Fast Facts: Ix Chel
- Known For: Goddess of the Moon, fertility, physical love, weaving.
- Religion: Classic and Late Post Classic period Maya.
- Also Known As: Lady Rainbow, She of the Pale Face, Goddess I, and Goddess O.
- Appearance: Two aspects: a young, sensual woman and an old crone.
- Shrines: Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, Mexico.
- Appearances: Madrid and Dresden codexes.
What is Ixchel the Mayan god of?
Ix Chel (sometimes spelled Ixchel) is, according to longstanding archaeological tradition, the Mayan moon goddess, one of the most important and ancient of Maya deities, connected to fertility and procreation. Her name Ix Chel has been translated as “Lady Rainbow”, or as “She of the Pale Face”, an allusion to the moon's surface.
What is Ix Chel the goddess of?
Ixchel was the patroness of womanly crafts but was often depicted as an evil old woman and had unfavorable aspects. She may have been a manifestation of the god Itzamná. pre-Columbian civilizations: The gods. …and with the moon goddess Ix Chel.
What is the other name of Ixchel?
For other uses, see Itzel (disambiguation). Ixchel or Ix Chel ( Mayan: [iʃˈt͡ʃel]) is the 16th-century name of the aged jaguar goddess of midwifery and medicine in ancient Maya culture.
Is there a myth about Ixchel?
Mythology. No other myth figuring Ixchel has been preserved. However, her mythology may once have focused on the sweatbath, the place where Maya mothers were wont to go before and after birthgiving. As stated above, the Aztec counterpart to Ixchel as a patron of midwifery, Tocî, was also the goddess of the sweatbath.
Was ixchel the moon or a goddess?
Ixchel represents women and femininity in the Mayan culture. Also known as the Goddess of the Moon, Ixchel according to Mayan mythology is the goddess of love, pregnancy, water, textile work and even medicine. She is one of the most important goddesses of the Mayans because of her different powers.
Why is ixchel important?
Ixchel was revered as the goddess of the moon, because of her feminine character. She represented the fertility linked to the earth, due to the fact that the cycles of the moon are those which determine the times of planting and harvest. She was also associated with the rains and the Maya rain god Chaac.
What special features does ixchel have?
Ixchel as an earth and a war Goddess An entwined serpent serves as Ixchel's headdress, crossed bones may adorn her skirt, and instead of human hands and feet, she sometimes has claws. Very similar features are found with Aztec earth Goddesses, of whom Tlaltecuhtli, Tocî, and Cihuacoatl were invoked by the midwives.
What does the name ixchel mean?
IxchelMayan goddess of childbirth, war and medicine; also associated with the moon.
Why does Ixchel have a snake on her head?
She often carries a jug, which she continually empties onto the earth as the rains pour and the crops grow. She also wears a snake in her hair--an ancient symbol of wisdom and medicine; she understands illness and caretaking.
How do you pronounce Ixchel goddess?
If you read that, you'll find that “ee-shell” is close, but… it actually ends up something more like “eesh-chail” including the “ch” sound and pronouncing the “e” as a long “a.”
Who is the most powerful Mayan goddess?
Itzamna was the most important Mayan god, despite usually being depicted as a large-nosed, toothless old man. But appearances can be deceptive. Itzamna is the god of fire and the son of the creator god Hunab Ku.
Who is the Mayan god of death?
Cizin, also spelled Kisin, (Mayan: “Stinking One”), Mayan earthquake god and god of death, ruler of the subterranean land of the dead. He may possibly have been one aspect of a malevolent underworld deity who manifested himself under several names and guises (e.g., Ah Puch, Xibalba, and Yum Cimil).
Who is the Mayan god of sun?
Kinich AhauKinich Ahau was the Sun god of Maya culture, and he was often represented by a jaguar, eagle, or deer; animals that depicted power. It is said that he was a generator of light, time, heat, and the four directions that the universe had in its vast expanse.
What is the Mayan word for death?
Yum Kimil was also known as “Ah Puch“, “Kisin” (the flatulent one) or “Kimí” (death) and his representation emulated a corpse in a state of putrefaction; bald, with a swollen belly, skeletal face, thin body and skin with spots of decomposition and emanating from foul gases.
Who is the goddess of medicine?
HygieiaHygieia, in Greek religion, goddess of health. The oldest traces of her cult are at Titane, west of Corinth, where she was worshipped together with Asclepius, the god of medicine.
What does Itzel mean in Aztec?
Itzel is a name with Mayan roots, from Ixchel meaning 'rainbow lady'.
What is Ixchel in a wrinkle in time?
Answer and Explanation: Ixchel is a planet that Mr. Murry, Calvin, and Meg tesser to after escaping the clutches of IT. The planet is fairly dull in color—mostly gray... See full answer below.
