Tlaloc

Tláloc, "the one who makes the rain spring forth," stood as one of the primordial deities in the pre-Hispanic cosmos, indispensable for civilizations based on the agricultural cycle, such as the Mexica people.

His effigy is an unmistakable symbol of antiquity. A solemn face masked by circular blinders that represent clouds, a braided nose, a prominent mustache, and fangs that foretell lightning and storm.

The origin of the myth is not entirely clear. Some experts believe it comes from the Olmec culture and that it adopted features from the jaguar's snout, which later transformed into serpentine characteristics. Others point to Teotihuacan as its origin, where the myth was reworked and given the serpentine features we know today.

The Mexica considered him the creator of the moon, water, and rain, as well as one of the four suns in their cosmogony. He was also the lord of Tlalocan, a paradise located to the east, where the souls of people who lost their lives in the water went.

Another important element of their worship was the respect and adoration of hills and mountains, which were considered the original sources of rain. Mountains were thought of as "great vessels of water," as well as being sites of pilgrimage and sacrifice.

It has been adopted as a symbol of national identity, adorning handicrafts and immortalized outside the National Museum of Anthropology. Its presence in 20th-century muralism also establishes it as a key element in the construction of the country's historical and mestizo narrative.