Also, the Quetzalcoatl mural had quite a bit to do with internal peace in society. So it should be clear that Quetzalcoatl was, indeed, a great mythical figure. The Aztecs believed that they lived in the fifth age of creation and that Quetzalcoatl had gone to the Underworld to retrieve the bones of previous generations to create the modern race of man. 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. One of the most often-repeated stories involving Quetzalcoatl was one that spread after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in Mexico. Evidence of such worship comes from the iconography of different Mesoamerican cultures, in which serpent motifs occur frequently. Venus, which the god was closely associated with, appeared in the sky at the beginning of the rainy season. Quetzalcoatl has been worshiped by all the major Mesoamerican cultures including the Mayans and the Aztecs. In the Maya area he was approximately equivalent to Kukulkan and Gukumatz, names that also roughly translate as "feathered serpent" in different Mayan languages. Aztec God Quetzalcoatl According to Aztec mythology, Earth had been through four cycles of Sun, each of which resulted in the destruction of mankind. After a slapstick-style chase scene, Xavier winds up as the Sun God and commits "sacricide" (sacrificial suicide), ending the skit. Historian Matthew Restall concludes that: The legend of the returning lords, originated during the Spanish-Mexica war in Corts' reworking of Moctezuma's welcome speech, had by the 1550s merged with the Corts-as-Quetzalcoatl legend that the Franciscans had started spreading in the 1530s. Quetzalcoatl was not only one of the most important deities in pre-Columbian Mexico, he was also one of the oldest. He also had anthropomorphic forms, for example in his aspects as Ehecatl the wind god. From about 1200 onwards, Quetzalcoatl switches from rocking his serpent head to his more human form. Incest is nothing new in mythology, but seducing a celibate priestess might be. Often our current time was considered the fifth sun,[29] the previous four having been destroyed by flood, fire and the like. After only a couple of years, the Aztec empire ended due to a combination of foreign diseases and diplomacy. For the giant pterosaur, see, God of life, light and wisdom, lord of the day and the winds. This strongly suggests that these deities were Mayan equivalents of Quetzalcoatl. Minster, Christopher. He was a creator deity having contributed essentially to the creation of mankind. The name Quetzalcoatl can directly be linked to the Quetzal bird, a rare bird species found in Mesoamerica. 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. 3. Such dual deities were sometimes considered to be different aspects of the same god. The first documented worship of Quetzalcoatl is found in Theotihuacan during the first century BC or first century AD. Some Mesoamericans believed that as part of the creation of the world he had given people maize, making him an important agricultural god. 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. [7] Animals thought to represent Quetzalcoatl include resplendent quetzals, rattlesnakes (coatl meaning "serpent" in Nahuatl), crows, and macaws. ; (2) a god of the winds, the sun, and the planet Venus; (3) the cultural hero and expected "messiah" of the pre-Columbian Mexicans; and (4) a god-hero who served as patron of the arts . When Cortes and his crew of Spaniards came ashore in Mexico in 1519, many thought they were gods. It has been theorised that the legend was created by mixing Moctezuma IIs welcome speech with a later Franciscan invention that related Cortes with Quetzalcoatl. The widespread worship of Quetzalcoatl may have even played a factor in the belief that the natives of Mexico identified him with the Spanish conquistador Hernn Corts. 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. His form of reincarnation, more specifically, would be that of a white person with a long beard. By Quetzalcoatl was a god for many ancient . The west is represented by Quetzalcoatl who is also the White Tezcatlipoca and the god of light, justice, mercy, and wind. Its more likely that Montezuma saw the Spanish not as enemies but as possible allies in his ongoing campaign to enlarge his empire. What is often called the Aztec Empire was a confederation of three city-states, established in the 14th and 15th centuries. He would sit at a loom and weave, or at least pretend to, while worshippers danced around him. Christopher Minster, Ph.D., is a professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. The legend reports that Quetzalcoatl was a peaceful king and priest of Tollan, but he was deceived by Tezcatlipoca and his followers, who practiced human sacrifice and violence. Ehecatl In some Aztec areas, such as Tenochtitlan, this was another wind god with nearly identical iconography to Quetzalcoatl. Dated to around 900 BC, it depicts a serpent rising up behind a person probably engaged in a shamanic ritual. At one hand, Mayans considered a snake as the embodiment of the cosmos. In fact, he flew straight into it, leading to a total eclipse. His name