Mask Makers Web

The Nahua-speaking people of Guerrero, Mexico, used masks like this in rain-petitioning ceremonies, records of which date back to 1804. If rain had not fallen by May 3, twelve boys would dance to a cave, wearing masks to impersonate the Tlaloques, the Aztec rain gods believed to be dwarves living inside the mountains. The mask's blue-green eyes, along with its rippling hair and beard, are ancient symbols for water.

Category: Photos

Added on: Aug 06, 2002 | Hits: 20515