Chaac on Templo 22
These ornamental corner pieces are the remnants of large chaac faces from Templo 22 at Copan. Originally, they would have also featured longer more elephant like trunks but these have broken off. Chac was the God of Rain and Thunder, but there are many incarnations and names from which this character is known – spellings include Chac, Kawak, Cauac and other versions are known as Cociyo and Tlaloc. This God, or at least this representation of him, is believed to have been imported from Teotihuacan (click here to read more about Templo 22).
© Robin Heyworth – Photo taken 9th February 2002
