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. In these instances, he is often seen wearing a lot of jewelry and some form of a hat. Quetzalcoatl is but one of the Aztec gods and goddesses that has animal-like characteristics. The pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus was named after the deity. Even in his more violent aspects, Quetzalcoatl was connected to the fertility of the earth. [12] Feathered-serpent iconography is prominent at all of these sites. He also had anthropomorphic forms, for example in his aspects as Ehecatl the wind god. [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. Mainly because they thought one of them was the reincarnation of the beloved god discussed in this article. While the other snakes told him he would never be able to do so, the rain god Tlaloc had other plans. [24] In another story, the virgin Chimalman conceived Quetzalcoatl by swallowing an emerald. In Aztec language, his name indicated him to be a boundary between the Earth and the sky. Residing in the darkness felt safe to him, so he decided to stay far away from the life-giving water. Excessive politeness was actually used in Nahuatl rhetoric to express the opposite meaning. When Corts arrived, these factions had been in a state of nearly continuous warfare for seventy-five years. He also has red and green feathers around his head and back. [12] In the Postclassic period (9001519AD), the worship of the feathered-serpent deity centered in the primary Mexican religious center of Cholula. [32][33][34][35][36] Most documents expounding this theory are of entirely Spanish origin, such as Corts's letters to Charles V of Spain, in which Corts goes to great pains to present the naive gullibility of the Aztecs in general as a great aid in the conquest of the Aztec Empire. After a slapstick-style chase scene, Xavier winds up as the Sun God and commits "sacricide" (sacrificial suicide), ending the skit. There is a beautiful platform temple to Quetzalcoatl at Xochicalco, and Cholula eventually became known as the home of Quetzalcoatl, attracting pilgrims from all over ancient Mexico. The first culture to use the symbol of a feathered serpent as an important religious and political symbol was that of Teotihuacan. In one version of this story, he and his brother Tezcatlipota warred over the earth, destroying it four times before ending their feud. 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. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca may have been worshiped as early as 10,000 BC. 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. However, this legend likely has a foundation in events that took place immediately prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. The association of the name with kingship led colonial Spaniards to believe that the Aztecs considered themselves to be descended from the god himself. Minster, Christopher. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This made crops grow and brought water for drinking. In some stories he created mankind, and in others he worked with his brother to form the earth itself. 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. In a version of the myth, Quetzalcoatl was born by a virgin named Chimalman, to whom the god Ometeotl appeared in a dream. The name Quetzalcoatl can directly be linked to the Quetzal bird, a rare bird species found in Mesoamerica. Have you ever eaten blue, white, black, or red corn? Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. 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. For example, the Aztecs revered him as the god of the priesthood, knowledge, and trade. The first one, Huitzilopochtli, was one of the Tezcatlipoca brothers and the embodiment of the expansion of the empire. Table of Contents [ hide] Etymology and Archaeology Quetzalcoatl, or Feathered Serpent, was an important god to the ancient people of Mesoamerica. Although early images had shown a serpent, by the classical period of Aztec culture Quetzalcoatl was more often shown with a human body. Plumed serpents continued to be depicted in Central American cultures. Among the Aztecs, it was related to wind, Venus, Sun, merchants, arts, crafts, knowledge, and learning. The story of how the ordinary Quetzalcoatl became one of the heavenly brothers goes as followed. Later, Xavier and the Aztecs summon Quetzalcoatl in his mortal form and wind up angering him after cutting him open. 9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl. In Aztec culture, this was considered to be one of the most important primal forces. https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-quetzalcoatl-2136322 (accessed March 2, 2023). Each age of the world was given a new sun, and the world was on its Fifth Sun, having been destroyed four times previously. The eclipse that was caused by the birth of Quetzalcoatl is believed to be the fifth eclipse to ever happen. . Two other gods represented by the planet Venus are Tlaloc (ally and the god of rain) and Xolotl (psychopomp and its twin). [47], In 1971 Tony Shearer published a book called Lord of the Dawn: Quetzalcoatl and the Tree of Life, inspiring New Age followers to visit Chichen Itza at the summer solstice when dragon-shaped shadows are cast by the Kulkulcan pyramid.[48]. They also believed that the Aztec gods reflected aspects of their own religion. The title of the twin Aztec high priests wasnt just Quetzalcoatl. In his aspect as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, he was the fearsome god of Venus and the morning star. Well, look no further, because Quetzalcoatl is your guy. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. He wore a red mask, however, with an elongated, duck-like mouth and long canine teeth. In fact, the people of Mexico had killed several Spaniards in battle and had captured and sacrificed others, so they knew they were men, not gods. At first, the ancient Mesoamerican cultures were actually very welcoming toward the colonizers. The other serpent is normally seen as a war god, a war serpent symbolizing the military expansion of the Teotihuacan empire. 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. 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. The south is represented by Huitzilopochtli who is the Blue Tezcatlipoca and the god of war. Having been in awe of the sun and its light, the snake decided to fly toward the sun. Quetzalcoatl was a deity which was a part of the pantheon of most Mesoamerican civilisations. However, later sources uncover that already a year before him a similar figure dwelled in the lands of the Aztec territory. The trip was far from easy, but Quetzalcoatl was able to complete it. Quetzalcoatl, or "Feathered Serpent," was an important god to the ancient people of Mesoamerica. "9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl." Some said that before this he had helped to create the world itself. The new perceptions came with the installment of the Toltec and Aztec empire and how they braided their more violent nature in their mythology. Continue with Recommended Cookies. 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. The floods, too, caused great disaster to the earth in general. It has been suggested that these stories recall the spread of the feathered-serpent cult in the epi-classic and early post-classic periods.[12]. At this particular address, behind the green door, next . Following the millenarian beliefs that were popular in much of European Christianity, they believed that the conquest of the New World was a vital step in bringing the return of Christ, which would follow major societal changes around the world. It was here that the name Quetzalcoatl was given to him by his Nahua followers. Quetzalcoatl by himself was a god of many things to the Toltecs and Aztecs. While with all the feathers it might resemble more of a dragon and move a bit away from classic depiction, it is really meant to be 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. Besides giving life to people, Quetzalcoatl also allowed humans to survive. Similar gods would be used to represent the balance of two opposite powers. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-quetzalcoatl-2136322. How should one worship the sun? Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Of course, the odd one out sparked the interest of Tlaloc. Are you still looking for a being that caused a solar eclipse? 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. This, too, meant the end of the god Quetzalcoatl. The Nahuatl nouns compounded into the proper name "Quetzalcoatl" are: (in English, Spanish, and Nahuatl languages), Proposed Book of Mormon geographical setting, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, "Evidence of Mushroom Worship in Mesoamerica", "New Taxonomical and Ethnomycological Observations on, "All You Need To Know About The Ancient Aztec Gods and Goddesses", "Readings in Classical Nahuatl: The Death of Quetzalcoatl", "Gift of the Gods: Chocolate in the Aztec Empire", "The Complete New York City Horror Movie Marathon! Over the South presides the Blue Tezcatlipoca, Huitzilopochtli, the god of war. 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. Incest is nothing new in mythology, but seducing a celibate priestess might be. He sometimes carries flowers or sacrificial tools. For this reason, it is also believed that offers to Quetzalcoatl were one of only a few that should not include human sacrifice. Because, if they did include human sacrifice, basically a part of Quetzalcoatl himself would be killed in order to honor him. While at first a fully zoomorphic feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl would later be represented in his human form. Ququmatz Also written as Gukumatz, this name belonged to the Kiche Maya. . His job was to protect the sun from the dangers of the underworld. 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. Latter-day Saint author Brant Gardner, after investigating the link between Quetzalcoatl and Jesus, concluded that the association amounts to nothing more than folklore. In the 16th century, Spaniards conquered the Aztec Empire. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) To this day, new depictions of the creator deity can be found in Mexico. Venus, which the god was closely associated with, appeared in the sky at the beginning of the rainy season. Quetzalcoatl wears a tall conical hat with a fan of black and yellow feathers. Getting the snake out of the cave had been Tlalocs only objective for months on end. [25] Quetzalcoatl was often considered the god of the morning star, and his twin brother Xolotl was the evening star (Venus). As the story goes, the Aztec believed in a white, bearded god named Quetzalcoatl, who, long ago, had disappeared into the east. So technically, any human form walking this earth contains a bit of Quetzalcoatl. In the post-classic Nahua civilization of central Mexico (Aztec), the worship of Quetzalcoatl was ubiquitous. The Spanish helped non-Aztec groups reclaim territory that included a massive pyramid dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. 