What is ixchel holding?
With an origin in the Peninsula of Yucatán (Mexico) and Guatemala approximately in the year 1,500 a.c. Ixchel, for being so ambivalent and representing so many aspects of life, was shaped in a variety of ways: like a beautiful woman holding a rabbit, an old lady knitting on a waist loom, even an old lady pouring water ...
Who was the Mayan god of death?
Cizin, also spelled Kisin, (Mayan: “Stinking One”), Mayan earthquake god and god of death, ruler of the subterranean land of the dead. He may possibly have been one aspect of a malevolent underworld deity who manifested himself under several names and guises (e.g., Ah Puch, Xibalba, and Yum Cimil).
What does ixchel look like in a wrinkle in time?
Most everything at Ixchel is colorless or gray. There is also a spring-like fragrance in the air when Meg wakes. Ixchel is described as an "arctic waste".
What is the name of the goddess in the Maya books?
She often appears with a beak-like appendage protruding from her upper lip. Goddess I is known as Ixik Kab ("Lady Earth") or Ixik Uh ("Lady Moon") in the Maya books known as the Madrid and Dresden codices , and in the Madrid codex she appears as both a young and aged version.
What is the Mayan moon goddess?
Ix Chel (sometimes spelled Ixchel) is, according to longstanding archaeological tradition, the Mayan moon goddess, one of the most important and ancient of Maya deities, connected to fertility and procreation. Her name Ix Chel has been translated as “Lady Rainbow” or as “She of the Pale Face,” an allusion to ...
Where did Ix Chel worship?
Ix Chel was one of four related goddesses worshiped on the islands of Cozumel and Isla de Mujeres: Ix Chel, Ix Chebal Yax, Ix Hunie, and Ix Hunieta. Mayan women made pilgrimages to their temples on the island of Cozumel and placed her idols underneath their beds, asking for help.
What is the Ix Chel?
In the traditional pantheon of Maya gods and goddesses, Ix Chel has two aspects, that of a young sensual woman and an aged crone. However, that pantheon was built by archaeologists and historians based on a wide variety of sources, including iconography, oral history, and historical records. Over the decades of research, Mayanists have often ...
Where is the Oracle of Ix Chel?
According to several historical records, during the Spanish colonial period, there was a life-sized ceramic statue known as the Oracle of Ix Chel located on Cozumel Island . The oracle at Cozumel is said to have been consulted during the foundation of new settlements and in times of warfare.
How tall is San Gervasio?
Ka'na Nah (Structure C22-41) was part of one of those complexes, consisting of a small pyramid, five meters (16 feet) in height with a square plan of four stepped tiers and a main stairway bordered by a railing.
Where did the pilgrims go to see the goddess of the moon?
Pilgrims were said to have followed sacbe (the prepared Maya causeways) from as far away as Tabasco, Xicalango, Champoton, and Campeche to venerate the goddess. The Mayan pilgrimage route crossed the Yucatan from west to east, mirroring the pathway of the moon through the sky. Colonial dictionaries report that the pilgrims were known as hula and the priests were Aj K'in. The Aj K'in posed the pilgrims' questions to the statue and, in exchange for offerings of copal incense, fruit, and bird and dog sacrifices, reported the answers in the voice of the oracle.
Why is Ixchel considered the goddess of the moon?
Ixchel was revered as the goddess of the moon, because of her feminine character. She represented the fertility linked to the earth, due to the fact that the cycles of the moon are those which determine the times of planting and harvest. She was also associated with the rains and the Maya rain god Chaac. The Maya represented her as ...
What does Chak Chel mean?
She was the wife of the sun god Ak Kin, and was often represented accompanied by a rabbit; in hieroglyphics her name appears as Chak Chel, meaning “large rainbow”. In the “Chilam Balam”, a collection of books which tells about the history of the Maya civilization, her name appears as Ixchel, which means “rainbow woman”.
What are the Maya symbols?
The Maya represented her as a young woman, as a symbol of the waxing moon, or else as an older woman, as a symbol of the waning moon, pouring a jug of water onto the earth, or sometimes as an elderly woman weaving on a loom. On her head she wore a serpent, and the pattern on her skirt was of bones in the form of a cross. She was celebrated during the month of “Zip” in the Maya calendar under her role as goddess of medicine. She had four symbols in four different colors: red, white, black, and yellow, which were associated with the four segments of the universe.
Why did the canoes leave the port Pole?
From the port Pole (today known as Xcaret) the canoes departed with pilgrims bound for her temple to seek the oracle of Ixchel; young women also joined this pilgrimage to ask her help in producing the sons that their husbands wished for.
Who is the goddess of the moon?
