Chalchiuhtlicue
Chalchiuhtlicue | |
---|---|
Goddess of water, mistress of lakes, rivers and seas | |
Other names | Iztac-Chalchiuhtlicue, Matlalcueye |
Abode | |
Gender | Tlaloc |
Children |
|
Equivalents | |
Greek equivalent | Poseidon |
Chalchiuhtlicue
Religious significance
Chalchiuitlicue directly translates to "Jade her skirt"; however, her name is most commonly interpreted as "she of the jade skirt."[6] She was also known as Chalchiuhtlatonac (chalchihu[itl]-tla-tona-c) "She who shines like jade" and Matlalcueye "Possessor of the Blue Skirt" by the Tlaxcalans, an indigenous group who inhabited the republic of Tlaxcala.[8]
Chalchiuitlicue was the wife or sister of the Aztec god of rain
In Aztec religion, Chalchiuitlicue helps Tlaloc to rule the paradisial kingdom of
According to myths, Chalchiuhtlicue once ate the sun and the moon. She is often associated with serpents, as most Aztec water deities are.[9] It is thought that her association with water and fertility speaks to the Aztecs' association with the womb and water. She often withheld a dual role in Aztec mythology as both a life-giver and life-ender.[11] In the Aztec creation myth of the Five Suns, Chalchiuhtlicue presided over the Fourth Sun or the fourth creation of the world. It is believed that Chalchiuhtlicue retaliated against Tlaloc's mistreatment of her by releasing 52 years of rain, causing a giant flood which caused the Fourth Sun to be destroyed.[12] She built a bridge linking heaven and earth and those who were in Chalchiuhtlicue's good graces were allowed to traverse it, while others were turned into fish. Following the flood, the Fifth Sun developed. The Fifth Sun is the world which we now occupy. During her reign the Aztecs first began to use maize, which became a paramount staple in their diet and economy.[9]
Chalchiutlicue was associated with the many fasciates of water as well as being credited with being involved with the death of those who died in drowning accidents.[13]
In addition to water-related deaths, Chalchiuhtlicue presided over birth rituals, bathing of sacrificial victims and ceremonial actors, judiciary purification, royal investiture, and the recycling of ritual waste.[8]
Chalchiuhtlicue was often depicted as "a river, out of which grew a prickly pear cactus laden with fruit, which symbolized the human heart." (Schwartz 2018, 14). She was believed to be the personification of youth, beauty, and zeal, although she should not be confused with
Archaeological records
Chalchiutlicue is depicted in several central Mexican manuscripts, including the
The Pyramid of the Moon is a large pyramid located in Teotihuacán, the dominant political power in the central Mexican region during the Early Classic period (ca. 200–600 CE). The pyramid is thought to have been at one point dedicated to Chalchiutlicue. It accompanies The Pyramid of the Sun, which is thought to have been dedicated to Chalchiutlicue's husband Tlaloc.
In the mid-19th century, archaeologists unearthed a 20-ton monolithic sculpture depicting a water goddess that is believed to be Chalchiuhtlicue from underneath The Pyramid of the Moon. The sculpture was excavated from the plaza forecourt of the
Visual representations
Chalchihuitlicue wears a distinctive headdress, which consists of several broad, likely cotton bands trimmed with amaranth seeds.[15] Large round tassels fall from either side of the headdress. Chalchihuitlicue typically wears a shawl adorned with tassels and a skirt. She is often depicted sitting with a stream of water flowing out of or from behind her skirt.
In the Codex Borbonicus (page 5), Chalchihuitlicue wears an elaborate blue and white headdress. She sits on a red stool and a stream of water flows out from the bottom of her stool. A male baby and female baby, who are depicted as if swimming, are carried in the water.[16]
In the Codex Borgia (page 65), Chalchihuitlicue sits on a red throne and a river flows outwards from behind her body. Two figures stand in the water and Chalchihuitlicue gesticulates out towards them. She wears an elaborate yellow headdress.[17]
Rites and rituals
Five of the 20 big celebrations in the Aztec calendar were dedicated to Chalchiutlicue and her husband (or brother) Tlaloc. During these celebrations, priests dove into a lake and imitated the movements and the croaking of frogs, hoping to bring rain.
Chalchiutlicue presides over the day 5 Serpent and the trecena of 1 Reed. Her feast is celebrated in the ventena of Etzalqualiztli.[13] She is associated with the fertility of both people and land, and the Aztecs asked Chalchiutlicue for a good harvest of crops.
A series of ritualistic ceremonies were performed and dedicated to Chalchiuhtlicue and other childbirth/water deities called Atlcahualo. These ceremonies would last the entire month of February.[9]
Childbirth
Chalchiutlicue was the guardian of the children and newborns. When children fell ill, healers called on the goddess as they practiced hydromancy in order to find the tonalli (spirits) of sick children.[18] She also played a central role in the process of childbirth. Mothers and babies often died in the process of childbirth; the role of the midwife was also of utmost importance in the process.[19] During labor, the midwife spoke to the newborn and ask the gods that the baby's birth ensure a prime place among them. After cutting the umbilical cord, the midwife washed the new baby with customary greetings to Chalchiutlicue.[20] Four days after the birth, the child was given a second bath and a name.
As reported by Sahagún's informants, the midwife said, "The gods
See also
- List of water deities
- Creation myth
- Codex Borgia
- Chicomecoatl
- Aztec religion
References
- ^ ISBN 970-07-3149-9.
- ISBN 970-07-3149-9.
- ISBN 970-07-3149-9.
- ^ Read & González 2002: 140–142
- Dominican friar and historian Diego Durán. "Universally revered" is quoted from his Book of the Gods and Rites, written 1574-1576 and published in English translation (Durán 1971: 261), as cited by Read & González 2002: 141.
- ^ OCLC 877854386.
- ^ Miller & Taube 1993: 60; Taube 1993: 32–35.
- ^ .
- ^ ISBN 978-3-319-71537-7.
- ISBN 9780195149098.
- ^ Miller & Taube 1993: 60
- ^ Taube 1993: 34–35
- ^ ISBN 0874800005.
And sometimes she sank men in the water; she drowned them. The water was restless: the waves roared; they dashed and resounded. The water was wild.
- ^ Berlo 1992: 138; Pasztory 1997: 87–89.
- ^ "Water Deity (Chalchihuitlicue) [Mexico; Aztec] (00.5.72) | Object Page | Timeline of Art History | the Metropolitan Museum of Art". Archived from the original on 2007-03-15. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
- ^ Codex Borbonicus. p. 5.
- ^ Codex Borgia. p. 65.
- ISBN 9780195188431
- ISBN 978-0-8047-3963-4.
- ^ a b c Sahagún, Bernardino de (1970). Florentine Codex: general history of the things of New Spain, Book 6: Rhetoric and Moral Philosophy. School of American Research. p. 175.
Bibliography
- OCLC 25547129.
- OCLC 149976.
- Olivier, Guilhem, and Susan Romanosky. "Chalchiuhtlicue." In ISBN 9780195188431
- OCLC 27667317.
- OCLC 56405008.
- Read, Kay Almere; Jason J. González (2002). Handbook of Mesoamerican Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of Mexico and Central America. Oxford and New York: OCLC 77857686.
- OCLC 29124568.
External links
- Media related to Chalchiuhtlicue at Wikimedia Commons