Yopaat was an important Maya storm god in the southern Maya area that included the cities of Copán and

Quiriguá Quiriguá () is an ancient Maya archaeological site in the department of Izabal in south-eastern Guatemala. It is a medium-sized site covering approximately along the lower Motagua River, with the ceremonial center about from the north bank. ...

during the Classic period of

Mesoamerican chronology Mesoamerican chronology divides the history of pre-Columbian, prehispanic Mesoamerica into several periods: the Paleo-Indian (first human habitation until 3500 BCE); the Archaic (before 2600 BCE), the Preclassic or Formative (2500 BC ...

(c. 250–900 AD). Yopaat was closely related to

Chaac Chaac (also spelled Chac or, in Classic Mayan, Chaahk ) is the name of the Maya god of rain, thunder, and lighting. With his lightning axe, Chaac strikes the clouds, causing them to produce thunder and rain. Chaac corresponds to Tlaloc among ...

, the Maya

rain god There are many different gods of rain in different religions: African African mythology * Anẓar, god of rain in Berber mythology. * Achek, wife of the rain god Deng in Dinka mythology * Mangwe, a water spirit known as "the flooder" in the be ...

.Gutiérrez González 2012, p. 1061. Yopaat is depicted as bearing a flint weapon that represents a thunderbolt.Bassie-Sweet and Hopkins 2015, p. 127. Yopaat was held responsible for especially violent lightning storms, that were believed to cause earthquakes. He was often represented with a snake in place of one leg, demonstrating a close relationship with

Kʼawiil Kʼawiil, in the Post-Classic codices corresponding to God K, is a Maya deity identified with lightning, serpents, fertility and maize. He is characterized by a zoomorphic head, with large eyes, long, upturned snout and attenuated serpent foot. A ...

, another Maya deity with similar attributes.Pallán Gayol 2008, p. 26. The deity was most important during the Late Classic period (c. 600–900 AD). Although his worship was concentrated in the Motagua Valley, glyphic inscriptions of the name occur as far away as Palenque, Yaxchilán and Toniná.Gutiérrez González 2012, p. 1062. Decipherment of a hieroglyphic text found at Palenque has resulted in the suggestion that Yopaat was associated with mist that forms before rainfall.Gutiérrez González 2012, p. 1063. The name of the deity was frequently used as a part of the names of the kings of the Quiriguá dynasty, and it is likely that Yopaat was the patron god of the city, which was subject to abundant rainfall and frequent floods.Gutiérrez González 2012, p. 1066.

Etymology

The name Yopaat is formed from two elements – ''yop'' and ''aat'', literally ''leaf-penis''. This name has been tentatively linked to mythic imagery at San Bartolo, Petén, and with other deities in wider

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...

that feature an oversized leaf hanging from their abdomens.

Iconography

In Maya art, Yopaat is depicted using his thunderbolt weapon to crack the shell of the mythic turtle, an action that gives rise to the resurrection of the

maize god Like other Mesoamerican peoples, the traditional Maya civilization, Maya recognize in their staple crop, maize, a vital force with which they strongly identify. This is clearly shown by their mythological traditions. According to the 16th-century P ...

.Looper 2003, pp. 4–5. Representations of Yopaat are almost identical to representations of Chaac, except his weapon, and curved dotted elements on his head. These dotted elements may represent clouds or mist,Stuart 6 March 2013. or may be sparks. He also has stony markings on his body.

Notes

References

*Bassie-Sweet, Karen; and Nicholas A. Hopkins (2015)
Ancient Thunderbolt and Meteor Deities
in K. Bassie-Sweet, ed. ''The Chʼol Maya of Chiapas'' (Norman, Oklahoma, US: University of Oklahoma Press). 123–144. . *Gutiérrez González, María Eugenia (2012) B. Arroyo, L. Paiz, and H. Mejía, eds.
Yopaat, un dios Maya de la Tormenta en Quiriguá
" opaat, a Maya storm god at Quiriguá''Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala'' (in Spanish) (Guatemala City, Guatemala: Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, Instituto de Antropología e Historia, and Asociación Tikal). XXV (2011):1061–1073. . *Looper, Matthew (2003) ''Lightning Warrior: Maya Art and Kingship at Quirigua'' (Austin, Texas, US: University of Texas Press). . *Pallán Gayol, Carlos (2008)
The Many Faces of Chaahk: Exploring the Role of a Complex and Fluid Entity within Myth, Religion and Politics
Academia.edu. *Stuart, David (6 March 2013)
Leaf Glyphs: Spellings with yo and YOP
'. Maya Decipherment: Ideas on Ancient Maya Writing and Iconography (decipherment.wordpress.com). Austin, Texas, US: University of Texas. Retrieved on 18 March 2016.

Etymology

Iconography

Notes

References

Further reading