Goddess A Day » Central and South American

Takotsi Nakawe

sabrina — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:48:13 +0000

Takotsi Nakawe is the Huichol Goddess of the earth. She is the mother of all of the other Gods and of all plant and animal life on the earth. Her children include Tatevali, God of fire, and the four rain serpent Goddesses, Tate Hautse Kupuri, Tate Kyewimoka, Tate Naaliwami, and Tate Rapawiyama. Takotsi Nakawe’s name means “grandmother growth.”

Masaya

sabrina — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:01:04 +0000

Masaya is the Nicaraguan Goddess of volcanoes. She lives in the Underworld with Mictanteot, the God of the Underworld, and receives the souls of evil people when they die. Masaya is depicted as an old crone with black skin, drooping breasts, and white wispy hair, similar to the gases that rise from the volcano in Nicaragua that is named for her. The Chorotega people used to sacrifice virgins by throwing them into the volcano, hoping that the Goddess would provide divine oracles in return for the sacrifice. Masaya’s name means “burning mountain.”

Ix Zacal Nok

sabrina — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:37:08 +0000

Mabon Blessings! One of the Pagan names for the autumn equinox, Mabon is a time to reflect on ways to bring our lives into balance, as the day and night are balanced on this day. It is also a time to give thanks for the blessings of the harvest and all the gifts that the earth gives to us, her children.

Ix Zacal Nok (pronounced EESH SAK-el NOK) is the Mayan Goddess of weaving. She is the wife of Kinich Ahau, God of the sun. As she creates her tapestries, she also creates the changes in the seasons, bringing forth plants in the spring and readying them for harvest in the fall. Ix Zacal Nok, whose name means “lady cloth weaver,” is sometimes referred to as Colel Cab, “mistress of the earth,” and as such she was also given dominion over the earth. The title Mistress of the Bees was also associated with her in this latter guise.

Tonacacihuatl

sabrina — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:23:27 +0000

Tonacacihuatl (pronounced toe-na-ka-SEE-wah-tl) is the Aztec Goddess of creation. She is the wife of Tonacatecuhtli, the creator God. Tonacacihuatl and Tonacatecuhtli first created Omecihuatl, also a Goddess of creation, and her brother/husband Ometecuhtli, who then created everything else. Tonacacihuatl’s name means “lady of flesh” or “lady of substance.”

Arasy

sabrina — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:53:25 +0000

Arasy is the Guarani Goddess of the sky. From her home in the moon, she saw Tupa, God of creation, who lived in the sun. The two met and married, and then went down to the earth to create people. Arasy and Tupa together created the first man, Rupave, and the first woman, Sypave. Arasy’s name means “day mother.”

Mama Allpa

sabrina — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:07:07 +0000

Mama Allpa is the Inca Goddess of the earth. Portrayed with numerous breasts, she was responsible for the fertility of the earth and for successful harvests. Mama Allpa’s name means “earth mother.”

Mama Ocllo

sabrina — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:47:32 +0000

Mama Ocllo is the Inca Goddess of fertility and spinning. She is said to be either one of the eight deities created by Viracocha, the supreme God of the Inca, or the daughter of Mama Quilla, Goddess of the moon, and her brother/husband Inti, God of the sun. In either case, she is the sister/wife of Manco Capac and with him she was sent to earth to teach the people. In the version where they are children of the sun, Inti gives Manco Capac a golden staff, telling him that wherever he is able to sink the staff into the ground with one push, on that spot he should build a temple to the sun. The city that they founded was Cuzco, which became the capital of the Inca empire. Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo gathered the people together at Cuzco, and Mama Ocllo taught the women how to spin and then to weave the threads they created into garments. Mama Ocllo’s name, which means “mother fertility,” is also seen as Mama Uqllu, Mama Ocllo Huaco, and Mama Ogllo. The sometimes seen Mama Oello and Mama Oullo are misspellings.

Mama Quilla

sabrina — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:39:17 +0000

Mama Quilla is the Inca Goddess of the moon. She is the daughter of Mama Cocha, Goddess of the sea, and sister/wife of Inti, God of the sun. Mama Quilla was worshipped in particular by women, because she ruled over menstrual cycles and marriage. While she was imagined in a human form, she was often represented by a disc made of either gold or silver—silver was considered to be Mama Quilla’s tears fallen to earth. Their love for Mama Quilla made the Inca very afraid of lunar eclipses. They believed that the shadow on the moon was an animal attacking her, and they would throw weapons and yell at the animal to make it go away. Mama Quilla’s name, which means “mother moon,” is also seen as Mama Kilya.

Mama Cocha

sabrina — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:39:41 +0000

Mama Cocha is the Inca Goddess of the sea. She protects fishermen and sailors, making sure that there are plenty of fish, preventing storms, and calming the seas. Mama Cocha was said to have dominion over all bodies of water, and was especially associated with Lake Titicaca in Peru, which is still called Mama Cocha by many people. As the wife of the supreme God Viracocha, Mama Cocha was the mother of Mama Quilla, Goddess of the moon, and her brother/husband Inti, God of the sun. Mama Cocha’s name, which means “sea mother,” is also seen as Mama Qocha.

Huixtocihuatl

sabrina — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:03:55 +0000

Huixtocihuatl (pronounced we-sto-key-WAH-tl) is the Aztec Goddess of salt and salt water. She is the older sister of the rain Gods, the Tlaloques, the most important of whom was named simply Tlaloc. The Tlaloques were responsible for releasing the rains, and in an argument, they drove off their sister Huixtocihuatl and threw all of their salt water at her, giving her reign over it forever. In the month of the Little Feast of the Lords, a woman was sacrificed to Huixtocihuatl and salt makers performed special dances in her honor. She is usually depicted wearing a skirt adorned with waves and jadeite, with golden bells around her ankles. She carried a special shield with a picture of a waterlily and decorated with parrot, eagle, and quetzal feathers. Huixtocihuatl’s name, which means “salt lady,” is also seen as Uixtocihuatl.