Ix Chel

Click for full size

This is an artist's depiction of Ix Chel.
Click on image for full size (38K JPG)
Windows Original
Ix Chel, the "Lady Rainbow," was the Moon goddess in Mayan mythology. The Mayans associated human events with phases of the Moon. In images, Ix Chel is depicted as an old woman wearing a skirt with crossbones on it. She also holds a serpent in her hand.

Ix Chel was married to the Moon god Itzamna. She had a kinder side, and was worshipped for her protection of weavers and women in childbirth.

Ix Chel

Click for full size

This is an artist's depiction of Ix Chel.
Click on image for full size (38K JPG)
Windows Original
Ix Chel, the "Lady Rainbow," was the old Moon goddess in Mayan mythology. The Maya people lived around 250 AD in what is now Guatemala and the Yucatan in Mexico. Mayans associated human events with phases of the moon.

Ix Chel was depicted as an old woman wearing a skirt with crossed bones, and she had a serpent in her hand. She had an assistant sky serpent, whom they believed carried all of the waters of the heavens in its belly. She is often shown carrying a great jug filled with water, which she overturns to send floods and powerful rainstorms to Earth.

Her husband was the benevolent moon god Itzamna. Ix Chel had a kinder side and was worshipped as the protector of weavers and women in childbirth.

Ix Chel

Click for full size

This is an artist's depiction of Ix Chel.
Click on image for full size (38K JPG)
Windows Original
Ix Chel, the "Lady Rainbow," was the old Moon goddess in Maya mythology. Mayan people lived from around A.D. 250 in the territories that today are part of Guatemala and the Mexican province of Yucatan. The Mayans had a system of writing that has been only recently decoded.

Scientists have been able to decipher the content of some Mayan books that have survived until today. Mayans associated human events with Moon phases. They observed a war-avoidance period during lunar eclipse intervals.

Ix Chel was depicted as a malevolent old woman wearing a skirt with crossed bones and with a serpent in her hand. She had as an assistant, a sky serpent, who was said to possess all the waters of the heavens in its belly. She often carries with her a great jug which she overturns to send calamitous floods and rainstorms on the Earth. Surprisingly, her spouse was the benevolent Moon god Itzamna.

The Character of Ix Chel also has a benign aspect. She was worshipped because she protected weavers and women in childbirth.


Last modified March 27, 1997 by the Windows Team

The source of this material is Windows to the Universe, at http://www.windows.ucar.edu/ at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). © The Regents of the University of Michigan. Windows to the Universe® is a registered trademark of UCAR. All Rights Reserved. Site policies and disclaimer