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". 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. 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. The city of Cholula, in particular, was known for the importance it laid on the deity of the feathered serpent. [24] A fourth story narrates that Quetzalcoatl was born from Coatlicue, who already had four hundred children who formed the stars of the Milky Way. 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. This didnt help a lot to overcome their cruel intentions, however. The Toltecs and Nahuas worshiped the god before he was eventually adopted by the Aztecs. 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. (2020, August 28). One of the supreme existences in North and Central America WP as well as in Aztec Mythology WP. Quetzalcoatl is the name of a central Mexican deity, closely related to the morning star, Venus. Table of Contents [ hide] Etymology and Archaeology This idea of return stemmed from a supposed speech given by Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, to Corts when the Spanish arrived at Tenochtitlan. Quetzalcoatl is a form of one of Mesoamericas most wide-spread images. In Tenochtitlan, Quezelcoatls name was used as a priestly title. Over more than a thousand years, a similar god was worshipped by virtually every one of Mesoamericas related cultures. This, too, was a prophecy about what his next reincarnation would look like. Over the East presides the Red Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, the god of gold, farming and springtime. Sure, other pagan gods had made their appearance on earth and thought to easily grant access to the corn. Quetzalcoatl, or "Feathered Serpent," was an important god to the ancient people of Mesoamerica. [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]. [11] That period lies within the Late Preclassic to Early Classic period (400 BC 600 AD) of Mesoamerican chronology; veneration of the figure appears to have spread throughout Mesoamerica by the Late Classic period (600900AD). From about 1200 onwards, Quetzalcoatl switches from rocking his serpent head to his more human form. By adding a bit of his own blood, he allowed a new civilization to emerge. Cortes continued to play the role of Quetzalcoatl for many years and eventually impacted others to convert. 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. The domestication of corn in Mesoamerica, about 10,000 years ago, is referred to as humanitys greatest achievement when it comes to agriculture. Over time, Quetzalcoatl's appearance, clothing, malevolent nature, and status among the gods were reshaped to fit a more Christian framework. 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. Since the sixteenth century, it has been widely held that the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II initially believed the landing of Hernn Corts in 1519 to be Quetzalcoatl's return. Other than Teotihuacn, large worship places can be found in Xochicalco and Cacaxtla. Tlaloc we already know. 3. Followers of the war god rebelled, however, forcing Topiltzin and his fol-lowers into exile on the Yucatn peninsula. 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. The Toltec people, who the Aztecs considered to be their ancestors, used Quetzalcoatl as a title for military and political rulers. 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. 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. 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. 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? Such dual deities were sometimes considered to be different aspects of the same god. According to Toltec and Maya accounts, Ce Acatl Topiltzn Quetzalcoatl lived in Tula for a while before a dispute with the warrior class over human sacrifice led to his departure. 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. Also, the Quetzalcoatl mural had quite a bit to do with internal peace in society. It was also the patron god of the Aztec priesthood. He is a powerful and benevolent dragon-type entity associated with harvests, wild animals, the morning star ( Venus ), wind and rain. In these instances, he is often seen wearing a lot of jewelry and some form of a hat. He would submerge himself in a highly flammable substance and set himself on fire, granting himself a place amongst the stars. Different cultures associated him with priesthood and kingship, further complicating his mythology in later retellings. Quetzalcoatl stole the bones from the Underworld, taking great risks and evading many traps to bring them to the surface. Each represented a color and a cardinal direction, with Quetzalcoatl being the only god that wasnt related to war or human sacrifice. 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. Indeed, it turned out that this was the only viable option since the snake wasnt planning on moving for other reasons. Toltec religion. Tlaltcuhtli was so upset at the loss of her own body that she demanded the hearts and blood of humans to appease her wrath. Rise early to appreciate the magnificence of her rising, and try to spend some time soaking up her warmth whenever you can. Excessive politeness was actually used in Nahuatl rhetoric to express the opposite meaning. From ancient snake gods to Spanish legends, heres everything you need to know about the most famous god of the Aztecs! Are you still looking for a being that caused a solar eclipse? 