Pottery incense burner from a shrine at Mayapan depicting the rain god Chac. The Maya god carries a small bowl in one hand and a ball of flaming incense in the other. Ht 54.6 cm (21.5 in).
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the Peabody Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

Xib Chac

Xib Chac was the rain god according to the Mayan pantheon. The rain god was a benevolent deity, and was depicted with different colors. Numerous sacrifices were offered to the rain god. During the religious ceremonies, the priest was assisted by four old men, called Chacs in honor of Xib Chac.

The four assistants would hold the arms and legs of the victim, while the chest was slashed by another individual who bore the title of Nacom. Human sacrifices were performed on prisoners, slaves, and unfortunately, on children.

An important part of the ceremony was related to the prophecies disclosed by another religious functionary, named Chilam. This individual, a sort of visionary shaman, would reveal, while in a state of trance, the messages sent by the gods to be interpreted by the priests.

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