The Obituary
Chaac was the Maya god of rain, thunder, and lightning, depicted with a long down-curling snout, reptilian features, and a lightning-axe he used to crack open the clouds. As lord of the rains that fed the maize, he was among the most vital deities of the agricultural Maya. In times of drought, communities threw precious offerings and human victims into cenotes, the limestone sinkholes, to petition him. His worship was suppressed during the 16th–17th century Spanish conquest of the Yucatan.
Worth remembering
- He wielded a lightning-axe to strike the clouds and release the rain, his long curling snout dripping water.
- At drought, offerings and human victims were cast into cenotes, the sacred sinkholes, to win his favor.
Sources
- Chaac was the Maya god of rain, thunder, and lightning Wikipedia
- Offerings, including human sacrifices, were thrown into cenotes to petition Chaac for rain World History Encyclopedia
A graveyard tradition: leave a stone to show you came, and remembered.