He also has red and green feathers around his head and back. Quetzalcoatlhe was the wind, the guide and road sweeper of the rain gods, of the masters of the water, of those who brought rain. [5] It was one of several important gods in the Aztec pantheon, along with the gods Tlaloc, Tezcatlipoca and Huitzilopochtli. He also had anthropomorphic forms, for example in his aspects as Ehecatl the wind god. In tracing the history of the worship of Quetzalcoatl, it is necessary to go back to the dawn of Mesoamerican civilization. Human worship. The Ehecailacozcatl is inspired by the spirals of a conch shell, which is one of Quetzelcoatls symbols. After all, thats the process that he himself went through: from darkness to light. At Cholula, however, the gods cult is most evident. What is often called the Aztec Empire was a confederation of three city-states, established in the 14th and 15th centuries. 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". His most prominent manifestation in art, however, is literally that of a serpent with a feathered head.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',139,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-medrectangle-4-0'); There is also rich iconography, sculpture, and mythology associated with Quetzalcoatl among all the major cultures of Mesoamerica not just in history but also in the modern world.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-banner-1','ezslot_4',110,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-banner-1-0'); Quetzalcoatl has been worshiped by all the major Mesoamerican cultures including the Mayans and the Aztecs. Quetzalcoatl, or "Feathered Serpent," was an important god to the ancient people of Mesoamerica. Minster, Christopher. Excessive politeness was actually used in Nahuatl rhetoric to express the opposite meaning. Over the South presides the Blue Tezcatlipoca, Huitzilopochtli, the god of war. . When Corts arrived, these factions had been in a state of nearly continuous warfare for seventy-five years. Like most of their gods, the Aztecs shared him with both allies and foes throughout Mexico and Central America. The west is represented by Quetzalcoatl who is also the White Tezcatlipoca and the god of light, justice, mercy, and wind. 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. For the giant pterosaur, see, God of life, light and wisdom, lord of the day and the winds. This confederacy engaged in almost seventy-five years of nearly continuous conflict with the Aztec Empire of the Triple Alliance until the arrival of Corts. He drove the winds that brought rain and allowed plants to grow. In some traditions, he was considered to be the creator of mankind. Standing over ten feet tall, the statue towers over onlookers as she leans toward them. Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca may have been worshiped as early as 10,000 BC. In Aztec culture, this was considered to be one of the most important primal forces. 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. . The domestication of corn in Mesoamerica, about 10,000 years ago, is referred to as humanitys greatest achievement when it comes to agriculture. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order Archaeological sites in Mexico City have street addresses, not GPS coordinates, as sites tend to elsewhere. But even things of an extremely mundane nature like s. The Nahua largely spoke dialects of the same language, Nahuatl, which helped to unify their culture. In this period the deity is known to have been named Quetzalchutl by his Nahua followers. He is a powerful and benevolent dragon-type entity associated with harvests, wild animals, the morning star ( Venus ), wind and rain. The Origin of Hotdogs, The History of Boracay Island in The Philippines. Aztec ceremonies often lasted several days . Quetzalcoatl had aspects in which he functioned as other gods. [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. Often he is also represented as spider monkeys, ducks, and other animals or beings of nature. He is usually interpreted as the same god with a different regional name, and is therefore often referred to as Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl. In a version of the myth, Quetzalcoatl was born by a virgin named Chimalman, to whom the god Ometeotl appeared in a dream. There was one way that would certainly work, namely by letting it rain so abundantly that the snake simply drifted out of the cave. Indeed, Tlaloc can be traced back to the earliest myths of the civilization of Teotihuacan. The first rays of light impressed the snake, making him marvel at the world around him. He took his companion Xolotl, a dog-headed god, with him. 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. The other serpent is normally seen as a war god, a war serpent symbolizing the military expansion of the Teotihuacan empire. 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. 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. 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. (Restall 2001 p. 114)[full citation needed]. Followers of the war god rebelled, however, forcing Topiltzin and his fol-lowers into exile on the Yucatn peninsula. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Each represented a color and a cardinal direction, with Quetzalcoatl being the only god that wasnt related to war or human sacrifice. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. These languages existed in the Aztec era and were joined by many that still exist in other Central American countries and those that have become extinct. 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. Before he left, however, he promised to return. After a slapstick-style chase scene, Xavier winds up as the Sun God and commits "sacricide" (sacrificial suicide), ending the skit. 