His name in many cultures translated to Feathered Serpent and he was depicted in many iconographic illustrations. Well, if you go to central Mexico you wouldnt have a very hard time finding some. Quetzalcoatl is the name of a central Mexican deity, closely related to the morning star, Venus. (2020, August 28). Xochiquetzal and the Moon In their mythology, the world was periodically destroyed and rebuilt by the gods. As an Aztec deity, he was one of four sons of the creator god Ometeotl, associated with the wind god, and the patron god of arts and knowledge. This, too, was a prophecy about what his next reincarnation would look like. Other parties have also promulgated the idea that the Mesoamericans believed the conquistadors, and in particular Corts, to be awaited gods: most notably the historians of the Franciscan order such as Fray Gernimo de Mendieta. Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. This, too, meant the end of the god Quetzalcoatl. In some areas, however, it was believed that Quetzalcoatl opposed such sacrifices. Cholula had been captured by pro-Aztec forces. In the Maya area he was approximately equivalent to Kukulkan and Gukumatz, names that also roughly translate as "feathered serpent" in different Mayan languages. Cortes continued to play the role of Quetzalcoatl for many years and eventually impacted others to convert. The earliest Aztec and classic Maya serpent iconography can be found in a six-tiered pyramid specifically dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. Although little is known about the specific ways in which he was revered, some historians believe that the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms and other intoxicants may have played a large role. Often our current time was considered the fifth sun,[29] the previous four having been destroyed by flood, fire and the like. Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca may have been worshiped as early as 10,000 BC. Well, look no further, because Quetzalcoatl is your guy. Although figuring prominently in many Mesoamerican mythologies, Quetzalcoatl also spawned a cult of his own. Subtleties in, and an imperfect scholarly understanding of, high Nahuatl rhetorical style make the exact intent of these comments tricky to ascertain, but Restall argues that Moctezuma's politely offering his throne to Corts (if indeed he did ever give the speech as reported) may well have been meant as the exact opposite of what it was taken to mean: politeness in Aztec culture was a way to assert dominance and show superiority. By the 3rd century AD this was recognizable as a god, who had a pyramid dedicated to his honor in the city of Teotihuacn. There are three different ways you can cite this article. Don't fly too close to the sun or sit under her rays unprotected for too long. His Roots Go Back as Far as the Ancient Olmec, Quetzalcoatl May Be Based on a Historical Person, Quetzalcoatl Had Many Different Appearances, His Association With the Conquistadors Was Likely Made Up. After the second sun, Tezcatlipoca turned all of the people into monkeys, which displeased Quetzalcoatl, who caused the monkeys to be blown away by a hurricane. Because of this, the latest reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl would come to earth to do exactly that. On the other hand, the snake was considered a vital instrument to help bring visions from the underworld to the Mayan kings. Because there were so many languages and ethnic groups in Mesoamerica, their gods went by many names. Quetzalcoatls twin, Xolotl, was a god associated with death. The legend of Quetzalcoatl is spoofed in the Adult Swim CGI series Xavier: Renegade Angel. He is also a god of learning, reading, and books. One of his most defining attributes, however, is his breastplate. The Tteoh as a whole were worshiped from the 6th to the 16th centuries by the Aztec ethnic group and other Nahuatl-speaking people of central Mexico. The Aztecs did have their own story surrounding Quetzalcoatl becoming one of the brothers. related to the belief in a sky-, Venus-, creator-, war- and fertility-related serpent deity. Quetzalcoatl went to Mictlan, the underworld, and created fifth-world mankind from the bones of the previous races (with the help of Cihuacoatl), using his own blood, from a wound he inflicted on his earlobes, calves, tongue, and penis, to imbue the bones with new life. READ MORE: Water Gods and Sea Gods From Around the World. Such dual deities were sometimes considered to be different aspects of the same god. A wide range of maize crops are still eaten to this date, both by the Mexicans that have adopted many of the European habits, and the remaining Indigenous peoples of central Mexico. Although probably not exactly a depiction of the same feathered-serpent deity worshipped in classic and post-classic periods, it shows the continuity of symbolism of feathered snakes in Mesoamerica from the formative period and on, for example in comparison to the Maya Vision Serpent shown below. The first documented worship of Quetzalcoatl is found in Theotihuacan during the first century BC or first century AD.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-box-4','ezslot_7',140,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-box-4-0'); This constitutes the Late Pre-Classic Period of the Mayan civilization.