Which Mayan god was the god of wind and storm?

Huracán was the K’iche’ Maya god of wind and storms. He was also associated with fire, lightning, creation, and the destructive power of floods.

In the Popol Vuh, Huracán is called U K’ux Kaj, meaning “Heart of Sky.” He was one of the divine powers involved in creating the world and humanity. After an earlier generation of humans angered the gods, Huracán helped bring about a great flood. The story describes him living in the stormy air above the waters and repeatedly invoking “earth” until land emerged.

Huracán is often confused with Chaac, the better-known Yucatec Maya rain and thunder deity. They overlap in weather symbolism, but they belong to different regional traditions and are not simply interchangeable names. Huracán’s name is also linked to the Caribbean word that ultimately influenced the English word “hurricane.”

Maya religious traditions varied by region and period, so Huracán’s identity is most precise in the K’iche’ context of the Popol Vuh. Within that context, he is the canonical storm-and-wind god.