Stone+kneeling+figure+of+Chalchiuhtlicue

=Stone kneeling figure of Chalchiuhtlicue= Chalchiuhtlicue is a goddess of a great many things. She is a marvelous woman who had a lot of powers and strengths. The stone kneeling figure of Chalchiuhtlicue resides at the British Museum in London, England. Here you will find out the history of Chalchiuhtlicue and how she is still celebrated.

In this sculpture, Chalchiuhtlicue wears a traditional quechquemitl shawl trimmed with tassels and a skirt. Her clothing shows her as a noble woman. She could sometimes be seen wearing a cross, which acted as a sign of fertility or a symbol for the four winds that brought rain to water the crops. Her necklace is symbolic of the nobility she possessed. The position of kneeling shows that she is a symbol of fertility for both women and the land. This sculpture is relatively small, stand only 30 cm tall and 18 cm wide. This statue of Chalchiuhtlicue was acquired in 1823 by William Bullock who was a collector of Mexican antiques.

Chalchiuhtlicue is the Aztec water goddess and one of Mexico's favorite goddesses. The Aztec people adored her so much that they built the Pyramid of the Moon for her. She still has worshippers to this day. Her name means 'she of the jade skirt'. She is associated with spring water, rivers and lakes. Chalchiuhtlicue was also identified with the fertility of women and crops. Her affiliation with water and fertility is because the Aztec people associated the womb with water. This association is due to the fact that a woman's water breaks during the birthing process. These associations gave Chalchiuhtlicue both life-giving and life-ending roles. She was further believed to be the protector of children and newborns. Women would also dedicate their marriage nuptials to her. Chalchiuhtlicue was also called upon during baptisms to protect the new baby's life. Like other water deities, Chalchiuhtlicue was also sometimes associated with serpents.

According to the Aztec people, Chalchiuhtlicue was sometimes represented as a river with a prickly pear cactus on the bank. The fruit on the cactus symbolized the human hearts that were sacrificed to her. When she was represented in a stone figure, she was often carved from green stone because of what her name meant. Female figures are a repetitive theme in Aztec sculptures and they were usually depicted as a youthful woman.

Most legends of Chalchiuhtlicue say that she was married to the god of rain, Tlaloc. In some myths she was his sister. Chalchiuhtlicue helped Tlaloc rule the kingdom of Tlalocan. It is believed that Tlaloc was one of the first 'abuser' gods and because of this Chalchiuhtlicue retaliated by releasing 52 years of rain, causing a giant flood which caused the fourth world to be destroyed. She built a bridge linking heaven and earth and those who were in Chalchiuhtlicue's good graces were allowed to traverse it. The other residents of the earth were turned into fish so they wouldn't drown. Chalchiuhtlicue used the flood as an act of purification of human kind. Because of this flood we are believed to live in the Fifth World. Chalchiuhtlicue was also mother of Tecciztecatl, the Aztec moon god. In some myths, Chalchiuhtlicue was wife of Xiuhtecuhtli, senior deity of the Aztec pantheon. According to Aztec legend, Chalchiuhtlicue at one point devoured the sun and moon.

In 2008, archaeologists led by Saburo Sugiyama found a tomb containing important evidence that may help define and examine an active period in Teotihuacán history. It may also help define some of the Aztec's defining moments. Teotihuacán was the largest city in Mesoamerica with over 100,000 residents and was also the Aztec capital. It is here that the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon were built. The Pyramid of the Sun was built for Tlaloc and, as stated earlier, the Pyramid of the Moon built for Chalchiuhtlicue. The tomb that Saburo Sugiyama found was dedicated to Chalchiuhtlicue. It housed a single human male sacrifice along with a wolf, jaguar, puma, serpent, bird, skeletons, and over 400 other artifacts. Among some of these artifacts were large greenstone and obsidian figurines, ceremonial knives, and spear points. The archaeologists also found frescos of former religions painted in red and green, some referred to agricultural and natural rain cycles. When looking underneath the Pyramid of the Moon, a Chalchiuhtlicue statue was found and has since been moved to El Museo Nacional de Antropologia in Mexico City. Also found underneath the pyramid were many tombs containing ornaments of birds and jaguars.

Today, a traditional Mexica/Aztec Danza community called Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc partakes in an annual celebration of the waters. This ceremony is called Ceromonia Chalchiuhtlicue and is a festival dedicated to honoring the waters of the world. The state of Minnesota, or "Land of 10,000 lakes", has hosted this festival since 2005. Guests include the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota, and Ojibway Nations. The hosts of this celebration hope that this festival will once again bring these nations to be in good relations with the waters. They also wish to find an environment that will allow people to live harmoniously with the world.

In the native Aztec calendar there are twenty big celebrations, five of them are dedicated to Tlaloc and Chalchiuhtlicue. These celebrations were used to invoke rain for the fertility of crops. According to the Aztec calendar, Chalchiuhtlicue is considered one of the nine Companions of the Night. These gods were believed to have created the Earth. Tlaloc was included as one of the nine. Chalchiuhtlicue was the goddess of the fifth day of the Aztec calendar.

In summary, Chalchiuhtlicue was a goddess of many things. Her great power is still celebrated today by many people of the Mexican culture along with others. She is responsible for many things and does a wonderful job maintaining it all.


 * __Works Cited__**

The British Museum. "Stone kneeling figure of Chalchiuhtlicue." 28 May, 2009, < []>

Wikipedia. " Chalchiuhtlicue." 15 May, 2009, < []> (20 April,2009)

Catemaco News. "Catemaco Chalchiuhtlicue." 4 June, 2009, < http://www.catemaconews,com/2006/catemaco-chalchiuhtlicue.html > 2009.

Absolute Astronomy. "Chalchiuhtlicue." 7 June, 2009, <[]> 2009.

A Muse-ing Grace Gallery. "Chalchiuhtlicue." 7 June, 2009, <[]> 2004.