Chalchiuhtlicue, “She of the Jade Skirt,” is the goddess of terrestrial and potable water, that is, of lakes, rivers, and springs. She is regarded as the consort of Tlaloc, representing the feminine dimension of water, although some sources attribute this role to Xochiquetzal prior to her abduction by Tezcatlipoca, after which she became the goddess of love and desire. The water goddess is symbolically identified with other deities, such as Matlalcueye, “She of the Green or Blue Skirt,” who still appears in the sacred mountain of La Malinche, in the Puebla-Tlaxcala region.
The symbolic framework of Chalchiuhtlicue links water with fertility, mountains, and meteorological phenomena, her principal function being to provide water and prevent the earth from drying out. This capacity is shared with Chicomecóatl, goddess of young maize, and with Huixtocíhuatl, “Woman of the Huixtotin” (the inhabitants of the Gulf Coast) and goddess of salt water. This triad, associated with vegetation and fertility, was especially important among agricultural populations. As a result, its ceremonial observances included several religious festivals aligned with the agricultural cycle: Atlcahualo (“The Waters Recede”), Tzotzontli (“Little Vigil”), Etzalcualiztli (“The Eating of Etzalli,” a dish made of maize and beans), and Izcalli (“Growth”).
The iconographic system that articulates the mountain-water-cultivation-meteorological framework is reflected in Chalchiuhtlicue’s attire and attributes: yellow facial paint with a black circle on the cheeks; a jade necklace; a paper cap adorned with quetzal crest feathers; bells; sandals; a shield decorated with an aquatic flower; and a rattle staff carried in her right hand. Her skirt explicitly represents water through concentric diamond-shaped designs, with its lower border finished with chalchihuites (precious green stones). This same decorative band appears on her quechquémitl, as well as in Folio 49r of the Florentine Codex, where Huixtocíhuatl wears a similar design.
The geometric pattern of the skirt is identified with the skin of a serpent, an animal that also serves as the belt securing the garment. Serpents belong to the water-earth symbolic framework and function as iconographic conventions representing the powers of germination and reproduction.
Particular attention should be given to the use of chalchíhuitl and xíhuitl (jade and emerald) in both the goddess’s name and her attire, since these materials symbolize beauty, value, life, and fertility and, above all, serve the function of attracting rain. This symbolism has led to the association of green stone with aquatic deities and marine fauna.
Water likewise occupies a central place as a source of life and an element of renewal, elevating Chalchiuhtlicue as a deity associated with birth rituals and midwifery. According to the myths, Chalchiuhtlicue presided over the Sun of Water, the first age of the world, when giants inhabited the earth. Her disorderly conduct brought about the destruction of the world through a great flood, transforming humanity into fish.