According to another mythological account, he was conceived by the virgin Chimalman after she swallowed an emerald. The Teotihuacan iconographical depictions are often interpreted as a version where Quetzalcoatl played the role of a fertility-related serpent deity. 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. Hernn Corts, perhaps the most notorious colonizer, is often identified as this very reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl. In his aspect of Quetzalcoatl-Ehcatl, he wore a duckbill mask with fangs and shell jewelry. The story of the life of the Mexican divinity, Quetzalcoatl, closely resembles that of the Savior; so closely, indeed, that we can come to no other conclusion than that Quetzalcoatl and Christ are the same being. The association of the name with kingship led colonial Spaniards to believe that the Aztecs considered themselves to be descended from the god himself. ; (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 . The Toltec people, who the Aztecs considered to be their ancestors, used Quetzalcoatl as a title for military and political rulers. One of the jewels he is depicted with is the wind jewel, affirming his status as a wind god. 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. This idea of return stemmed from a supposed speech given by Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, to Corts when the Spanish arrived at Tenochtitlan. Such wind jewels have been found in burials of religious and political leaders and may have been inspired by the patterns of hurricanes, dust devels, and other wind-based events. They kept the same gods but believed in a new story. This, too, meant the end of the god Quetzalcoatl. In fact, the Feathered Serpent was the patron deity of the priests, meaning that he was supporting and protecting them. Whether Quetzalcoatl would return was out of the question. 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. 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. The cult even spread down into the Maya lands. (Restall 2001 p. 114)[full citation needed]. related to the belief in a sky-, Venus-, creator-, war- and fertility-related serpent deity. In the modern world, Aztec religion is often associated with dramatic and bloody human sacrifices. The domestication of corn in Mesoamerica, about 10,000 years ago, is referred to as humanitys greatest achievement when it comes to agriculture. This, it is believed, explains why he was looking inwards to the city. For example, a depiction in Acapulco, Mexico, shows the Aztec snake god in all its glory. After a slapstick-style chase scene, Xavier winds up as the Sun God and commits "sacricide" (sacrificial suicide), ending the skit. Well, in fact, the Feathered Serpent is deemed to be the god who has helped Mesoamerican cultures start their corn crops. Are you still looking for a being that caused a solar eclipse? Historians debate to what degree, or whether at all, these narratives about this legendary Toltec ruler describe historical events. 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. "9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl." Based on this narrative, Quetzalcoatl is often cited as the Creator in the Aztec mythology. Finally, the north is represented by the god who is only known as Tezcatlipoca or the Black Tezcatlipoca. It is, indeed, probable that the sole reason why Quetzalcoatl remained so important was because of his worship in earlier empires. To create humans, Quetzalcoatl had to go into the Underworld and collect some bones. Hernan Cortes, who led the Spaniards, was first invited into the city by Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II. In his aspect as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, he was the fearsome god of Venus and the morning star. Over the South presides the Blue Tezcatlipoca, Huitzilopochtli, the god of war. The archaeological record shows that after the fall of Teotihuacan that marked the beginning of the epi-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology around 600 AD, the cult of the feathered serpent spread to new religious and political centers in central Mexico, centers such as Xochicalco, Cacaxtla and Cholula. The relation of Quetzalcoatl with just the latest sun is a result of the mingling of his earliest myths and some new perceptions. Quetzalcoatlhe was the wind, the guide and road sweeper of the rain gods, of the masters of the water, of those who brought rain. There is no question that the legend of Quetzalcoatl played a significant role in the colonial period. He sometimes carries flowers or sacrificial tools. But also, his role and what he represented changed during every installment of his being.Divine messengers would talk with the god, asking for assistance in reaching the other side of the mountain: the location of the corn. Temple of Ehcatl-Quetzalcoatl. 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. Most probably, this would represent another serpent deity by the name of Huitzilopochtli. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gods of Death The god in human form taught them to cultivate corn seeds, to work with jade, gold and obsidian, how to dye cotton, the art of astronomy, he enriched their writing, promoted the worship of the gods and forbade human sacrifices, teaching them self-sacrifice by pricking themselves with maguey thorns instead. In Aztec culture, depictions of Quetzalcoatl were fully anthropomorphic. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Quetzalcoatl stands out from the Mesoamerican pantheon as being relatively less bloodthirsty than others like Huitzilopochtli or Tezcatlipoca, making him as good a candidate as any for Jesus visiting the New World. Different versions of the birth of god are prevalent in Mesoamerican mythology. Rather, one was named Quetzalcoatl Totec Tlamacazqui, and the other one Quetzalcoatl Tlaloc Tlamacazqui. In sculptures adorning temples throughout ancient Mexico, he generally appeared as a plumed serpent, although sometimes he had human features as well. Toltec religion. [24] In another story, the virgin Chimalman conceived Quetzalcoatl by swallowing an emerald. Colonial documentary sources from the Maya area frequently speak of the arrival of foreigners from the central Mexican plateau, often led by a man whose name translates as "Feathered Serpent". The Nahua civilization, which included the central Mexican Aztecs, almost universally worshipped Quetzalcoatl among their gods. Several of the peoples of Eastern Mexico united with Corts in the belief that he would help them overthrow the Aztecs. The Aztec confederacy was opposed by other Nahua groups to the east. ThoughtCo. Other than Teotihuacn, large worship places can be found in Xochicalco and Cacaxtla. It is believed that the Feathered Serpent was responsible for all of it. According to this myth, the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, one of them being Quetzalcoatl, represent the four cardinal directions. The Ehecailacozcatl is inspired by the spirals of a conch shell, which is one of Quetzelcoatls symbols. While at first a fully zoomorphic feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl would later be represented in his human form. Mictlanteuctli and Mictlancihuatl, the two gods that ruled that realm, gave him a puzzle he was expected to complete before he could take the bones. Two other gods represented by the planet Venus are Tlaloc (ally and the god of rain) and Xolotl (psychopomp and its twin). [12] Feathered-serpent iconography is prominent at all of these sites. Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. 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? 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. The first documented worship of Quetzalcoatl is found in Theotihuacan during the first century BC or first century AD. Although early images had shown a serpent, by the classical period of Aztec culture Quetzalcoatl was more often shown with a human body. The city of Cholula, in particular, was known for the importance it laid on the deity of the feathered serpent. Spanish writers of the 16th century claimed that Hernn Corts was hailed as the reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl when he arrived in Mexico in 1519. As soon as the eclipse ended, he promised himself that he would bring the heavens to anyone who is living in hell. Feathered serpents appear as early as 900 BC in parts of Mexico. . Because the feathered serpent was such a widespread and long-lasting archetype, he was known by many names throughout Mexico and Central America. Quetzelcoatl also appeared on (Season 3) of the Animal Planet mockumentary Lost Tapes in an episode entitled "Q the Serpent God". He wouldnt become the new Aztec ruler, however. However, independent historical sources do not substantiate this claim and later historians have disputed it as well. Minster, Christopher. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Different cultures associated him with priesthood and kingship, further complicating his mythology in later retellings. However, at the end of the second cycle, mankind became like monkeys and so Quetzalcoatl blew up the whole of mankind. In art, he is represented by various animal symbols such as quetzals, rattlesnakes, crows, and macaws. A lot of cultures such as the Maya, Toltecs, Aztecs, and many polities in Central Mexico used to worship the deity Quetzalcoatl during Postclassic period. Quetzalcoatl had aspects in which he functioned as other gods. The attributes of Quetzalcoatl varied in different cultures of Mesoamerica during different eras. Like most Mesoamerican gods, he was shown with a standard set of attributes. Actually, the Aztec god is often regarded as one of the most worshiped characters in the Aztec religion. Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and means "feathered serpent". 5D's, Beyblade: Metal Fusion, Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia and Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid (the latter two depicting Quetzalcoatl as a female dragon deity); the Megami Tensei video game franchise; the video games Fate/Grand Order, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy XV, Sanitarium, Smite (as an alternate costume for his Mayan counterpart, Kukulkan), and Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine; as the main antagonist in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth"; and in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel books. Auh yn jquac molhuja eheca, mjtoa: teuhtli quaqualaca, ycoioca, tetecujca, tlatlaiooa, tlatlapitza, tlatlatzinj, motlatlaueltia. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. [43] In a 1986 paper for Sunstone, he noted that during the Spanish Conquest, the Native Americans and the Catholic priests who sympathized with them felt pressure to link Native American beliefs with Christianity, thus making the Native Americans seem more human and less savage. 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. To this day, new depictions of the creator deity can be found in Mexico. This constitutes the Late Pre-Classic Period of the Mayan civilization. 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. Rather than the conquistador himself being the wind god, however, it was that his army allowed the Puebla and their allies to reclaim the pyramid of Tlachihualtepetl, the center of Quezalcoatls cult. 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. At one hand, Mayans considered a snake as the embodiment of the cosmos. 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. Indeed, Quetzalcoatl was born. 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. He was a creator deity having contributed essentially to the creation of mankind. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: . Quetzalcoatl stole the bones from the Underworld, taking great risks and evading many traps to bring them to the surface. He was also associated with the creation of mankind, so he also possibly occupied the role of creator in the Aztec mythology. While Quetzacoatl is one of the most well-known gods of ancient Mexico, he is often misunderstood. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-quetzalcoatl-2136322. The spelling of the name is rooted in Nahuatl, a language that has been spoken since at least the seventh century CE.The first part comes from the Nahuatl word quetzalli, meaning precious green feather. The second part of his name, coatl, means serpent. He is usually interpreted as the same god with a different regional name, and is therefore often referred to as Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl. 9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl. Over the West presides the White Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, the god of light, justice, mercy and wind. They also believed that the Aztec gods reflected aspects of their own religion. Quetzalcoatl became linked with the maize crop thanks to ancient legends. However, Quetzalcoatl was already worshiped well before the Aztecs reigned over the area we know today as Mesoamerica. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. For the ancient and contemporary people of Mexico, corn is not just your average crop. While the inhabitants of Teotihuacan were the first ones to worship Quetzalcoatl, the Aztecs reinterpreted him over time. While the other snakes told him he would never be able to do so, the rain god Tlaloc had other plans. Quetzalcoatl is but one of the Aztec gods and goddesses that has animal-like characteristics. Among the Aztecs, the name Quetzalcoatl was also a priestly title, as the two most important priests of the Aztec Templo Mayor were called "Quetzalcoatl Tlamacazqui". 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. Some said that before this he had helped to create the world itself. READ MORE: Sun Gods: Ancient Solar Deities From Around the World. He headed east, eventually settling in Chichen Itza. Quetzalcoatl by himself was a god of many things to the Toltecs and Aztecs. [citation needed], In the Codex Chimalpopoca, it is said Quetzalcoatl was coerced by Tezcatlipoca into becoming drunk on pulque, cavorting with his older sister, Quetzalpetlatl, a celibate priestess, and neglecting their religious duties. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. Because of this, the latest reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl would come to earth to do exactly that. Quetzalcoatl played many roles in ancient Aztec mythology, so its difficult to pin down just one. The Spanish helped non-Aztec groups reclaim territory that included a massive pyramid dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. [25] Quetzalcoatl was often considered the god of the morning star, and his twin brother Xolotl was the evening star (Venus). He used his own blood from wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the bones and create mankind. He appears seated in Omnipotence City of the gods, where all major deities are located, during an announcement from leader of the gods, Zeus. Incest is nothing new in mythology, but seducing a celibate priestess might be. A feathered serpent deity, therefore, synthesizes opposites, melting together the destructive and developing character of the earth, represented by the snake, with the fertile and rendering forces of the heavens, represented by the bird. 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. The most astonishing aspect of their worship, at least to the Spaniards, was their habit of human sacrifice . This didnt help a lot to overcome their cruel intentions, however. [need quotation to verify] Codex drawings pictured both Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl wearing an ehcaczcatl around the neck. [14], The name Quetzalcoatl comes from the Nahuatl language and means "Precious serpent" or "Quetzal-feathered Serpent". The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in colonial traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice. His representation of heaven and hell is also interpreted in different realms. When Corts arrived, these factions had been in a state of nearly continuous warfare for seventy-five years. There are several stories about the birth of Quetzalcoatl. (Many academics conclude this passage implies incest.) The famous Pyramid of the Niches at El Tajin is believed by many to be dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, and the many ball courts there also suggest that his cult was important. Tlaloc we already know. He was so important that the worlds largest pyramid was just one of many places dedicated to his cult. Quetzalcoatl was the Aztec version of this plumed snake archetype. While drunk, Quetzalcoatl seduced his sister, a celibate priestess. By adding a bit of his own blood, he allowed a new civilization to emerge. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. The Tlaxcalteca, along with other city-states across the Plain of Puebla, then supplied the auxiliary and logistical support for the conquests of Guatemala and West Mexico while Mixtec and Zapotec caciques (Colonial indigenous rulers) gained monopolies in the overland transport of Manila galleon trade through Mexico, and formed highly lucrative relationships with the Dominican order in the new Spanish imperial world economic system that explains so much of the enduring legacy of indigenous life-ways that characterize southern Mexico and explain the popularity of the Quetzalcoatl legends that continued through the colonial period to the present day. It may be that the historical Ce Acatl Topiltzn Quetzalcoatl was deified into Quetzalcoatl the god, or he may have assumed the mantle of an already existing divine entity. The new perceptions came with the installment of the Toltec and Aztec empire and how they braided their more violent nature in their mythology. Over time, Quetzalcoatl's appearance, clothing, malevolent nature, and status among the gods were reshaped to fit a more Christian framework. After only a couple of years, the Aztec empire ended due to a combination of foreign diseases and diplomacy. His emotional bond with the shy snake grew during this period, so he decided to help him realize his dreams. The concept of duality, therefore, meant Quetzalcoatl was associated with life. Montezuma's failure to act has been attributed to his belief that Cortes was none other than Quetzalcoatl, who had once gone away to the east, promising to return. Evidence of such worship comes from the iconography of different Mesoamerican cultures, in which serpent motifs occur frequently. There was one way that would certainly work, namely by letting it rain so abundantly that the snake simply drifted out of the cave. Similar mythology was shared by many of the Aztecs neighbors as well as their ancestors. Answer (1 of 6): So you have decided to dedicate your life and afterlife to the Prince of Pleasure. The floods, too, caused great disaster to the earth in general. Corts himself claimed in a letter that the gullibility of the Aztec people helped him to conquer them. Quetzalcoatls quarrels with his brother Tezcatlipoca sometimes brought about these destructions of the world. There is no surviving account of this myth in native sources, however. Of these, Quetzalcoatl was the Sun in the second cycle. In some traditions, he was considered to be the creator of mankind. As shown by his spiral jewel, Quetzalcoatl was a god of wind. Ruler of the, Nicholson 2001, Carrasco 1982, Gillespie 1989, Florescano 2002, Lafaye 1987, Townsend 2003, Martnez 1980, Phelan 1970. But the history of the former has been handed down to us through an impure Lamanitish source, which has sadly disfigured and perverted the original incidents and teachings of the Savior's life and ministry. 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