in many cultures translated to Feathered Serpent and he was depicted in many iconographic illustrations. Corts himself claimed in a letter that the gullibility of the Aztec people helped him to conquer them. Manage Settings Standing over ten feet tall, the statue towers over onlookers as she leans toward them. Or rather, arrived again. . During the epi-classic period, a dramatic spread of feathered serpent iconography is evidenced throughout Mesoamerica, and during this period images begin to figure prominently at sites such as Chichn Itz, El Tajn, and throughout the Maya area. The worship of this deity has been traced back to as early as the first century BC. [8] In his form as the morning star, Venus, he is also depicted as a harpy eagle. There, they greatly influenced late Mayan culture. He was a god of wind, culture, knowledge, and creation. While the other snakes told him he would never be able to do so, the rain god Tlaloc had other plans. It is believed by the Aztec religion expert that the deity arose from the combination of the historical leader, Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, and a Mesoamerican god. How old is the United States of America? 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. Quetzalcoatl was a jack of many trades, a truth also reflected in the stories surrounding his birth. Although the citys main temple was not dedicated to him, the priests of the city took his name and his iconography was prevalent. However, each and every god had failed terribly in doing so. This idea of return stemmed from a supposed speech given by Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, to Corts when the Spanish arrived at Tenochtitlan. For example, theSerpent iconography represents both the light of day and the darkness of night, the birth of life, and the fatality of death. Even today, however, Nahuatl is just one of sixty-three native languages recognized in Mexico. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Franciscans such as Toribio de Benavente "Motolinia" saw elements of Christianity in the pre-Columbian religions and therefore believed that Mesoamerica had been evangelized before, possibly by Thomas the Apostle, who, according to legend, had "gone to preach beyond the Ganges". One of his most defining attributes, however, is his breastplate. Quetzalcoatl appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Thor: Love and Thunder. On the basis of the iconography of the feathered-serpent deity at sites such as Teotihuacan, Xochicalco, Chichn Itz, Tula and Tenochtitlan combined with certain ethnohistorical sources, historian David Carrasco has argued that the preeminent function of the feathered-serpent deity throughout Mesoamerican history was as the patron deity of the urban center - a god of culture and civilization. As shown by his spiral jewel, Quetzalcoatl was a god of wind. 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. Some said that before this he had helped to create the world itself. . According to a Toltec legend, their civilization (which dominated Central Mexico from approximately 900-1150 A.D.) was founded by a great hero, Ce Acatl Topiltzn Quetzalcoatl. In general, he is considered the god of wisdom, the god of the Aztec ritual calendar, the god of corn and maize, and oftentimes a symbol of death and resurrection.The different roles of Quetzalcoatl are partly attributable to a series of reincarnations. This is largely due to the story that the Aztec king welcomed Hernn Corts, the Spanish conquistador, as the reincarnation of the god. This article is about a Mesoamerican deity. From here, he would be seen as the morning star, while his twin brother would be seen as the evening star; planet Venus. Quetzalcoatl was associated with the wind-god Ehecatl and is often depicted with his insignia: a beak-like mask. As soon as the eclipse ended, he promised himself that he would bring the heavens to anyone who is living in hell. 1. Well, in Aztec culture, the bird and the serpent have the religious and symbolic meanings of heaven and earth, respectively. This made it an important sign of fertility because it brought with it the rains that renewed the earth. Although early images had shown a serpent, by the classical period of Aztec culture Quetzalcoatl was more often shown with a human body. Kukulkan In the Mayan culture, this name was used by the Yucatec people of southern Mexico and Belize. Where once feathered snakes were worshiped all over, after the Spanish conquest the locals were forced into worshiping Jesus Christ. ", "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. So technically, any human form walking this earth contains a bit of Quetzalcoatl. Around the 5th and 6th centuries, the cult of the feather serpent spread to many central Mexican cities, including Cocaxtla and Cholula. It is also suggested that he was a son of Xochiquetzal and Mixcoatl. But still, how could that ever be the case? The connection between Quetzalcoatl and the fall of the Aztec Empire may also have its roots in political events that predated the arrival of Corts and his army. likely used for curing rituals and private worship. [15] In the 17th century, Ixtlilxchitl, a descendant of Aztec royalty and historian of the Nahua people, wrote, "Quetzalcoatl, in its literal sense, means 'serpent of precious feathers' but in the allegorical sense, 'wisest of men'."