Chaak Masks of Uxmal
MayaMayan
Uxmal had no water--no rivers, lakes, streams, or even
cenotes. It's not surprising that the Mayas of Uxmal
depended on their rain god, Chaak, to bring them life-
giving rain to collect in their cisterns, and to provide
run-off to nourish their crops. Rituals and offerings were
and still are made to the great god Chaak, especially
before planting and to ensure the coming of the rainy
season. Chaak's physical appearances were varied:
catfish whiskers, down-turning reptilian snout, body
scales, and bound hair. He is often shown with an axe or serpent indicating his status as god of lightning. In his most benevolent form, he was associated with agriculture and fertility. What Chaak provided, however, he could also withhold or provide in disastrous abundance. In his most malevolent aspect, Chaak could bring drought or hurricanes.
Although the Maya at other sites built
rain god (Chaak) masks on building corners, these at the Grand Pyramid of Uxmal have a cone protruding from the corner of the eye.
Sculptured masks of the Maya rain god Chaak decorate the facades and protrude from the corners of the Puuc style buildings at Uxmal, a Maya
site in western Yucatan, Mexico. Shown here is an aerial view of the site.
CHAAK MASKS in architecture are the popular designation for stone mosaic masks with curved or curled snouts, often covered with stucco. They are found in frontal view on facades and on exterior angles on the corners of buildings sometimes stacked one above the other.
Chaak rain god masks march up the length of  the stairway of the Adivino at Uxmal.
UXMAL (pron. oosh-MAHL) Name is a possible derivation of "oxmal" meaning "thrice built" or sometimes "three times" or "three passed."

Location: This 1,000+ year old site lies about 50 miles south of Merida off Highway 261 in West-central Yucatan on the northern edge of the Puuc Hills.

Dates: Uxmal's construction dates for the Puuc and Chenes style buildings fall between the late 700s and the early 900s AD. The Puuc cities were late Classic and flourished while their counterparts in the south were being abandoned. Uxmal is 0.5 miles from north to south and about 800 yards from east to west. The Dovecote, one of the earlier buildings, dates from the AD 700s; the latest recorded date from the Nunnery is AD 905; and the later buildings, such as the House of the Governor, considered the epitome of Puuc architecture, may have been constructed around AD 900. Before Uxmal was abandoned, it had a population of about 20,000 people.
These detail photos
are from "Exploring the  Lost Maya" CD-ROM, Sumeria, 1996..
CHAAK
Incense
Burner from
Mayapan.
(Photo by
Irmgard Groth)
Last updated June 10, 2007
Over the portico to the southern wing of the Uxmal Nunnery seen from inside the compound are found more stacked Chaak masks.
CHENES STYLE: A Maya Late Classic architectural style characterized by doorways surrounded by a single monster mask, with the doorway serving as the mouth. Facades of multichambered structures are often divided into three parts, and the center part either projects or recedes from the rest of the facade.
PUUC STYLE: A Maya architectural style named for the Puuc Hils of Yucatan. It is found at Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, Labna, and numerous nearby sites.
Uxmal and Chaak Masks
Definitions are from "An Architectural Guide to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula," by Joyce Kelly, published by University of Oklahoma Press.
El Adivino or Pyramid of the Magician--As you enter the Zona Arqueologicia, the highest building in the region, El Adivino, The Pyramid of the Magician, (38 m, 125 ft.) stands before you. The legend states that it was built in a single night by a dwarf, aided by his mother, a witch. Archaeological excavations reveal that the pyramid (really temple) is actually five superimposed structures that were built and rebuilt over a period of three centuries during the Terminal Classic Period. Today you can no longer climb to the top of this pyramid and it is best viewed from across the way, at the House of the Turtles.
Nunnery Quadrangle--
House of the Governors
House of Turtles--The the Turtles gets its name from the turtles tenoned into the middle
member of the cornice moulding. Turtles are
associated with water and the earth in Maya
mythology. This small, partly restored structure takes its place in Maya architecture as one of the classic gems of the New World. The restraint of the architectural line, the simplicity of the decorative treatment, and the unique handling of the cornice list have no counterpart in the Puuc Hills. The list on the cornice of the building is decorated with turtles, each one with a different pattern on its back.