Chaac facts for kids
Chaac (also spelled Chac or Chaahk in the ancient Maya language) is the name of the Maya god of rain, thunder, and lightning. The Maya people lived in what is now southern Mexico and Central America. People believed that Chaac used his special lightning axe to hit the clouds. This would create thunder and cause rain to fall. Chaac is very similar to Tlaloc, the rain god of the Aztecs, another ancient civilization.
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Who are the Rain Gods?
The Maya believed that Chaac was not just one god, but many at the same time! There were thought to be four main Chaacs, each linked to a direction and a color:
- The Chaac of the East was red, like the sunrise.
- The Chaac of the North was white.
- The Chaac of the West was black, like the sunset.
- The Chaac of the South was yellow.
There was also a fifth color, green, linked to the center. In the 1500s, the eastern Chaac was called Chac Xib Chaac, meaning 'Red Man Chaac'. The other Chaacs were named similarly, just with different colors.
Even today, some Maya farmers see many different parts of rain and clouds as separate rain gods. The Chorti Maya, another Maya group, have old stories about how rain is made. They say the rain gods hit snakes that carry rain with their axes!
In ancient Maya communities, some people had a very important job: making rain. These rainmakers knew a lot about the rain gods and where they lived. They were thought to be very close to these gods.
Rain Rituals
The Maya people had special ceremonies to ask the rain gods for rain. One famous ceremony in Yucatán was called Chʼa Cháak. It was like a big feast for the rain gods. During this ceremony, four boys (one for each direction) would act and sing like frogs. Frogs were often linked to rain. People also performed rituals at natural sinkholes called cenotes to ask for rain and good crops.
Stories About Chaac
Chaac is also known as a god who helps with farming. One well-known story tells how the Chaacs (or other lightning gods) helped open a mountain where corn (maize) was hidden. This allowed corn to be shared with people.
In some stories from the Tzotzil Maya, the rain god is the father of young women who represent corn and vegetables. In certain myths of the Qʼeqchiʼ Maya about the Sun and Moon, the rain god Choc (meaning 'Cloud') is the Sun's brother. Together, they defeat their mean adoptive mother. Later, Chaac falls in love with his brother's wife and is punished. His tears of sadness are said to create the rain. Other versions of this story show Chaac in a fierce, warlike mood, chasing the Sun and Moon with his lightning bolts.
Some myths say that water and clouds start inside the Earth, in caves and cenotes. Then, gods like Chaac carry them up into the sky. Ancient Maya writings also suggest that Chaac was the god who opened the mountain holding corn, using his lightning axe.
How Chaac Looks
Chaac is usually shown with a human body that has scales, like a reptile or amphibian. His head is not human; it has fangs and a long, hanging nose. In older Maya art, he often wears a shell as an earring. He often carries a shield and a lightning axe. This axe is sometimes seen as another god, God K, also called Bolon Dzacab. Sometimes, Chaac looks a bit like Tlaloc, the rain god from Central Mexico.
Rain and Other Gods
A large part of one of the few surviving Maya books, the Dresden Codex, is about the Chaacs. It shows where they are and what they do. This book also shows how closely Chaac is connected to other gods like the Bacabs and the old goddess, Ixchel. The Bacabs were old gods who ruled the underground world and its water sources.
Chaac and Warfare
In the Classic period (around 250-900 AD), Maya kings often dressed up as the rain god or a related rain serpent. This showed their power as supreme rainmakers. However, Chaac was also known for his fierce, warlike side. When kings dressed as Chaac in war, they were shown carrying weapons and capturing enemies. Their actions were compared to the powerful violence of a thunderstorm.
Images for kids
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Earthenware effigy urn (an incense burner) of Chaac, 12th-14th century
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Chaac sculpture at the Maya Sculpture Museum, Honduras.
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Chaahk, the ancient Maya rain god, wields a large axe marked with the hieroglyphic symbol for shiny objects in his left hand, and an animate stone object (perhaps as a weapon) in his right, 7th–8th century.
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Rain deity impersonator, Classic period
See also
In Spanish: Chaac para niños
- Yopaat, another storm god from the southern Maya region.
- Aktzin
