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Ix Chel as Young Woman

by April

fantasy art gallery


Art: Ix Chel as Young Woman by Artist April
Done as part of the 2006 EBSQ Ripped Off show. This piece was inspired by the work "Ix Chel" by artist John Borrero. Ix Chel is said to be the Mayan goddess of fertility and creation. She is also the moon goddess. She is said to help women in childbirth, particularly those in her home island of Cozumel.

She is most often pictured as an old woman with crossed bones on her breast holding a snake. As a young woman she was said to be most beautiful. It is said that she would sit combing her hair, and all the gods were entranced by her, but one, the sun god. And the sun god was the only one that she wanted. Finally she won him over, but her grandfather did not approve and killed her with a lightning bolt. In the story, dragonflies sang over her for 183 days until she awoke. And the sun god became her lover. But he became jealous, thinking she was in love with his brother the morning star and and cast her out of heaven. After coaxing her back he became jealous again. At which point Ix Chel would travel mostly at night, where she would help women in childbirth, largely making herself invisible to the sun during the day so he could not find her and bring her back.

I chose in my interpretation to depict her as a young woman. She bears the crossed bones and carries a snake, and wears a headress and breast plate inspired by John Borrero's mixed media piece. Her huipil is inspired by what appears to be the traditional dress of the women of Cozumel, and she wears a light colorful rebozo that might have been worn in the Yucatan region of Mexico.


Detail Image


Detail Image for art Ix Chel as Young Woman

John Borrero's Original

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