Tlaloque

Tlaloque are a group of rain deities in Aztec (Mexica) mythology who function as the attendants or council of Tlaloc, the principal rain god. The term is often understood as “cloud-people” or “rain-spirits,” and the Tlaloque are commonly described as representing different aspects of rainfall and weather.

In myth and ritual, the Tlaloque are associated with the processes that bring rain, including showers, hail, and storms, and they are credited with delivering agricultural moisture essential for crop fertility. They operate as divine messengers and agents through whom Tlaloc’s weather powers are enacted. Although the exact number and names of the Tlaloque vary among sources, they are frequently portrayed as a group of four or more deities who accompany and serve Tlaloc.

Iconography in codices often depicts the Tlaloque in proximity to Tlaloc, identified by water imagery such as rain droplets, clouds, or gourds, and sometimes shown with features symbolizing rain and moisture. Their representation emphasizes their association with the sky and weather rather than with the earth, highlighting their role in sustaining agriculture through timely rainfall.

Ritual practice in Aztec religion included offerings and ceremonies to invoke rain, in which the Tlaloque played a mediating role between humans and Tlaloc. These rites were particularly important during the agricultural cycle, when the timely arrival of rain was crucial for harvests. The Tlaloque thus occupy a significant niche in the broader worldview surrounding Tlaloc and the drought–flood cycle that structured Mesoamerican agrarian life.