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Side by sideParallel figures

Chaac vs Tlaloc

Chaac
ChaacMesoamerican
Tlaloc
TlalocMesoamerican

Tlaloc is the Aztec equivalent of Chaac, both being rain gods essential to maize agriculture.

At a glance

Chaac and Tlaloc compared
ChaacTlaloc
TraditionMesoamerican PantheonMesoamerican Pantheon
Domainsrain, lightning, thunder, agriculturerain, fertility, lightning, earthquakes
Symbolsaxe, serpent, frog, long curling nosegoggle eyes, fangs, jade, water lilies
Also calledChac, God B, ChaahkHe Who Makes Things Sprout, Tlaloque

Where they meet

Both are associated with rain and lightning.

Where they part

Only Chaac

Associated with thunder and agriculture.

Only Tlaloc

Associated with fertility and earthquakes.

Why they are compared

Chaac is the Maya equivalent of Tlaloc, both being rain gods with long noses/fangs.

How each was worshipped

Chaac

Cult sites
Cenotes; Chichen Itza's rain architecture
Festivals
Rain-making; Ch'a Chaak in Yucatec practice

The long-nosed rain lord. Offerings go into sinkholes. Farmers still know the four Chaacs of the directions.

Tlaloc

Cult sites
Northern half of the Templo Mayor; Mount Tlaloc and other mountain shrines; Maya Chaac is a cousin, not this temple
Festivals
Atlcahualo and other rain veintenas; Child offerings in the Mexica rain cult

Rain, mountains, and the dangerous gift of water. Blue, fangs, and Tlalocan as a drowned paradise. The Mexica state cult included child sacrifice for rain. Record it; do not soften it into a weather mascot.

The two figures

Mesoamerican Pantheon

Chaac

The Maya god of rain, lightning, and thunder. Chaac wields his lightning axe to split the clouds and bring life-giving rain to the maize fields. One of the most widely worshipped Maya deities.

Chaac emerged from the primordial waters as lord of rain and storms. He established the seasonal cycles that make agriculture possible.

Chaac is the Maya god of rain, one of the most important deities for an agricultural civilization. He is recognizable by his long, curling **nose**, **fangs**, and the **lightning axe** he wields to break open the clouds.

Read the full Chaac entry

Mesoamerican Pantheon

Tlaloc

The Aztec god of rain, fertility, and water. Tlaloc's distinctive goggled eyes and fanged mouth make him one of the most recognizable deities in Mesoamerican art. He shared the summit of the Templo Mayor with Huitzilopochtli.

Tlaloc was one of the primordial deities who existed before the current creation. He presided over the Third Sun before its destruction by a rain of fire.

Tlaloc is one of the most ancient and important deities in Mesoamerican religion. His name derives from the Nahuatl word *tlalli* (earth) and may mean "He Who Makes Things Sprout." He controlled the **rain** essential for maize agriculture.

Read the full Tlaloc entry
About this comparison

Comparisons pair figures that play a similar role across traditions, or that the myths connect within one. A shared role does not, by itself, establish a shared origin.