[16]. Cholula remained the most important center of worship of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec/Nahua version of the feathered-serpent deity, in the post-classic period. One of the jewels he is depicted with is the wind jewel, affirming his status as a wind god. They kept the same gods but believed in a new story. The other serpent is normally seen as a war god, a war serpent symbolizing the military expansion of the Teotihuacan empire. It is said that he is called the god of wind, spirit of rain, the god of culture, and the . 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. Quetzalcoatl stole the bones from the Underworld, taking great risks and evading many traps to bring them to the surface. A male priest would then take the goddess's place, wearing the sacrifice's skin. Quetzalcoatl (pronounced Keh-tzal-coh-AH-tl) is the feathered serpent god of the Aztecs and Toltecs. [45][46] The deity has been featured as a character in the manga and anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! Quetzalcoatl played many roles in ancient Aztec mythology, so its difficult to pin down just one. The four suns before Quetzalcoatl had been destroyed by disastrous events, like floods, fires, and volcanic eruptions. He figures most prominently in the Aztec mythology but it was in the city of Cholula that the cult of Quetzalcoatl enjoyed influence and prominence during the Classic Period of Mesoamerica. He took his companion Xolotl, a dog-headed god, with him. With great respect and awe. Amazed by the grace and beauty of the birds, the snake decided his destiny was to fly like them. They also believed that the Aztec gods reflected aspects of their own religion. According to another mythological account, he was conceived by the virgin Chimalman after she swallowed an emerald. He was known as the inventor of books and the calendar, the giver of maize (corn) to mankind, and sometimes as a symbol of death and resurrection. However, later sources uncover that already a year before him a similar figure dwelled in the lands of the Aztec territory. In the underworld, Quetzalcoatl went all the way to Mictln; the lowest region of the Aztec underworld. 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. After Topiltzin's exile, Toltec power began to decline. 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. In their mythology, the world was periodically destroyed and rebuilt by the gods. As the story goes, the Aztec believed in a white, bearded god named Quetzalcoatl, who, long ago, had disappeared into the east. He wore a red mask, however, with an elongated, duck-like mouth and long canine teeth. To both Teotihuacan and Maya cultures, Venus was in turn also symbolically connected with warfare.[21]. It shows the first signs of a feathered serpent cult amongst ancient civilizations of the region. It allows for a form of food security, and therefore for peace, and as a result, has taken on not only physical and economic importance but spiritual significance as well. From ancient snake gods to Spanish legends, heres everything you need to know about the most famous god of the Aztecs! [25] Quetzalcoatl was often considered the god of the morning star, and his twin brother Xolotl was the evening star (Venus). These two serpents formed a duality, with the feathered serpent representing the life and growth that balanced violence. Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. Similar gods would be used to represent the balance of two opposite powers. Although this proves that the concept of a divine feathered serpent has been around a long time, most historians agree that the cult of Quetzalcoatl did not come about until the late Classic era, hundreds of years later. Or, more appropriately, Abya Yala.Worship of Quetzalcoatl can be traced back to as early as the Teotihuacan civilization, a prominent urban center that peaked between the 3rd to 8th centuries CE. [38] Some Franciscans at this time held millennarian beliefs[39] and some of them believed that Corts' coming to the New World ushered in the final era of evangelization before the coming of the millennium. The Toltecs and Nahuas worshiped the god before he was eventually adopted by the Aztecs. Some Mormons believe that Quetzalcoatl, who was associated with the east, (which in turn was represented by the color white to the Aztecs), was white-skinned. In Tenochtitlan, Quezelcoatls name was used as a priestly title. As a wind god, he was also responsible for making the rain fall. "9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl." [19] The most important center was Cholula, where the world's largest pyramid was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl-worship. But, remember, the promise of Quetzalcoatl was to bring heaven to the beings that were living in hell. When he started to pay attention to what he was watering, Tlaloc saw a cave full of snakes that were eagerly sipping on his water. He appears in Post-classic tales from the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec cultures. This talisman was a conch shell cut at the cross-section and was likely worn as a necklace by religious rulers, as such objects have been discovered in burials in archaeological sites throughout Mesoamerica,[6] and potentially symbolized patterns witnessed in hurricanes, dust devils, seashells, and whirlpools, which were elemental forces that had significance in Aztec mythology. 