There are many to mention, but today we are going to focus on the goddess Ixchel, who had many responsibilities. Ixchel (pronounced Ishchel) was the Maya goddess of the moon, of love, of gestation, of medicine, and of the textile arts. She was the wife of the sun god Ak Kin, and was often represented accompanied by a rabbit;
Is there a temple in Isla Mujeres?
Isla Mujeres (island of women) is also dedicated to Ixchel, where there is still a temple, so if you are curious you might want to see it during a visit to Quintana Roo! Esta entrada también está disponible en: ES. Ixchel Maya Goddess Maya Goddess Ixchel Maya gods Mayan Goddess mayan gods.
What does ixchel mean?
IxChel (pronounced ‘ee shell’) is a Maya Jaguar Goddess of the Moon, midwifery, fertility, rains, rainbows, sacred healing and medicine, weaving, and death. The name IxChel has many Maya interpretations, but loosely it means “Lady Rainbow” or “Goddess of Iridescent Light.”.
Why does IxChel wear a snake headdress?
This is because only the maiden and crone have time and energy to heal others. In the mother phase, IxChel is busy raising, healing, and caring for Her own brood. Crone: In Her crone aspect, She again wears Her snake headdress showing She is a Goddess of medicine and healing.
How to do magick with Ixchel?
Wear the rainbow, decorate with the rainbow, eat the rainbow (select produce from each color group), practice color magick. Gaze at the moon, dance in the rain, collect rain water for magick & spells, make moon water dedicated to IxChel and Her healing gifts. Visit your favorite body of water and meditate or commune with the spirit of IxChel.
What does the snake on the head mean?
The snake on Her head signifies She is a Goddess of medicine. All plant medicine and sacred healing is under Her domain.
How to get Ixchel to visit your dreams?
Learn or practice any of the weaving arts. Keep a dream journal and ask IxChel to visit your dreams. Honor, remember, and send love to the dead. You can also build an altar to IxChel or to your ancestors.
What is a triple goddess?
Triple Goddess. Triple Goddesses are Goddesses who embody three main aspects—Maiden, Mother, and Crone. IxChel is definitely an example of this. Maiden: In Her maiden aspect, IxChel is a young Goddess of fertility and medicine. She is often seen with her rabbit companion.
What is the symbolism of rabbits?
Rabbits are symbols of both fertility and the moon. Sometimes shown with fish, another fertility symbol. The snake on her head shows her connection to sacred medicine. Mother: As Mother Goddess, She is associated with weaving and the moon. She sends dreams to weavers and healers.
What does Ixchel represent?
So Ixchel came to represent many things to the Mayan people throughout the ages including other aspects I have not mentioned in this post such as earth goddess and patroness of weaving. Her image may be a powerful one for us to utilize as we contemplate and work with the Divine energy of the goddess.
What is the goddess of fertility?
According to The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya by Mary Miller and Karl Taube, “At the time of the Spanish Conquest, Ixchel was a prominent Maya goddess, patroness of childbirth, pregnancy, and fertility. Women from all over Yucatan made long pilgrimages to seek her attention at shrines on Cozumel and Isla Mujeres…She also appears to be a patroness of of weaving, divination. and midwifery.” To add to the observation that few sources agree on Ixchel ’s true identity, they add “She is probably not the beautiful young weaving woman given form in a number of Jaina figurines. Nor is there reason to think that she is the beautiful young moon goddess of Classic Maya art with whom her name has been widely identified: that young woman, sometimes depicted within the crescent of the moon, does not bear the name Ixchel or Chac Chel.”
What does IXchel mean?
According to the Ix Chel Center ( http://www.holisticnp.com/ixchel.html ), Ixchel is the ancient Maya goddess of fertility & healing. “Ix” means goddess of the feminine. “Chel” means rainbow or light. In other words, she is the: Lady of the Rainbow, Goddess of the Rainbow and Lady of Sacred Light. She is always associated with bodies of water, lakes, streams, rivers and creeks. Anywhere you would be likely to see a rainbow.
What does the crossbone on Ixchel mean?
Crossbones—These are seen on her back. It is a Mayan symbol of foreboding/warning. It may indicate that over time Ixchel morphed into a warrior goddess in addition to her healing/birthing powers. Needless to say, she is a goddess to be reckoned with!
What is the meaning of the water jug?
Water Jug—This vessel is symbolic of the womb and speaks of Ixchel’s role as midwife and goddess of childbearing. It also speaks of her power as a healer and one who brings new life into the world.
How many sons did Itzamna have?
Coherently with the Mayan goddess Ixchel association with fertility, her marriage to Itzamna would have been very fruitful: they would have had thirteen sons.
What is the role of Toci in Aztec mythology?
In fact, thesetwo goddesses embodied the same aspects represented by Ixchel. Toci had the role of a mother goddess in the Aztec religion, so she remembers Ixchel when seen as a goddess of gestation and of female fertility.
