This didnt help a lot to overcome their cruel intentions, however. 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. [24], According to another version of the myth, Quetzalcoatl is one of the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, the four Tezcatlipocas, each of whom presided over one of the four cardinal directions. In his form as Ehecatl he is the wind, and is represented by spider monkeys, ducks, and the wind itself. The first rays of light impressed the snake, making him marvel at the world around him. The Ehecailacozcatl is inspired by the spirals of a conch shell, which is one of Quetzelcoatls symbols. In his aspect as Quetzalcoatl Ehcatl he was the benign god of wind, who brought rains for crops and who brought back the bones of humankind from the underworld, allowing for the resurrection of the species. Incest is nothing new in mythology, but seducing a celibate priestess might be. Are you still looking for a being that caused a solar eclipse? 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. 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. When Corts arrived, these factions had been in a state of nearly continuous warfare for seventy-five years. Toltec religion. The temple of Quetzalcatl at Tenochtitln, the Aztec capital, was a round building, a shape that fitted the god's personality as Ehcatl. 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. In the iconography of the classic period, Maya serpent imagery is also prevalent: a snake often appears as the embodiment of the sky itself, and a vision serpent is a shamanic helper presenting Maya kings with visions of the underworld. As the morning star, he was known by the title Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, meaning "lord of the star of the dawn". Quetzalcoatl played many roles in ancient Aztec mythology, so its difficult to pin down just one. 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. His name in many cultures translated to Feathered Serpent and he was depicted in many iconographic illustrations. By adding a bit of his own blood, he allowed a new civilization to emerge. In the extant Mayan sources, it has been revealed that Quetzalcoatl, or the Feathered Serpent, was associated with warfare as well as fertility. The worship of Miclantecuhtli was ongoing with the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. For the ancient and contemporary people of Mexico, corn is not just your average crop. Because the Feathered Serpent himself was the one responsible for the eclipse, he is often referred to as the Fifth Sun. Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death and the principle god of the underworld. The gods powers extended beyond the wind, however. While the inhabitants of Teotihuacan were the first ones to worship Quetzalcoatl, the Aztecs reinterpreted him over time. On the basis of the Teotihuacan iconographical depictions of the feathered serpent, archaeologist Karl Taube has argued that the feathered serpent was a symbol of fertility and of internal political structures - contrasting with the War Serpent symbolizing the outwards military expansion of the Teotihuacan empire. The language is spoken today in the highlands of central Guatemala. Quetzalcoatl was the Aztec version of this plumed snake archetype. But even things of an extremely mundane nature like s. The Teotihuacan iconographical depictions are often interpreted as a version where Quetzalcoatl played the role of a fertility-related serpent deity. To link to this article in the text of an online publication, please use this URL: https://historycooperative.org/quetzalcoatl/. As shown by his spiral jewel, Quetzalcoatl was a god of wind. In some traditions, he was considered to be the creator of mankind. These, then, are the people that still inhabit the world. Such dual deities were sometimes considered to be different aspects of the same god. This made it an important sign of fertility because it brought with it the rains that renewed the earth. 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. Ultimately, Quetzalcoatl was forced into exile. 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. 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. Its more likely that Montezuma saw the Spanish not as enemies but as possible allies in his ongoing campaign to enlarge his empire. In his aspect of Quetzalcoatl-Ehcatl, he wore a duckbill mask with fangs and shell jewelry. [22] A third story narrates that Chimalman was hit in the womb by an arrow shot by Mixcoatl and nine months later she gave birth to a child which was called Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl is closely associated with the myth of the four cardinal directions. 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. ", "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. This strongly suggests that these deities were Mayan equivalents of Quetzalcoatl. The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in other traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice. [9] In Mazatec legends the astrologer deity Tlahuizcalpanteuctli, who is also represented by Venus, bears a close relationship with Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl was considered important in the pantheon of Aztec gods. [citation needed] Additionally, at least one major cache of offerings includes knives and idols adorned with the symbols of more than one god, some of which were adorned with wind jewels. 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 . Or rather, arrived again. The title of the twin Aztec high priests wasnt just Quetzalcoatl. 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 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. Although early images had shown a serpent, by the classical period of Aztec culture Quetzalcoatl was more often shown with a human body. He also has red and green feathers around his head and back. (Restall 2001 p. 114)[full citation needed]. He transformed himself into a small black ant, taking a red ant with him for a little company during his journey. Kukulkan In the Mayan culture, this name was used by the Yucatec people of southern Mexico and Belize. Because of this, the ways in which he was worshipped varied widely. [41] However, in 1892 one president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, John Taylor, wrote:[42]. Xolotl Among the Aztecs, this was Quetzalcoatls twin. 