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. Quetzalcoatlhe was the wind, the guide and road sweeper of the rain gods, of the masters of the water, of those who brought rain. "9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl." (Restall 2001 p. 114)[full citation needed]. Some followers of the Latter Day Saints movement believe that Quetzalcoatl was historically Jesus Christ, who Latter-day Saints believe visited the New World as a resurrected being as reported in the Book of Mormon, but believe his name and the details of the event were gradually lost over time. After months of rain, the snake was forced to come out of the cave. Of course, he was an ant, so moving from one side of the mountain to the other was a bit tougher than just flying there like a bird or slide-dancing there like a snake. Members of this confederacy from Tlaxcala, Puebla, and Oaxaca provided the Spaniards with the army that first reclaimed the city of Cholula from its pro-Aztec ruling faction, and ultimately defeated the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City). In Xochicalco, depictions of the feathered serpent accompany the image of a seated, armed ruler and the hieroglyph for the day sign 9 Wind. Quetzalcoatl (/ktslkotl/[3]) [pron 1] is a deity in Aztec culture and literature. The name Quetzalcoatl comes from this language and is most widely-used both because it was recorded by Spanish conquerors and because Nahuatl is still spoken by roughly 1.5 million people. According to the Book of Mormon, the resurrected Jesus Christ descended from heaven and visited the people of the American continent, shortly after his resurrection. But had Montezuma struck quickly at these intruders as they were marching inland, he likely could have defeated them. Different versions of the birth of god are prevalent in Mesoamerican mythology. Auh yn jquac molhuja eheca, mjtoa: teuhtli quaqualaca, ycoioca, tetecujca, tlatlaiooa, tlatlapitza, tlatlatzinj, motlatlaueltia. 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. All but one. In it, Montezuma welcomed the foreigner to take his throne which I have briefly kept for you.. The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in colonial traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice. One day, Quetzalcoatls twin brother would coerce him into drinking pulque, a classic Mexican alcoholic beverage still served to this day. Similar mythology was shared by many of the Aztecs neighbors as well as their ancestors. The two priests came to their position after living an exemplary life, with pure and compassionate hearts. ", "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 worship of a feathered serpent deity is first document in Teotihuacan in the first century BCE or first century CE. READ MORE: 10 Gods of Death and the Underworld From Around the World. Alternatively, he left willingly on a raft of snakes, promising to return. In yet another version, Quetzalcoatl is said to be one of the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl. In one myth tied to this belief, the two killed a great monster and used its body to craft the world. Quetzalcoatl appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Thor: Love and Thunder. Aztec ceremonies often lasted several days . Human worship. This is evident in the iconography recovered from these sites. Welcome. The Coatlicue sculpture in Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology is one of the most famous Mexica (Aztec) sculptures in existence (her name is pronounced "koh-at-lee-kway"). There is no surviving account of this myth in native sources, however. It is not a coincidence that Quetzalcoatl is just as often referred to as the Feathered Serpent by his worshipers and historians. It starts with Tlaloc, the Aztec god of rain. Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death and the principle god of the underworld. 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 is one of the most well-known Mesoamerican gods, but how much do you actually know about the feathered serpent of pre-Columbian Mexico? He headed east, eventually settling in Chichen Itza. 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. 1. The meaning of his name is "Winged Serpent" or "Feathered Serpent". 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. Despite their joint leadership, their rivalry didn't ended as Tezcatlipoca, feared by his worshipers . 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. Instead, these stories were probably the invention of Franciscan monks who followed the initial conquest of Mexico. Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. This, too, can be seen in the birth of Quetzalcoatl. From ancient snake gods to Spanish legends, heres everything you need to know about the most famous god of the Aztecs! 2. For more details, Wikipedia is a good resource. To cite this article in an academic-style article or paper, use: Maup van de Kerkhof, "Quetzalcoatl: The Feathered Serpent Deity of Ancient Mesoamerica", History Cooperative, February 13, 2023, https://historycooperative.org/quetzalcoatl/. In fact, he wanted to tempt him to come out into the light. He was so important that the worlds largest pyramid was just one of many places dedicated to his cult. In the Maya area he was approximately equivalent to Kukulkan and Gukumatz, names that also roughly translate as "feathered serpent" in different Mayan languages. The four suns before Quetzalcoatl had been destroyed by disastrous events, like floods, fires, and volcanic eruptions. While the inhabitants of Teotihuacan were the first ones to worship Quetzalcoatl, the Aztecs reinterpreted him over time. "[17], Quetzalcoatl also became linked with rulership and priestly office; additionally, among the Toltec, the name was used as a military title and its representation as an emblem. 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