What is the Mayan goddess' symbol?
The Mayan goddess Ixchel symbol: The Jaguar Ears and the Claws
What animal is Ixchel?
Besides, she was often accompanied by a rabbit in portraits.
Which Mayan goddess was worshipped during the month of the Mayan calendar known as Zip?
The Mayan goddess Ixchel was particularly worshipped during the month of the Mayan calendar known as Zip.
What is the jaguar animal?
The jaguar, in fact, was an animal associated with aggressivity and hostility among Mesoamerican people, and it was not uncommon, among the Mayas and other inhabitants of Central America, to refer even to female deities as warriors, since warfare was a very important aspect in their societies.
Why was pregnant women often compared to warriors?
This mixture of maternal with warrior imagery must not surprise: among Mesoamerican people, the most glorious death for a man was in battle, while a woman gained much honor dying during childbirth; for this reason, pregnant women were often compared to warriors, and it was therefore absolutely natural for a goddess of pregnancy to be connected to war, too.
Overview
Ixchel or Ix Chel is the 16th-century name of the aged jaguar Goddess of midwifery and medicine in ancient Maya culture. In a similar parallel, she corresponds, to Toci Yoalticitl "Our Grandmother the Nocturnal Physician", an Aztec earth Goddess inhabiting the sweatbath, and is related to another Aztec Goddess invoked at birth, viz. Cihuacoatl (or Ilamatecuhtli). In Taube's revised Schellhas-Zimmermann classification of codical deities, Ixchel corresponds to the Goddess O.
Identification
Referring to the early 16th-century, Landa calls Ixchel “the Goddess of making children”. He also mentions her as the Goddess of medicine, as shown by the following. In the month of Zip, the feast Ihcil Ixchel was celebrated by the physicians and shamans (hechiceros), and divination stones as well as medicine bundles containing little idols of "the Goddess of medicine whom they called Ixchel" were brought forward. In the Ritual of the Bacabs, Ixchel is once called "grandmoth…
Meaning of the name
The name Ixchel was in use in 16th-century Yucatán and amongst the Poqom in the Baja Verapaz. Its meaning is not certain. Assuming that the name originated in Yucatán, chel could mean "rainbow". Her glyphic names in the (Post-Classic) codices have two basic forms, one a prefix with the primary meaning of "red" (chak) followed by a portrait glyph ("pictogram"), the other one logosyllabic. Ix …
Confusion with the moon Goddess
In the past, it was common to take Ix Chel as the Yucatec name of the moon Goddess because of a shared association with human fertility and procreation. The identification is questionable, however, since (1) colonial and ethnographical sources provide no direct evidence to show that Ixchel was a moon Goddess and (2) the Classic Maya moon Goddess, identifiable through her crescent, is invariably represented as a fertile young woman. Moreover, fertility and procreation …
Ixchel as an earth and a war Goddess
An entwined serpent serves as Ixchel's headdress, crossed bones may adorn her skirt, and instead of human hands and feet, she sometimes has claws. Very similar features are found with Aztec earth Goddesses, of whom Tlaltecuhtli, Tocî, and Cihuacoatl were invoked by the midwives. Being a jaguar Goddess, the Classic Ixchel (or 'Chak Chel') could equally be imagined as a fearsome female warrior equipped with shield and spear, not unlike Cihuacoatl in the latter's capacity of Y…
Ixchel as a rain Goddess
The Madrid Codex (30b) assimilates Goddess O to a rain deity, with rain pouring from her arm-pits and abdomen, while the Dresden Codex includes her in almanacs dedicated to the rain deities (Chaacs) and typically has her invert a water jar. On page 74 of the same codex, her emptying of the water jar replicates the vomiting of water by a celestial dragon. Although this scene has usually been understood as the Flood bringing about the end of the world, it is now thought to sy…
Mythology
Ixchel figures in a Verapaz myth related by Las Casas, according to which she, together with her spouse, Itzamna, had thirteen sons, two of whom created heaven and earth and all that belongs to it. No other myth figuring Ixchel has been preserved. However, her mythology may once have focused on the sweatbath, the place where Maya mothers were to go before and after birthgiving. As stated above, the Aztec counterpart to Ixchel as a patron of midwifery, Tocî, was also the Go…
Cult of Ixchel
In the early 16th century, Maya women seeking to ensure a fruitful marriage would travel to the sanctuary of Ix Chel on the island of Cozumel, the most important place of pilgrimage after Chichen Itza, off the east coast of the Yucatán peninsula. There, a priest hidden in a large statue would give oracles. To the north of Cozumel is a much smaller island baptized by its Spanish discoverer, Hernández de Córdoba, the "Island of Women" (Isla Mujeres), "on account of the idol…