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. Ultimately, Quetzalcoatl was forced into exile. Quetzalcoatl was not only one of the most important deities in pre-Columbian Mexico, he was also one of the oldest. Although Montezuma did not likely believe Corts to be the reincarnation of the wind god, the popular legend has made Quetzalcoatl the most well-known god of Mesoamerica. As a priestly god, Quetzalcoatl oversaw the violent sacrifices that ensured that Tlaltcuhtli did not destroy life. Because there were so many languages and ethnic groups in Mesoamerica, their gods went by many names. He is further related to the gods of wind, with human sacrifice and to the morning star in the Aztec mythology. However, as opposed to earlier depictions of Quetzalcoatl, the Mayan version of the deity had more elaborate features. This is evident in the iconography recovered from these sites. The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in other traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice. The attributes of Quetzalcoatl varied in different cultures of Mesoamerica during different eras. [12] In the Postclassic period (9001519AD), the worship of the feathered-serpent deity centered in the primary Mexican religious center of Cholula. [30], He is also attributed with having brought the cacao plant from a sacred mountain to the Toltec people, teaching the women how to make traditional drinking chocolate.[31]. Quetzalcoatl, or "Feathered Serpent," was an important god to the ancient people of Mesoamerica. The History of Guns, Greek Mythology: Stories, Characters, Gods, and Culture, Aztec Mythology: Important Stories and Characters, Greek Gods and Goddesses: Family Tree and Fun Facts, Roman Gods and Goddesses: The Names and Stories of 29 Ancient Roman Gods, How Quetzalcoatl Created and Sustained Humans, How Quetzalcoatl Became Part of the Tezcatlipocas, Aztec and Maya Serpent Imagery of Quetzalcoatl, Water Gods and Sea Gods From Around the World, Sun Gods: Ancient Solar Deities From Around the World, 10 Gods of Death and the Underworld From Around the World, Herne the Hunter: Spirit of Windsor Forest, Sif: The Golden-Haired Goddess of the Norse, iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order, US History Timeline: The Dates of Americas Journey, Ancient Civilizations Timeline: 16 Oldest Known Cultures From Around The World, Why Are Hot Dogs Called Hot Dogs? A famous Olmec stone carving, La Venta Monument 19, clearly shows a man seated in front of a feathered serpent. [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]. When Cortes and his crew of Spaniards came ashore in Mexico in 1519, many thought they were gods. 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]. 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). 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 it, Montezuma welcomed the foreigner to take his throne which I have briefly kept for you.. 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. This didnt help a lot to overcome their cruel intentions, however. Why is that? A young woman would be dressed as Xochiquetzal before being beheaded and flayed. In another, they worked together to tear apart a monster called Tlaltcuhtli and create the land and its features from her body. From ancient snake gods to Spanish legends, heres everything you need to know about the most famous god of the Aztecs! By the 3rd century AD this was recognizable as a god, who had a pyramid dedicated to his honor in the city of Teotihuacn. Well, look no further, because Quetzalcoatl is your guy. [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. 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. He was a creator deity having contributed essentially to the creation of mankind. Others said that he had invented the calendar and books. Quetzelcoatl also appeared on (Season 3) of the Animal Planet mockumentary Lost Tapes in an episode entitled "Q the Serpent God". Quetzalcoatl is thus not only an Aztec god. Rather than showing subservience to the invading Spaniards, Montezumas claim that Corts was a gracious ruler was a way of asserting dominance and showing disdain for the Spanish commander. The four suns before Quetzalcoatl had been destroyed by disastrous events, like floods, fires, and volcanic eruptions. Quetzalcoatl was associated with the wind-god Ehecatl and is often depicted with his insignia: a beak-like mask. Quetzalcoatl wasnt all that happy with it, however. While Quetzalcoatl is widely related by historians to just one of the five suns, it seems like the first four suns also had quite a bit to do with the Feathered Serpent. As shown by his spiral jewel, Quetzalcoatl was a god of wind. Quetzalcoatl is not a religious symbol in the Latter-day Saint faith, and is not taught as such, nor is it in their doctrine that Quetzalcoatl is Jesus. Its more likely that Montezuma saw the Spanish not as enemies but as possible allies in his ongoing campaign to enlarge his empire. As a god of wind, Quetzalcoatl was also an important fertility deity. 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. Mason-Dixon Line Known as the Ehecailacozcatl, its swirling design represents the wind. Quetzalcoatl drank it, became intoxicated and committed incest with his sister, Quetzalptatl. Evidence of such worship comes from the iconography of different Mesoamerican cultures, in which serpent motifs occur frequently. The worship of Miclantecuhtli was ongoing with the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. The meaning of his name is "Winged Serpent" or "Feathered Serpent". Cholula had been captured by pro-Aztec forces. 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. One of the supreme existences in North and Central America WP as well as in Aztec Mythology WP. In fact, it is a deep cultural symbol that is intrinsic to daily life. Table of Contents [ hide] Etymology and Archaeology With great respect and awe. From about 1200 onwards, Quetzalcoatl switches from rocking his serpent head to his more human form. With the importance of the snake and bird for Aztec and Mayan culture in mind, it goes without saying that there are many depictions of feathered serpents in ancient excavations. In some versions of the ancient Mesoamerican histories, Quetzalcoatl was reborn as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli after being burned on a funeral pyre. The importance of Quetzalcoatl in the Aztec civilization is, too, emphasized by his relationship with the priests of the empire. As a wind god, he was also responsible for making the rain fall. Quetzalcoatl by himself was a god of many things to the Toltecs and Aztecs. Over the East presides the Red Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, the god of gold, farming and springtime. This made crops grow and brought water for drinking. In one myth