Mesoamerican Pantheon
Ix Chel
Also known as Goddess O, Chak Chel, Lady Rainbow
- moon
- fertility
- medicine
- weaving
- water
The Maya moon goddess associated with fertility, childbirth, medicine, and weaving. Ix Chel appears in both young and aged forms, representing different aspects of the lunar cycle and feminine power.
About Ix Chel
The Rainbow Lady
Ix Chel, whose name means "Lady Rainbow," is one of the most important goddesses of the Maya pantheon. She governs the moon, fertility, childbirth, medicine, and weaving.
Two Forms, Two Ages
Ix Chel appears in two distinct forms: Goddess I (young form), a beautiful young woman associated with the waxing moon, and Goddess O (aged form), an elderly woman with serpent headdress associated with destruction and wisdom.
The Cosmic Weaver
Ix Chel invented weaving, teaching Maya women this essential art. Weaving was deeply symbolic, connecting the weaver to cosmic creative power.
Healer and Midwife
As goddess of medicine, Ix Chel was patron of healers, particularly midwives. She was invoked during childbirth to ensure safe delivery.
The Rabbit in the Moon
The rabbit is Ix Chel's companion and symbol, connecting to the Maya belief that a rabbit lives in the moon.
Origin story
Ix Chel was the consort of Itzamna, the supreme creator god. In one myth, she was wounded by her grandfather and sought refuge in the underworld before rising to the sky as the moon.
Across traditions
Parallel figures
Figures who play a role like Ix Chel's in other traditions.
GreekArtemisIllustrationBoth are moon goddesses associated with childbirth
Compare Ix Chel and Artemis side by side
EgyptianIsisIllustrationBoth are powerful mother goddesses associated with magic and healing
Compare Ix Chel and Isis side by side
Worship and cult
Temples, festivals, and practices recorded for Ix Chel
Moon, weaving, and dangerous childbirth. Spanish sources still found women crossing to Cozumel. The cult is midwifery and the sea path.
Sacred sites
- Sanctuary on Cozumel; midwife shrines on the east coast
Festivals
- Maya pilgrimage to the women's island
Family
Sources and further reading
Source notes
These references are recorded in the catalog. Their passage wording and translation have not been checked, so quotations are not displayed here.
- Diego de Landa, Relacion de las cosas de Yucatan
About this entry
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Parallels are editorial comparisons across traditions: a shared role does not, by itself, establish a shared origin.
Family relationships come from the atlas's kinship records. Ancient sources often disagree on divine genealogy.
Keep exploring
One myth a week, with its sources in a short email. The sign-up form is just below.
Genealogy
Family tree
Ix Chel's parents, consorts, children and rivals, as recorded in the atlas.