Chi-Chi-Chia

"I pity the fool that doesn't water my Chia!"

Before you think I have completely lost it, I do have a connection between the wonderful Chia pet and mythology.

For the Aztecs and Mayans, chia pets may not have been the rage, but chia seeds were. They were cultivated for consumption as far back as 3400 BC. The Aztec warriors used it in their rituals and it was believed that a tablespoon of seeds would sustain a warrior for 24 hours. It was so much a part of their mythology that the Spanish conquistadors banned it.

There is even a South American goddess named Chia, although I think that is just a coincidence. Doesn't matter to me. This goddess would give any Greek goddess a run for her money. Here is what God Checker says about her:

CHIA: Evil Moon Goddess and wife ofBOCHICA.

Identified with HUITACA, the drunken Goddess of Bad Behavior, she is believed to have caused a number of floods — possibly in association withCHIBCHACHUM.

As punishment for her crimes against humanity, she was transformed into the Moon. Or — if you prefer a different version of the legend — an owl. Or possibly the owl in the moon, or an owl that moons.

She was known to be on friendly terms with CHIBCHACHUM, but the rumor mill has long since closed down.

Now I was able to beat the Obscure Goddess Online Dictionary on this one, but that is only because they have their hands full with other cultures and are smart enough not to tackle Meso-American cultures. Unfortunately, Goddess-a-Day has beaten me to it with this entry:

Huitaca is the Chibcha Goddess of the moon, pleasure, and drunkenness. Also known as Chia or Chie, she advised her followers to live a life of happiness and joy, much to the chagrin of her husband, Bochica, God of laws and morals. Tired of having Huitaca undo all his hard work, Bochica turned her into an owl.

I think we need to petition the Chia Pet company to stop avoiding mythological chia ideas. I mean, come on, there are Obama Chias, Mr. T Chias,Shrek Chias, Homer Simpson Chias, and every type of everyday normal animal chias, but no Cerberus Chia, or Pegasus Chia. How ridiculous is that? Just imagine, if we can get the goddess Chia into the mainstream, then maybe we could have a Chia Chia!

You know, that idea is right up there with my CuChulainn action figure...

I'll leave you with this. I found this picture on the internet from Guatemala. Evidently, someone has taken my idea of mythological chia and has stopped at no expense to make sure it is down right - after all, if it is worth doing, it is worth overdoing (which I think is from Mythbusters... - another myth connection!)