tied to this belief, the two killed a great monster and used its body to craft the world. He was also associated with the creation of mankind, so he also possibly occupied the role of creator in the Aztec mythology. After only a couple of years, the Aztec empire ended due to a combination of foreign diseases and diplomacy. Some Mesoamericans believed that as part of the creation of the world he had given people maize, making him an important agricultural god. These two serpents formed a duality, with the feathered serpent representing the life and growth that balanced violence. Indeed, Quetzalcoatl was born. One of his most defining attributes, however, is his breastplate. In his aspect as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, he was the fearsome god of Venus and the morning star. Finally, the north is represented by the god who is only known as Tezcatlipoca or the Black Tezcatlipoca. Rise early to appreciate the magnificence of her rising, and try to spend some time soaking up her warmth whenever you can. The Toltecs and Nahuas worshiped the god before he was eventually adopted by the Aztecs. 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? This idea of return stemmed from a supposed speech given by Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, to Corts when the Spanish arrived at Tenochtitlan. His appearance can change drastically, however, depending on the region, era, and context. Quetzalcoatl became linked with the maize crop thanks to ancient legends. Dated to around 900 BC, it depicts a serpent rising up behind a person probably engaged in a shamanic ritual. There is no surviving account of this myth in native sources, however. 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. And when the wind rose, when the dust rumbled, and it crack and there was a great din, became it became dark and the wind blew in many directions, and it thundered; then it was said: "[Quetzalcoatl] is wrathful. There are three different ways you can cite this article. 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. [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]. To both Teotihuacan and Maya cultures, Venus was in turn also symbolically connected with warfare.[21]. By adding a bit of his own blood, he allowed a new civilization to emerge. Ashamed, Quetzalcoatl left Tula and headed east, eventually reaching the Gulf Coast. And when their march inland took them to the Aztec emperor's doorstep . Aztec God Quetzalcoatl According to one myth, Quetzalcoatl was born to a virgin called Chimalman to whom god Onteol appeared in a dream. [7] Animals thought to represent Quetzalcoatl include resplendent quetzals, rattlesnakes (coatl meaning "serpent" in Nahuatl), crows, and macaws. 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. [need quotation to verify] Codex drawings pictured both Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl wearing an ehcaczcatl around the neck. One legend claimed that the star was Quetzalcoatls heart, placed in the sky after he burned himself alive out of shame for neglecting his duties. In Mesoamerican history, many different ethnopolitical groups worshiped a feathered-serpent deity. 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. "9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl." (2020, August 28). Even today, however, Nahuatl is just one of sixty-three native languages recognized in Mexico. Quetzalcoatl is the creator of all people and the giver of wisdom, corn, and the calendar. The Aztecs eventually called Quetzalcoatl for help. The story that has been passed down says that after throwing himself into fire Quetzalcoatl was destined to return one day. However, later sources uncover that already a year before him a similar figure dwelled in the lands of the Aztec territory. 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. While drunk, Quetzalcoatl seduced his sister, a celibate priestess. He is also a god of learning, reading, and books. The first documented worship of Quetzalcoatl is found in Theotihuacan during the first century BC or first century AD. [45][46] The deity has been featured as a character in the manga and anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! Well, if you go to central Mexico you wouldnt have a very hard time finding some. In the episode "Damnesia You," Xavier winds up in the Aztec world and is immediately (and unsuccessfully) sacrificed for insulting the Sun God, and during the sacrifice the Aztecs humorously fail to pronounce his name. Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. As mentioned before, the god Tlaloc is believed to have helped to create 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. According to this myth, the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, one of them being Quetzalcoatl, represent the four cardinal directions. Getting the snake out of the cave had been Tlalocs only objective for months on end. Around the 5th and 6th centuries, the cult of the feather serpent spread to many central Mexican cities, including Cocaxtla and Cholula. While the inhabitants of Teotihuacan were the first ones to worship Quetzalcoatl, the Aztecs reinterpreted him over time. Toltec religion. Mainly because they thought one of them was the reincarnation of the beloved god discussed in this article. 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 . Auh yn jquac molhuja eheca, mjtoa: teuhtli quaqualaca, ycoioca, tetecujca, tlatlaiooa, tlatlapitza, tlatlatzinj, motlatlaueltia. 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. 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. Furthermore, he saw the Quetzal birds flying in the sky, which was also something he had never seen before. [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. Each of these four sons presides over one of the four cardinal directions. Accessed March 1, 2023. 3. 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. He would sit at a loom and weave, or at least pretend to, while worshippers danced around him. The temple can be found at Teotihuacan and was erected in the third century. The first images of a similar feathered serpent date back to 900 BC, over two thousand years before the Aztecs came to dominate 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. 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.