CHAAC

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CHAAC

• The Role of the Mayan Rain God
• Past and Present

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CHAAC BACKGROUND

• OLMEC
• IZAPAN
• MAYA

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CHAAC BACKGROUND

• CHARACTERISTICS
• Elephant-like nose
• Sometimes depicted with tears in the eyes,
  representing rain
• Associated with the frog
• gjoachim.club.fr/uxmal.htm

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CHAAC BACKGROUND

• Often represented as one god
• OR
• As the four cardinal points
• Chac Xib Chaac (red Chaac of the East)
• Sac Xib Chaac (white Chaac of the North)
• Ek Xib Chaac (black Chaac of the West)
• Kan Xib Chaac (yellow Chaac of the South)

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CHAAC BACKGROUND

• Effigies of Chaac are often painted with blue,
  red, yellow, white, black, and green
• www.answers.com/topic/mayapan

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CHAAC BACKGROUND
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CHAAC TODAY

• Conversion to Catholicism faciliatated by
  replacing indigeonous gods with Saints
• Pre-colonialism prayers to Chaac are still in
  use, with Saint Thomas in place of Chaac

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CHAAC TODAY

• Cities were converted to Catholisim more easily
• Rural areas retained more traditional Mayan
  beliefs

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CHAAC TODAY

• Often, the people in smaller towns will first
  pray in the Catholic church for rain, then will
  take prayers to Chaac into the cornfields if the
  rain still does not come

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CHAAC TODAY

• THE RITUAL
• The Mayan Shaman chooses a spot near a tree, and
  conducts prayers with no other people nearby
• The Shaman then makes Kol, a corn based food,
  as well as a corn based drink
• Food and drink are distributed among the people

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CHAAC TODAY

• Regular ceremonies to Chaac still exist
• Cha-chaac is a ritual performed at the start of
  the rainy season
• Mayan people must travel far into the wilderness
  to practice these rites, in order to avoid
  persecution

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COMMODIFICATION OF CHAAC

• Tourism is one of the most important industries
  in Mexico and in the Yucatan
• The Mexico Ministry of Tourism, the Commission of
  Tourism, and the Federal Law of Tourism work
  together to support this industry

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COMMODIFICATION OF CHAAC

• The Uxmal Light and Sound show is one example of
  attempts to use Mayan culture to bring in tourist
  revenue

(www.ecoyuc.com.mx/daytours.php?did19 )
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COMMODIFICATION OF CHAAC

• According to Eduardo of Muna, the commodification
  of Chaac as ornaments or souvenirs is not
  offensive to the Mayan people, since the
  traditional ancient rites have been all but
  forgotten by the common people
• Juan of Merida, on the other hand, suggested that
  peddling Chaac images, especially those made in
  another country, cheapens the culture

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COMMODIFICATION OF CHAAC

• At Muna we found representations of Chaac that
  were much more than simple replicas

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QUESTIONS?