Pop Culture References of Wizard101: Azteca – Ixtab Black Tears

Ixtab Black Tears – Ixtab the Rope Woman
https://www.wizard101central.com/wiki/NPC:Ixtab_Black_Tears
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixtab

*Please Note – This Pop Culture Article is a bit dark. Viewer discretion is advised*

Ixtab Black Tears accompanies Yacate Farwalker in Jura Palace during the quest Hollow at the Core. After your wizard saves Axaya Knifemoon from Yacate Farwalker, Ixtab takes the traitor to the Shadow Queen.

At the time of the Spanish conquest of Yucatán (1527–1546), Ix Tab or Ixtab (“Rope Woman”, “Hangwoman”) was the indigenous Maya goddess of suicide by hanging. Playing the role of a psychopomp, she would accompany such suicides to heaven.

Ix Tab is the female form of ah tab, “hangman”. The function of Ix Tab as a benevolent “hangwoman” could derive from a basic association with snares. Landa (Tozzer 1941: 155) mentions the hunting deity [Ah] Tabay (“Ensnarer” or “Deceiver”), possibly a patron of hunting with snares, including such that hoist the prey into the air. Animals hoisted by such snares are found depicted in the Dresden and Madrid codices, the Madrid codex (MC45c) personifying one of these traps by a male hunting deity. Ix Tab could be understood as a specialized, female form of such a deity, luring the human quarry into the hanging rope personified by her. Suicides freely putting their heads into this “snare” (prompted, perhaps, by a dream) could then be seen to consecrate themselves to her. On the other hand, the Xtabay of contemporary folklore is a seductive female demon “ensnaring” or “deceiving” her male human preys so as to madden and destroy them.

The current list of all the (known) Azteca references are located here.

Although I am well versed in Pop Culture references, I do not claim to have caught them all. Let me know your favorites in the comments and if I’ve missed one you caught, let me know so I can add it to the list.

Text for this article is excerpted from the linked wiki pages.

Ixtab Black Tears image is from Wizard101, and is copyright of KingsIsle Entertainment.

Ixtab image is borrowed from Wikipedia. It is in the public domain

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