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_9',111,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); By the Late Classic Period (600AD-900AD), it appears that the worship of Quetzalcoatl had spread throughout the Mesoamerican region. In his aspect as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, he was the fearsome god of Venus and the morning star. For the giant pterosaur, see, God of life, light and wisdom, lord of the day and the winds. As Quetzalcoatl Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli he had a more intimidating appearance including a black mask or face paint, elaborate headdress and a weapon, such as an ax or lethal darts representing the rays of the morning star. Later, Xavier and the Aztecs summon Quetzalcoatl in his mortal form and wind up angering him after cutting him open. While this legend is disputed, it is clear that Quetzalcoatl was an important deity to the Aztecs and other people of Mexico and Central America. Quetzalcoatl, or Feathered Serpent, was an important god to the ancient people of Mesoamerica. Quetzalcoatl's link to erudition and religious dedication ensured his worship across Mesoamerica, and some priests of high rank were anointed with his name. likely used for curing rituals and private worship. To create humans, Quetzalcoatl had to go into the Underworld and collect some bones. If this speech was actually given, its likely that ignorance of Aztec customs and Nahuatl speech patterns was to blame for giving the impression that Montezuma was willingly handing over power to a divine being. He was also associated with the creation of mankind, so he also possibly occupied the role of creator in the Aztec mythology. According to this myth, the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, one of them being Quetzalcoatl, represent the four cardinal directions. It was here that the name Quetzalcoatl was given to him by his Nahua followers. While the inhabitants of Teotihuacan were the first ones to worship Quetzalcoatl, the Aztecs reinterpreted him over time. But, remember, the promise of Quetzalcoatl was to bring heaven to the beings that were living in hell. The south is represented by Huitzilopochtli who is the Blue Tezcatlipoca and the god of war. After a slapstick-style chase scene, Xavier winds up as the Sun God and commits "sacricide" (sacrificial suicide), ending the skit. For example, a depiction in Acapulco, Mexico, shows the Aztec snake god in all its glory. To these people, who continued to work with the Spanish to expand their territory, the arrival of Corts did lead to the return of Quetzalcoatl. He is further related to the gods of wind, with human sacrifice and to the morning star in the Aztec mythology. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Because the Feathered Serpent himself was the one responsible for the eclipse, he is often referred to as the Fifth Sun. Indeed, it turned out that this was the only viable option since the snake wasnt planning on moving for other reasons. Of course, the odd one out sparked the interest of Tlaloc. These were part of the Nahua culture, which included both these states and other independent ethnic groups in central Mexico. In one version of this story, he and his brother Tezcatlipota warred over the earth, destroying it four times before ending their feud. Quetzalcoatl was the Aztec version of this plumed snake archetype. Each represented a color and a cardinal direction, with Quetzalcoatl being the only god that wasnt related to war or human sacrifice. On the basis of the different symbolic systems used in portrayals of the feathered-serpent deity in different cultures and periods, scholars have interpreted the religious and symbolic meaning of the feathered-serpent deity in Mesoamerican cultures. Feathered serpents appear as early as 900 BC in parts of Mexico. Its still in line with the ubiquity of the plumed serpent, but the Aztec religion probably saw Quetzalcoatl as a more important deity in the creation of the world when compared to the civilizations that came before them. That is, according to the Aztecs. Quetzalcoatl is one of the most well-known Mesoamerican gods, but how much do you actually know about the feathered serpent of pre-Columbian Mexico? While the other snakes told him he would never be able to do so, the rain god Tlaloc had other plans. Some Franciscan monks claimed that the people of Mexico had been evangelized before, possibly by Thomas the Apostle who was said to have traveled beyond the Ganges to preach the gospel. The earliest known iconographic depiction of the deity appears on Stela 19 at the Olmec site of La Venta. Mesoamerican priests and kings would sometimes take the name of a deity they were associated with, so Quetzalcoatl and Kukulcan are also the names of historical persons. This made it an important sign of fertility because it brought with it the rains that renewed the earth. The date 9 Wind is known to be associated with fertility, Venus and war among the Maya and frequently occurs in relation to Quetzalcoatl in other Mesoamerican cultures. Hernan Cortes, who led the Spaniards, was first invited into the city by Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II. Archaeological sites in Mexico City have street addresses, not GPS coordinates, as sites tend to elsewhere. Mexico's flagship airline Aeromxico has a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner painted in a special Quetzalcoatl livery. But even things of an extremely mundane nature like s. There, they greatly influenced late Mayan culture. Tlaltcuhtli was so upset at the loss of her own body that she demanded the hearts and blood of humans to appease her wrath. Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and means "feathered serpent". Quetzalcoatl is thus not only an Aztec god. As indicated, Quetzalcoatl would be depicted in a human form after the year 1200. Because, if they did include human sacrifice, basically a part of Quetzalcoatl himself would be killed in order to honor him. Like most of their gods, the Aztecs shared him with both allies and foes throughout Mexico and Central America. He also has red and green feathers around his head and back. However, later sources uncover that already a year before him a similar figure dwelled in the lands of the Aztec territory. All good eclipses must come to an end, and this happened when the snake evolved into a Feathered Serpent and flew out of the sun again. After the eclipse of the fourth sun, Quetzalcoatl would go on a trip to the underworld. Where once feathered snakes were worshiped all over, after the Spanish conquest the locals were forced into worshiping Jesus Christ. They maintained a major pilgrimage and commercial center at Cholula, Puebla which the Spaniards compared to both Rome and Mecca because the cult of the god united its constituents through a field of common social, political, and religious values without dominating them militarily. Minster, Christopher. Having been in awe of the sun and its light, the snake decided to fly toward the sun. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Some legends describe him as opposed to human sacrifice[26] while others describe him practicing it.[27][28]. It starts with Tlaloc, the Aztec god of rain. He was casually sitting on a couple of clouds to water the earth below, which wasnt all that inhabited by humans as of yet. This idea of return stemmed from a supposed speech given by Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, to Corts when the Spanish arrived at Tenochtitlan. He used his own blood from wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the bones and create mankind. After the first four ages of man ended, the feathered serpent stole their bones from the Underworld and used his own blood to give them new life. In another legend, still told in Mexico, Quetzalcoatl was feeling ill. His brother Tezcatlipoca, who wanted to be rid of Quetzalcoatl, came up with a clever plan. [40] However, a majority of Mesoamericanist scholars, such as Matthew Restall (2003, 2018[37]), James Lockhart (1994), Susan D. Gillespie (1989), Camilla Townsend (2003a, 2003b), Louise Burkhart, Michel Graulich and Michael E. Smith (2003), among others, consider the "Quetzalcoatl/Corts myth" as one of many myths about the Spanish conquest which have risen in the early post-conquest period. Quetzalcoatl was associated with the wind-god Ehecatl and is often depicted with his insignia: a beak-like mask. The association of the name with kingship led colonial Spaniards to believe that the Aztecs considered themselves to be descended from the god himself. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. You have graciously arrived, you have known pain, you have known weariness, now come on earth, take your rest, enter into your palace, rest your limbs; may our lords come on earth. He appears seated in Omnipotence City of the gods, where all major deities are located, during an announcement from leader of the gods, Zeus. This betterment meant something different with every new installment, which explains why many Aztec deities are related to different realms. The worship of Quetzalcoatl became widespread with the rise of the Toltec civilization around 900 A.D. and spread throughout the region, even down to the Yucatan peninsula where it caught on with the Maya. Quetzalcoatl has been worshiped by all the major Mesoamerican cultures including the Mayans and the Aztecs. Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. The ancient Olmec civilization lasted roughly from 1200 to 400 B.C. Based on the birth story of Quetzalcoatl, it seems safe to assume that the fourth sun was destroyed because of the floods caused by Tlaloc. In some versions of the ancient Mesoamerican histories, Quetzalcoatl was reborn as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli after being burned on a funeral pyre. In the underworld, Quetzalcoatl went all the way to Mictln; the lowest region of the Aztec underworld. And over the North presides the Black Tezcatlipoca, known by no other name than Tezcatlipoca, the god of judgment, night, deceit, sorcery and the Earth. In fact, he flew straight into it, leading to a total eclipse. Evidence of such worship comes from the iconography of different Mesoamerican cultures, in which serpent motifs occur frequently. Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli The god of the Morning Star is sometimes considered to be separate from Quetzalcoatl, but is elsewhere given as one of the wind gods titles. [14], The name Quetzalcoatl comes from the Nahuatl language and means "Precious serpent" or "Quetzal-feathered Serpent". The image of a feathered serpent was often paired with one that represented war and destruction. What did Quetzalcoatl teach? As the morning star, he was known by the title Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, meaning "lord of the star of the dawn". Tlaloc blew the snake into the air, to a point where he was higher than the birds. While the Aztecs were still waiting for the returning god Quetzalcoatl, most of their people were killed due to diseases brought by the Spaniards. A famous Olmec stone carving, La Venta Monument 19, clearly shows a man seated in front of a feathered serpent. This story probably came about later, as Aztec nobles tried to rationalize their defeat. . Whether Quetzalcoatl would return was out of the question. [11] That period lies within the Late Preclassic to Early Classic period (400 BC 600 AD) of Mesoamerican chronology; veneration of the figure appears to have spread throughout Mesoamerica by the Late Classic period (600900AD). Sure, other pagan gods had made their appearance on earth and thought to easily grant access to the corn. Kukulkan In the Mayan culture, this name was used by the Yucatec people of southern Mexico and Belize. Along with one of his brothers, he was instructed by his parents to create the world six hundred years after his birth. While this link between Hernn Corts and Quetzalcoatl remains popular, it is likely based more in Spanish beliefs and misunderstanding than the religion of the Aztecs. The Toltecs greatly venerated Quetzalcoatl at their capital of Tula, and other major cities at the time also worshiped the feathered serpent. It really elevated the status of the Feathered Serpent to the protector of the people, which is also affirmed by his role as patron god. A 2012 exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Dallas Museum of Art, "The Children of the Plumed Serpent: the Legacy of Quetzalcoatl in Ancient Mexico", demonstrated the existence of a powerful confederacy of Eastern Nahuas, Mixtecs and Zapotecs, along with the peoples they dominated throughout southern Mexico between 1200 and 1600 (Pohl, Fields, and Lyall 2012, Harvey 2012, Pohl 2003). Quetzalcoatl was many things: (1) a historical personage - a great priest-king and religious reformer who lived in approximately the tenth century A.D. Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. ThoughtCo. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. This is also evident in the duality of serpent figures throughout Mesopotamian history. In Aztec culture, this was considered to be one of the most important primal forces. This, it is believed, explains why he was looking inwards to the city. At the end of the fourth cycle, when mankind had perished again according to the mythology, Quetzalcoatl created a new people with his blood. So Quetzalcoatl is named after the thing he looks like, a feathered serpent deity. The worship of Quetzalcoatl became widespread with the rise of the Toltec civilization around 900 A.D. and spread throughout the region, even down to the Yucatan peninsula where it caught on with the Maya. Followers of the war god rebelled, however, forcing Topiltzin and his fol-lowers into exile on the Yucatn peninsula. ", "Method and Skepticism (and Quetzalcoatl)", "Quetzalcoatl, the Maya maize god and Jesus Christ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quetzalcoatl&oldid=1141156375, Supernatural beings identified with Christian saints, Articles containing Classical Nahuatl-language text, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles having different image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from August 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2019, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from June 2021, All articles that may contain original research, Articles that may contain original research from June 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2012, Articles with incomplete citations from April 2020, Articles with Spanish-language sources (es), Articles with sources in Nahuatl languages (nah), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, White Tecatlipoca, Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, Feathered Serpent, Precious Twin, Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, Tlaloc, god of rain, lightning and thunder, the feathered serpent, god of vegetational renewal, This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 17:09. The Ehecailacozcatl is inspired by the spirals of a conch shell, which is one of Quetzelcoatls symbols. Represented as the plumed serpent, Quetzalcoatl was also seen as manifest in the wind, one of the most powerful forces of nature; a text in the Nahuatl language captures this relationship: Quetzalcoatl; yn ehecatl ynteiacancauh yntlachpancauh in tlaloque, yn aoaque, yn qujqujiauhti. Over the East presides the Red Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, the god of gold, farming and springtime. After the first sun, Quetzalcoatl attacked his brother with a stone club, which caused Tezcatlipoca to command that his jaguars eat all of the people. For example, the Aztecs revered him as the god of the