopochtli’s sanctuary represented war, military conquest, and tribute. These were the two most important sanctuaries of the Aztec capital, located in what is now Mexico City.
• Tlaloc’s sanctuary featured pillars inscribed with symbols of Tlaloc’s eyes and painted with a series of blue bands.
• The priest tasked with tending the sanctuary was Quetzalcoatl Tlaloc tlamacazqui, one of the highest ranking leaders in the Aztec religion.
• Many of the offerings related to this sanctuary contain sacrifices of aquatic animals and artifacts such as jade objects, material related to water, the sea, fertility and the Underworld.
• Apart from the ceremonies that take place in the Aztec Templo Mayor, offerings to Tlaloc have been found in various caves and on mountain peaks. Tláloc’s holiest sanctuary was located on top of Mount Tláloc, an extinct volcano located east of Mexico City. Aztec kings and their priests made pilgrimages to this place, bringing offerings to Tlaloc.

The iconic representation of Tlaloc

The image of this god is one of the most iconic representations of Aztec mythology, similar to the rain gods in other Mesoamerican cultures:

Large bulging eyes whose outlines are formed by two snakes that meet in the center of his face to form his nose. It also has large fangs hanging from its mouth and a protruding upper lip. He is often depicted surrounded by raindrops and his assistants, the Tlaloques.

References

• Bonifaz, R. (1986). Image of Tláloc: iconographic and textual hypothesis. Available at: https://books.google.co.ve/books?id=Clt3Uf–o10C&dq
• Heiden, D. (1984). Tlaloc’s serpentine blinders. Nahuatl culture studies. Available at: http://www.historicas.unam.mx/publicaciones/revistas/nahuatl/pdf/ecn17/263.pdf