The Almighty Tlaloc

Many moons ago in the Americas, there were several gods, but one of the most important was Tlaloc. He was the god of rain, earthly fertility, and water. All Aztecs and the Salvadoran Pipil people worshiped him from the Teotihuacan’s times.

Tlaloc operated in all four heaven areas called Tlalocan, located in the east of the universe, from each area shed a different type of rainfall. Plus, from this paradise, he sent the beneficial and necessary water for all Indians on Earth, so their crops could grow greatly!

In Tlalocan, Tlaloc lived with his two wives:
  • Xochiquetzal, the goddess of love, flowers, arts, pleasure, and nature.
  • Chalchiuhtlicue, the goddess of water, rivers, seas, streams, storms, and baptism.
And his five children, four boys called Tlaloques, and his daughter Huixtocihuatl.

Also, some people shared Tlalocan with Tlaloc, the unlucky, but good ones who perished accidentally by drowning or by dropsy. Here, some permanent crops of all kinds of fruit trees, corn, beans, pineapples, avocados, and other unique products gave them a new and happier existence in the afterlife as a reward for their hard work on Earth.

All Supreme Forces of Nature and Cosmos were attributed to Tlaloc, some of them were beneficial, and others disastrous to humans. He was a benefactor, who many times descended to fertilize the land and made crops grow and grow, but at his will, he sent lightning bolts and storms creating hazards in lakes, rivers, and seas. Plus, in some extreme cases, he sent hail, floods, or severe droughts.

For all said before, he was a highly respected god, among many others, and the Indians performed multiple sacrifices all year round, to keep him in peace and only bring his blessings and favors. Additionally, they performed several ceremonies and rituals to honor him, especially during the first month of the year when farmers, fishermen, and sailors who were his most fervent petitioners brought their best crops and fish to request his blessing for this year.

As an exceptionally worshiped god, the Indians described Tlaloc in a particular way (figure 1):
  • He wore some kind of glasses that shaped intertwined snakes whose fangs ended up being the maw of the god.
  • He had a peculiar mustache that was on his upper lip. His lip represented the mouth of a cave that connected to the underworld where the spirits of the deceased resided.
  • His face was painted black or blue, plus green, like water in most cases because of his association with the water.
  • He carried in his hand a walking stick, long and shaped like a snake, ending at a sharp point. This stick represented the lightning and thunder that sometimes accompany rainwater during the storms.
  • Finally, in his vestments, there were always spots that symbolized water drops.
Figure 1. The Almighty Tlaloc.

Nevertheless, there were some minor differences between the Aztecs and the Pipil people about Tlaloc:
  • The Aztecs believed they could get some special favors from Tlaloc. They requested him to descend from Tlalocan with plentiful water to produce abundant crops. If Tlaloc was in the mood, he appeared as serpentine shape clouds bringing rain. That’s why his temples were blue to honor him.
  • The Pipil people worshiped Tlaloc as their supreme god. They offered him many sacrifices; therefore, the rain would be good, and the crops would be abundant during the year.
During the sixteenth century, the chronicler and Friar Bernardino de Sahagún started to collect Tlaloc’s descriptions and stories through informal talks with the Indians. Centuries later, a beautiful mural was discovered in Teotihuacan, expanding Tlaloc’s awareness and knowledge.
Location: El Salvador

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