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? However, later sources uncover that already a year before him a similar figure dwelled in the lands of the Aztec territory. He appears in Post-classic tales from the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec cultures. 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. 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. [20] Historian Enrique Florescano - also analyzing Teotihuacan iconography - argues that the Feathered Serpent was part of a triad of agricultural deities: The feathered serpent was furthermore connected to the planet Venus because of this planet's importance as a sign of the beginning of the rainy season. 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. The earliest depictions of the feathered serpent deity were fully zoomorphic, depicting the serpent as an actual snake, but already among the Classic Maya, images of the deity began acquiring human features, such as the beard (see the Borgia codex illustration above) that he was sometimes depicted with. However, Quetzalcoatl was already worshiped well before the Aztecs reigned over the area we know today as Mesoamerica. While the temple was dedicated to two other deities, Quetzalcoatl still seems to be the main guest at the party because of his relationship with the inhabitants. Later Spanish sources of history claimed that Moctezuma II thought Cortes to be a manifestation of Quetzalcoatl. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. The eclipse that was caused by the birth of Quetzalcoatl is believed to be the fifth eclipse to ever happen. [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]. 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. Aztec Gods Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Quetzalcoatl occupied a unique position in the Aztec pantheon and was considered one of the most important gods. 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.. 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. related to the belief in a sky-, Venus-, creator-, war- and fertility-related serpent deity. In mythology, he is a gentle god who loves peace, and it is said that he bestowed many blessings to the humans. Manage Settings We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Quetzalcoatl, or "Feathered Serpent," was an important god to the ancient people of Mesoamerica. 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! 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. Quetzalcoatlhe was the wind, the guide and road sweeper of the rain gods, of the masters of the water, of those who brought rain. Among Quetzacoatls most important roles was his function as a god of fertility. The meaning of his name is "Winged Serpent" or "Feathered Serpent". He used his own blood from wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the bones and create mankind. This constitutes the Late Pre-Classic Period of the Mayan civilization. In yet another version, Quetzalcoatl is said to be one of the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl. While other gods had relied on brute force for reaching the other side, Quetzalcoatl relied on intelligence in order to reach the maize. 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. 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. He was so important that the worlds largest pyramid was just one of many places dedicated to his cult. Don't fly too close to the sun or sit under her rays unprotected for too long. Two other gods represented by the planet Venus are Tlaloc (ally and the god of rain) and Xolotl (psychopomp and its twin). Mexico's flagship airline Aeromxico has a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner painted in a special Quetzalcoatl livery. [18][need quotation to verify]. At this particular address, behind the green door, next . Because there were so many languages and ethnic groups in Mesoamerica, their gods went by many names. Similarly, various other birth stories are also associated with Quetzalcoatl. Throughout Mesoamerican culture, they practiced human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism to placate this god. Each of these four sons presides over one of the four cardinal directions. 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. Minster, Christopher. The Aztecs, however, were only a small segment of the regions people. In Mesoamerican history, many different ethnopolitical groups worshiped a feathered-serpent deity. Of course, the odd one out sparked the interest of Tlaloc. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. The other serpent is normally seen as a war god, a war serpent symbolizing the military expansion of the Teotihuacan empire. The west is represented by Quetzalcoatl who is also the White Tezcatlipoca and the god of light, justice, mercy, and wind. . The two priests came to their position after living an exemplary life, with pure and compassionate hearts. 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. In some stories he created mankind, and in others he worked with his brother to form the earth itself. Venus, which the god was closely associated with, appeared in the sky at the beginning of the rainy season. Quetzalcoatl occupied a unique position in the Aztec pantheon and was considered one of the most important gods. And when their march inland took them to the Aztec emperor's doorstep . Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. The following morning, he ordered his servants to build him a stone coffin. Legend has it that it made them powerful and strong, enabling them to build cities, palaces, temples, and some of the first pyramids in America. Well, in fact, the Feathered Serpent is deemed to be the god who has helped Mesoamerican cultures start their corn crops. In the 16th century, Spaniards conquered the Aztec Empire. Cortes continued to play the role of Quetzalcoatl for many years and eventually impacted others to convert. In one myth tied to this belief, the two killed a great monster and used its body to craft the world. 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. These, then, are the people that still inhabit the world to... War god, a war god, a war Serpent symbolizing the military expansion the... Star of the Teotihuacan empire particular address, behind the green door, next people of Mexico. 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