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IxchelIn Maya mythology, Ixchel was an earth and moon goddess, patroness of weavers and pregnant women. She was married to Voltan but mother of the Bacabs by Itzamna. She was also known as the "Lady Rainbow" and was usually shown in Mayan art as an older woman dressed in a skirt with crossed bones on it. As well, she was depicted with a serpent in her hand. Ix Chel is frequently depicted with a great jug that is filled with water. According to myth, she dumps over this jug full of water to send floods and rainstorms down to Earth. In this myth she is generally associated with being destructive, deathly, and demonic; others portay her in a more benign light. One myth states that the sun was her "lover," but that her grandfather was very upset with this and he threw lightining at her out of jealousy which in turn killed Ix Chel. In the story it stated that dragonflies sang over her for 183 days and then she awoke again only to follow the sun to his palace. But the sun soon after too started to become jealous of Ix Chel, thinking that she was having an affair with the morning star, who was the sun's brother. The sun threw her out of heaven and then persuaded her back home, but soon after her return he became jealous again. It is said that Ix Chel became annoyed with the bahavior of the sun and so she went off into the night and remained invisible whenever the sun came around. At her new place in the night it is said that Ix Chel spent the nights nursing women of Earth through their labor (during the stint of their pregnancy and birth). Ix Chel was said to pay special attention to the pilgrims who visited Cozumel, which was her sacred island. Isla Mujeres was also devoted to her worship.
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