Ixchel or Ix Chel was a 16th-century name given to a female jaguar goddess of medicine and midwifery in the ancient Maya culture. She is related to another Aztec goddess called Toci Yoalticitl, who lives in a sweat bath. Ix Chel was originally referred to as the Mayan moon Goddess O before records revealed her name. Ix Chel was depicted as an evil old woman who held unfavourable aspects, and she was patroness of womanly crafts.
It is believed that Ix Chel was a part of the God Itzamna. She was regarded as the goddess of the moon, water, childbirth, and weaving in the Maya of the peninsular of Mexico. She is also the mother of all the Mayan deities and has rules about the cycles of life and death. As the keeper of souls, Ix Chel constantly changes from being a young beauty into a wise old crone who shares her people's wisdom.
Ix Chel was capable of taking various forms. It's possible that some of her aspects were actually depictions of other goddesses. There are also two major aspects of her that are generally agreed upon.
Ix Chel was often depicted as an older woman who was wearing a serpent crown and wearing traditional Mayan clothing. In this version, she may have also worn a skirt that had crossed bones on her dress. She was also said to have had claws on her feet and hands. Ix Chel was often depicted with a frightening mouth and a large earthen vessel.
Sometimes, Ix Chel was portrayed as a young woman. She was attractive and wore a headdress. Her beak was also present on her upper lip. This younger version of Ix Chel was often presented in a more friendly manner than her older one.
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