A Gift from the Gods, this is how Cacao came to the world

Hello dear community!

Today I want to share with you a fascinating story that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Cacao is steeped in fascinating stories and legends that connect it to spirituality, royalty, and the traditions of ancient civilizations.

The legend of the origin of cacao is found in the Tonalámatl, the book of omens of the priests of the goddess Xochiquetzal.

Legend tells of a time when the gods, taking pity on the Toltec people's hardships, decided that someone would come down to earth to teach them the sciences and arts. Quetzalcoatl had long been interested in the Toltecs, so it was decided that he would take human form and descend upon Tollan, the city of good and hardworking men.

And so it was. Quetzalcoatl descended on a ray from the morning star, astonishing the Toltecs with his appearance. Along with him came Tlaloc, the lord of the rains, giver of life, and master of souls separated from their bodies, and Xochiquetzal, goddess of joy and love, wife of Tlaloc, and they taught the Toltec people their knowledge.

Quetzalcoatl also gave them the gift of a plant he had stolen from the gods, his brothers, who jealously guarded it. It was a small bush with red flowers attached to long branches with elongated leaves, bent toward the earth, and bearing dark fruits, with which the gods prepared a drink meant only for them.

The god stole the small bush, planted it in the fields of Tula, and asked Tlaloc to feed it with rain and Xochiquetzal to adorn it with flowers. The little tree bore fruit, and Quetzalcoatl collected the pods, roasted the fruit, and taught the women to grind it and blend it with water in gourds, thus obtaining chocolate.

Legend has it that the Toltecs obtained four types of cocoa: cauhcacahuatl, mecacahuatl, xochicacahuatl and tlalcacahuatl, which was the one they roasted, reserving the other three for currency, since the fruit was considered a symbol of wealth.

The Toltecs became rich and wise, artists and builders; they enjoyed chocolate and were happy. This aroused the envy of the gods, even more so when they discovered they were drinking the beverage meant only for them. So they sent Tezcatlipoca, the god of night and darkness, who got Quetzalcoatl drunk on pulque to shame him before the Toltecs.

When Quetzalcoatl awoke from his alcoholic stupor, he felt he would never again be able to see those he had taught to be good and honorable without feeling great shame, so he went to the sea. There, by the shore, he threw the cacao beans for the last time.

Legend has it that the god then entered the sea and, taking advantage of a ray of light from the evening star, returned to his abode of light.

Thus was given to us the cacao tree, the precious gift of a god who promised to return…

Every time you enjoy a cup of cocoa, you'll be connecting with an ancient tradition and a gift from the gods.

Thank you for being part of this great story.

With Love and Cocoa,
Maria Cacao 🌿