As I travel through Mexico, I keep seeing a very interesting design, particularly in murals. It’s a very scary, very blue face.
It’s Tlaloc!
Source: Wikimedia Commons
What does this have to do with scuba, you may ask? Well… technically nothing, but Tlaloc (TLAH-lock) is the god of water in general. I think a scuba blog can make an exception for this guy.
Tlaloc is the god of water, stormy weather, fertility, caves and caverns, and more. His design and motifs have possibly been the most-encountered mythological symbols on my travels around Mexico, with Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent) vying for first place. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen at least one mural of him in every city I’ve explored. There are two in my neighborhood!
These are some of my own pictures I’ve taken from places I’ve visited.
The first photo is an advertisement for a sticker set that turned various gods into cute cats. Cat-Tlaloc was the star of the show!
The second and final photos are just two of the many pieces of Tlaloc-themed street art I’ve seen. I usually spot them while on the move– in buses, taxis, rideshares, or my own car–and so never have the time to snap a picture.
The third, fourth, and fifth photos are from various museums and archaeological sites in Mexico City. The Mexico City National Anthropological Museum has an entire wing dedicated to Tlaloc, and I believe there’s a special temple at Teotihuacan for him. He’s a popular guy! Frogs were an animal associated with the deity, and you can find very cute statues in his temples.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Chapultepec Park in Mexico City has several Tlaloc statues, one of which is a gigantic fountain (as seen above). Very fitting.
You can even purchase and assemble your very own paper Tlaloc, from the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City.
Source: MXC
You could even go to a festival celebrating all things water and walk through a very impressive archway adorned with the god’s face.
Artists on Facebook have even made fun little pixelated animations featuring him.
It is practically ubiquitous! Despite being popular throughout Mexico, I had never heard of him before visiting the country myself. You’d think something so popular would be more internationally well known. The United States is a next-door neighbor to Mexico, but to my (limited) knowledge I haven’t seen a single mural or piece of decoration with Tlaloc in the US. Maybe I need to go on a little quest and see what I find…!