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. The first keeper of written records, he was patron of the Calmecac, a school for noble children who learned to paint histories and astrology, as well as practice the art of war. Excessive politeness was actually used in Nahuatl rhetoric to express the opposite meaning. Hernan Cortes, who led the Spaniards, was first invited into the city by Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II. Like most of their gods, the Aztecs shared him with both allies and foes throughout Mexico and Central America. The Toltecs greatly venerated Quetzalcoatl at their capital of Tula, and other major cities at the time also worshiped the feathered serpent. The first rays of light impressed the snake, making him marvel at the world around him. Mason-Dixon Line Indeed, the same as the one from the Great Pyramid. 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. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. He drove the winds that brought rain and allowed plants to grow. The Toltec people, who the Aztecs considered to be their ancestors, used Quetzalcoatl as a title for military and political rulers. In the post-classic Nahua civilization of central Mexico (Aztec), the worship of Quetzalcoatl was ubiquitous. Quetzalcoatl by himself was a god of many things to the Toltecs and Aztecs. READ MORE: Sun Gods: Ancient Solar Deities From Around the World. It was not just a populist idea that gained interest in Aztec society. Indeed, it turned out that this was the only viable option since the snake wasnt planning on moving for other reasons. 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. The Aztec confederacy was opposed by other Nahua groups to the east. The meaning of his name is "Winged Serpent" or "Feathered Serpent". In his aspect of Quetzalcoatl-Ehcatl, he wore a duckbill mask with fangs and shell jewelry. 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. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Often he is also represented as spider monkeys, ducks, and other animals or beings of nature. Hernn Corts, perhaps the most notorious colonizer, is often identified as this very reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl. These, then, are the people that still inhabit the world. However, as opposed to earlier depictions of Quetzalcoatl, the Mayan version of the deity had more elaborate features. Some said that before this he had helped to create the world itself. Table of Contents [ hide] Etymology and Archaeology As mentioned before, the god Tlaloc is believed to have helped to create Quetzalcoatl. He was quite a bit bigger than he was before. Have you ever eaten blue, white, black, or red corn? And, it wasnt so bad after all. How should one worship the sun? Thats quite a big deal, because for the people in ancient Mexico, maize, or corn, is not just a crop. Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death and the principle god of the underworld. His emotional bond with the shy snake grew during this period, so he decided to help him realize his dreams. By the 3rd century AD this was recognizable as a god, who had a pyramid dedicated to his honor in the city of Teotihuacn. Quetzalcoatl became linked with the maize crop thanks to ancient legends. His representation of heaven and hell is also interpreted in different realms. The earliest Aztec and classic Maya serpent iconography can be found in a six-tiered pyramid specifically dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. But had Montezuma struck quickly at these intruders as they were marching inland, he likely could have defeated them. The Teotihuacan iconographical depictions are often interpreted as a version where Quetzalcoatl played the role of a fertility-related serpent deity. In the extant Mayan sources, it has been revealed that Quetzalcoatl, or the Feathered Serpent, was associated with warfare as well as fertility. There is no question that the legend of Quetzalcoatl played a significant role in the colonial period. The story of how the ordinary Quetzalcoatl became one of the heavenly brothers goes as followed. Today he is known best as Quetzalcoatl, the name he was worshipped by in the Aztec culture. Ultimately, Quetzalcoatl was forced into exile. Quetzalcoatl wasnt all that happy with it, however. 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. ThoughtCo. Archaeological sites in Mexico City have street addresses, not GPS coordinates, as sites tend to elsewhere. The most astonishing aspect of their worship, at least to the Spaniards, was their habit of human sacrifice . 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