Tlálocs

Tláloc is the Aztec and broader Mesoamerican god of rain, water, fertility, and agriculture. He was one of the most important deities in the Aztec pantheon and was worshipped across central Mexico and beyond. In the capital, Tenochtitlan, his cult shared prominence with Huitzilopochtli, and a major shrine to Tláloc stood at the top of the Templo Mayor, reflecting his crucial role in agricultural cycles and rainfall. Tláloc was also venerated in other regional centers and appears in various codices and murals.

Iconography and attributes commonly associated with Tláloc include a blue-green or turquoise palette, facial features that resemble a mask with prominent, round, goggle-like eyes, and a mouth often shown with fangs. He is frequently depicted with items linked to water and rain, such as jars or symbols of rainfall, and sometimes with a headdress or adornments that emphasize his connection to weather and agriculture. These visual cues helped identify him in sculptures, ceramics, and painterly works across Mesoamerica.

Myth and ritual surrounding Tláloc centered on his control of rains and the success of crops. Farmers prayed for timely rainfall and fertility, while ceremonial offerings—ranging from agricultural products to precious goods and, in some contexts, human sacrifices during periods of drought—were part of his cult. Tláloc is also associated with Tlalocan, a paradisiacal realm said to be accessible in the afterlife for those who lived under him.

Legacy: Tláloc’s influence persisted through the Spanish colonial period in various forms, and he remains a central figure in studies of Aztec religion. The name derives from Nahuatl and is commonly interpreted as “the god of rains” or “the rainy one.”