The Water God Tlaloc

IN THE EYES of seventeenth-century Hispanic theologians, St. Joseph was the most powerful saint of the Catholic church. In status and holiness he ranked second only to his holy wife, Mary, and his foster Son, Jesus. Since Joseph intervened on behalf of worshippers with both his foster Son and his wife, and since...

Among the thousands of objects discovered during the excavation of the ruins of the Aztec Main Pyramid in downtown Mexico City was a pair of spectacular ritual water jars, modeled with the mask of the deity Tlaloc and painted brilliant blue (see fig. 1). The goggled eyes, fanged mouth, and heron feathers repeat the features on carved wooden and turquoise-inlaid masks worn by religious performers who appeared as Tlaloc in festivals held in the Aztec capitals (see figs. 2, 3). The cult of Tlaloc …