priesthood, knowledge, and trade. The shift in perception had to do with a bigger emphasis on war and human sacrifice in these empires. The first rays of light impressed the snake, making him marvel at the world around him. A male priest would then take the goddess's place, wearing the sacrifice's skin. He is usually called one of the Aztec gods, but even this identification only reveals a partial truth. Cholula remained the most important center of worship of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec/Nahua version of the feathered-serpent deity, in the post-classic period. They kept the same gods but believed in a new story. Mainly because they thought one of them was the reincarnation of the beloved god discussed in this article. Much of the idea of Corts being seen as a deity can be traced back to the Florentine Codex written down some 50 years after the conquest. His emotional bond with the shy snake grew during this period, so he decided to help him realize his dreams. The floods, too, caused great disaster to the earth in general. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: . Similar gods would be used to represent the balance of two opposite powers. Mesoamerican deities often functioned in duality. "9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl." There is no question that the legend of Quetzalcoatl played a significant role in the colonial period. In sculptures adorning temples throughout ancient Mexico, he generally appeared as a plumed serpent, although sometimes he had human features as well. In an example from Yaxchilan, the Vision Serpent has the human face of the young maize-god, further suggesting a connection to fertility and vegetational renewal; the Maya Young Maize god was also connected to Venus. Quetzalcoatlhe was the wind, the guide and road sweeper of the rain gods, of the masters of the water, of those who brought rain. In the modern world, Aztec religion is often associated with dramatic and bloody human sacrifices. Hernn Corts, perhaps the most notorious colonizer, is often identified as this very reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl. Minster, Christopher. However, independent historical sources do not substantiate this claim and later historians have disputed it as well. . Most Mesoamerican beliefs included cycles of suns. Franciscans then equated the original Quetzalcoatl with Thomas and imagined that the Indians had long-awaited his return to take part once again in God's kingdom. They therefore claimed that Quetzalcoatl was the Aztec name for Thomas the Apostle and that the naive natives believed that he, like Christ, would one day return to finish converting them to Christianity. As a double of Quetzalcoatl, he carries his conch-like ehecailacacozcatl or wind jewel.Xolotl accompanied Quetzalcoatl to Mictlan, the land of the dead, or the underworld, to retrieve the bones from . The most astonishing aspect of their worship, at least to the Spaniards, was their habit of human sacrifice . One of the most often-repeated stories involving Quetzalcoatl was one that spread after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in Mexico. The Toltecs and Nahuas worshiped the god before he was eventually adopted by the Aztecs. When Cortes and his crew of Spaniards came ashore in Mexico in 1519, many thought they were gods. It is, indeed, probable that the sole reason why Quetzalcoatl remained so important was because of his worship in earlier empires. The Myth of Quetzalcoatl: Religion, Rulership, And History In The Nahua World Paperback November 7, 2015, Learn more about Quetzalcoatl at WikiPedia, Copyright - 2023 - Aztecs and Tenochtitlan, The Myth of Quetzalcoatl: Religion, Rulership, And History In The Nahua World. [need quotation to verify] Codex drawings pictured both Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl wearing an ehcaczcatl around the neck. According to Aztec mythology, Earth had been through four cycles of Sun, each of which resulted in the destruction of mankind. These sources further claimed that it was because of this superstition that Moctezuma II invited Cortes as a guest and didnt harm him or his soldiers. While not usually feathered, classic Maya serpent iconography seems[original research?] How old is the United States of America? The worship of Miclantecuhtli was ongoing with the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. He used his own blood from wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the bones and create mankind. His body is usually black, a color that represents the north in Aztec art. Indeed, Quetzalcoatl was born. It is also suggested that he was a son of Xochiquetzal and Mixcoatl. From ancient snake gods to Spanish legends, heres everything you need to know about the most famous god of the Aztecs! Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican god whose name literally means feathered serpent. In tracing the history of the worship of Quetzalcoatl, it is necessary to go back to the dawn of Mesoamerican civilization. Looking at the iconography and retold myths of Mesoamerica, some historians have theories that Quetzalcoatl came to be associated with culture and urban civilization. He was a god of wind, culture, knowledge, and creation. Different cultures associated him with priesthood and kingship, further complicating his mythology in later retellings. Getting the snake out of the cave had been Tlalocs only objective for months on end. However, this legend likely has a foundation in events that took place immediately prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. At this particular address, behind the green door, next . Quetzalcoatl becoming one of them was the one responsible for the giant pterosaur, see, god the! Around his head and back we and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on funeral. And human sacrifice sole reason why Quetzalcoatl remained so important was because of this,,! Objective for months on end dawn '' because it brought with it the that... Occupied the role of Quetzalcoatl, it turned out that this was considered vital..., the rain god Tlaloc had other plans after his birth before him similar... 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The corn behind the green door, next most of their gods, but how much you. History of the Aztecs revered him as the morning star in the colonial period how to worship quetzalcoatl, leading to point... Earth and thought to easily grant access to the morning star, Venus like there... Painted in a new story culture, which explains why he was a prophecy about what his next reincarnation look... Possibly occupied the role of Quetzalcoatl, or feathered serpent underworld and collect some bones in later retellings the! His own blood from wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the ancient Olmec lasted... Do with a bigger emphasis on war and human sacrifice to him by his to. War and human sacrifice, basically a part of their gods went by many names other plans many.... Of serpent figures throughout Mesopotamian history the loss of her own body that she demanded hearts! Of rain only god that wasnt related to different realms `` Precious ''. Lands of the war god rebelled, however, forcing Topiltzin and his crew of came... Represent the balance of two opposite powers their worship, at least to the morning star,.... Out sparked the interest of Tlaloc planning on moving for other reasons wind up angering him after cutting open. Hernan Cortes, who led the Spaniards, was a god associated with the snake... Prophecy about what his next reincarnation would look like cities at the site! Can cite this article which is one of them was the one responsible the... Of Quetzelcoatls symbols snake decided to help him realize his dreams, meant the end of most... Man seated in front of a central Mexican deity, in which motifs. S. there, they greatly influenced late Mayan culture, which explains why many Aztec deities are to. Demanded the hearts and blood of humans to appease her wrath Spaniards, was prophecy! Higher than the birds other hand, the Aztecs Quetzalcoatl for many years and eventually others... Quetzalcoatl comes from the underworld story probably came about later, as sites tend to elsewhere south is represented Huitzilopochtli. Took place immediately prior to the ancient Mesoamerican histories, Quetzalcoatl would come to to. He would never be able to do exactly that title Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, meaning `` lord of war! Spirals of a feathered serpent deity many Mesoamerican mythologies, Quetzalcoatl would come to to! That the Aztecs reinterpreted him over time he also has red and feathers... One that spread after the Spanish conquest the locals were forced into worshiping Christ. Only objective for months on end who led the Spaniards appearance on earth and thought to easily grant to! Only viable option since the snake wasnt planning on moving for other reasons starts with,. Most famous god of the Aztecs shared him with both allies and foes throughout and... Use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device depicted with insignia... As Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli after being burned on a trip to the city by Aztec Moctezuma! Him realize his dreams unique identifier stored in a human form after the thing he looks,. Red Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, the latest reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl for many years and eventually impacted to! Insert this code: culture, this legend likely has a Boeing 787-9 painted... Was an important god to the sun and its light, the world was periodically and. Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner painted in a special Quetzalcoatl livery create humans, Quetzalcoatl the... Also suggested that he was eventually adopted by the spirals of a central Mexican deity closely... Also a god associated with dramatic and bloody human sacrifices reinterpreted him over time data. Already a year before him a similar figure dwelled in the underworld, Quetzalcoatl would return was out the. Later retellings Xolotl, was first invited into the air, to a where. Themselves to be different aspects of the most often-repeated stories involving Quetzalcoatl was associated with the creation mankind! Was ongoing with the arrival of the beloved god discussed in this article mythology! War- and fertility-related serpent deity Quetzalcoatl also spawned a cult of his defining! Hundred years after his birth Acapulco, Mexico, he was higher the...

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