Chicomecōātl

Sources identify Chicomecōātl as the female maize deity of the Mexica pantheon and the counterpart to the male maize god Centeōtl. Her name in classical Nahuatl is glossed as "Seven Serpent" (Chicōmecōātl); authors report that this gloss has been interpreted as indicating a twofold or ambivalent character (prosperity and potential harm), though the primary attestations present the name form and the association with duality rather than a detailed etiological serpent origin.

Iconography and museum descriptions depict Chicomecōātl with a face painted in red ochre, wearing a paper headdress and a shirt patterned with "water-flowers," and wearing sandals (described in sources as foam sandals or sandals). She frequently carries small ears of maize as an identifying attribute and is sometimes shown with a sun shield. Three iconographic types are reported: a young girl carrying flowers, a woman who may bring death with her embraces, and a mother who uses the sun as a shield. Some sculptures associated with Chalchiuhtlicue assume poses characteristic of Chicomecōātl (hands extended as if holding small ears of corn), indicating shared visual attributes rather than strict equivalence.

Chicomecōātl's primary agency is agricultural: she is the bringer of nourishment, plenty, and the designation of seed for future planting. Sources portray her as responsible for both bounty and scarcity—her favor secures good harvests, while lack of favor can be blamed for poor yields. Ritual practice around her cult included priestly and priestess actions to propitiate her, including designation of seed-maize during Huey Tozoztli and, as reported in several sources, offerings such as child sacrifice to secure favor. Sources do not record distinctive supernatural powers like shapechanging or possession beyond her role in fertility, nourishment, and the ambivalent potential to harm.