Taq
| Taq | |
|---|---|
|
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Ojer Taq.jpg}}|250px]] | |
| Details | |
| Race | God |
| Birthplace | Ixalan |
| Lifetime | Mending Era |
| Spouse | Pakpatiq |
| Parents | Chimil (creator) |
| Relatives | Axonil (brother) |
| Divinity | |
| Veneration | Oltec religion |
| Temples | Temple of Civilization |
| Colors | |
 | |
Ojer Taq is the chief deity of the Oltec and the god of civilization.[1][2] They are closely associated with Chimil, and as one of the Deep Gods of Ixalan's Core, they are considered one of her children.
Description
Ojer Taq is recognized as the first of the gods, a triumvirate deity who is the patron of the Komon Winaq.[2] Their face is made up of a threefold mask depicting a head representing the plane's surface, encasing a jaguar head representing the caverns, encasing a Komon Winaq woman's head representing the Core.[3] Their temple is the largest in Oteclan, their cult the most populous, and their legend the grandest and eldest in Oltec myth. Ojer Taq is understood to be the singular, divine congress of all who have come before, all who are, and those who will be; they are a deity of ancestors, family, and posterity—civilization, and humanity. Ojer Taq is the patron of stewards, administrators, ancestors, Echoes, cities, archives, and plains and is closely associated with cosmium, Chimil, cities, roads, infrastructure, and other markers of the designed world.
Like the other Deep Gods, Ojer Taq can change their shape.[4] They usually manifest as a tall, androgynous humanoid figure, with three faces layered atop one another.[2] They wear a long quipu over white robes, which they braid and on which they record the simultaneous moments of history, present, and possibility. Priests, stewards, and faithful of Ojer Taq also favor white robes, quipu, and headdresses or tattoos that evoke Ojer Taq's triumvirate countenance. Their Temple of Civilization in Oteclan is the largest in the Core.
History
Though Ojer Taq was the first of Chimil's children to be born, she was the second to emerge.[2] After Ojer Axonil was drawn into the Core by the sounds of the Whispering War, he reached into the veil and pulled his elder sibling to his side. When Aclazotz attempted to take Taq's life, Axonil rescued them, taking the Betrayer's eye and imprisoning him.
Inspiration
Ojer Taq's face is based on a mask known as the "three ages of man," "death and rebirth," or "triple death" popular across Mesoamerican cultures including the Aztecs, Maya civilization, and pre-Aztec Teotihuacan.[3][5] Its inner face, depicting a young person, represents the beginning of life at birth. This face is encased within an elderly person, representing adult life. The outer face, encasing both, is a death mask, representing the end of earthly life.
Ojer is a Kʼicheʼ Maya word referring to the past, used to mean "ancient" or to refer to ancestors.[6] Among the Oltec, "Ojer" is a title that indicates divinity. Taq is also a Kʼicheʼ word that can be used to pluralize. The combination could be read as a phrase similar to "the ancients."
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
References
- ↑ Adventure At The Core - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Debut (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (October 24, 2023).
- ↑ a b c d Miguel Lopez (November 10, 2023). "Planeswalker's Guide to the Lost Caverns of Ixalan". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Harless Snyder, Natalie Kreider, Miguel Lopez, and Ovidio Cartagena (December 19, 2023). "The Lost Caverns of Ixalan #49: The Origins of Ixalan, Part 2". The Magic Story Podcast.
- ↑ Shivam Bhatt, Ovidio Cartagena (October 31, 2023). "Casual Magic Episode 196 - Ovidio Cartagena and the Lost Caverns of Ixalan". Liberated Syndication.
- ↑ Roz Meredith & Victoria Barlow (2020). "Mayans". Maidstone Museum.
- ↑ Miguel Lopez (November 8, 2023). "Lost Caverns of Ixalan Worldbuilding Q&A". Discord. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023.
- ↑ Wero Gallo (November 1, 2023). "Treasure Token". Twitter.
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