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. Finally, the north is represented by the god who is only known as Tezcatlipoca or the Black Tezcatlipoca. They therefore claimed that Quetzalcoatl was the Aztec name for Thomas the Apostle and that the naive natives believed that he, like Christ, would one day return to finish converting them to Christianity. Quetzalcoatl is closely associated with the myth of the four cardinal directions. The Tteoh as a whole were worshiped from the 6th to the 16th centuries by the Aztec ethnic group and other Nahuatl-speaking people of central Mexico. The Aztecs werent a big fan of chronological order and shook up the world of the gods. He used his own blood from wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the bones and create mankind. Minster, Christopher. 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. 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. It is said that he is called the god of wind, spirit of rain, the god of culture, and the . 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, as opposed to earlier depictions of Quetzalcoatl, the Mayan version of the deity had more elaborate features. Mesoamerican deities often functioned in duality. Among the Aztecs, it was related to wind, Venus, Sun, merchants, arts, crafts, knowledge, and learning. Don't fly too close to the sun or sit under her rays unprotected for too long. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. What a conundrum. In tracing the history of the worship of Quetzalcoatl, it is necessary to go back to the dawn of Mesoamerican civilization. Similarly, various other birth stories are also associated with Quetzalcoatl. As a god of wind, Quetzalcoatl was also an important fertility deity. In one myth tied to this belief, the two killed a great monster and used its body to craft the world. When Cortes and his crew of Spaniards came ashore in Mexico in 1519, many thought they were gods. Xolotl was the sinister god of monstrosities who wears the spirally-twisted wind jewel and the ear ornaments of Quetzalcoatl. That is, according to the Aztecs. The pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus was named after the deity. This, too, can be seen in the birth of Quetzalcoatl. This constitutes the Late Pre-Classic Period of the Mayan civilization. What did Quetzalcoatl teach? Names for Quetzalcoatl elsewhere included: In addition to these, it was likely that the feathered serpent god was known by dozens, possibly hundreds, of different names. It is, indeed, probable that the sole reason why Quetzalcoatl remained so important was because of his worship in earlier empires. Evidence of such worship comes from the iconography of different Mesoamerican cultures, in which serpent motifs occur frequently. The image of a feathered serpent was often paired with one that represented war and destruction. Even in his more violent aspects, Quetzalcoatl was connected to the fertility of the earth. Some legends describe him as opposed to human sacrifice[26] while others describe him practicing it.[27][28]. Quetzalcoatl has been worshiped by all the major Mesoamerican cultures including the Mayans and the Aztecs. [13] Furthermore, early Spanish sources written by clerics tend to identify the god-ruler Quetzalcoatl of these narratives with either Hernn Corts or Thomas the Apostleidentifications which have also become sources of a diversity of opinions about the nature of Quetzalcoatl. 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. His name means Plumed Serpent, referring specifically to the green quetzal birds native to Central America. 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. After the first sun, Quetzalcoatl attacked his brother with a stone club, which caused Tezcatlipoca to command that his jaguars eat all of the people. https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-quetzalcoatl-2136322 (accessed March 2, 2023). [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. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order Quetzelcoatl also appeared on (Season 3) of the Animal Planet mockumentary Lost Tapes in an episode entitled "Q the Serpent God". Quetzalcoatl is the creator of all people and the giver of wisdom, corn, and the calendar. The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in other traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice.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. Quetzalcoatl is but one of the Aztec gods and goddesses that has animal-like characteristics. Although early images had shown a serpent, by the classical period of Aztec culture Quetzalcoatl was more often shown with a human body. 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. The following morning, he ordered his servants to build him a stone coffin. Quetzalcoatl (pronounced Keh-tzal-coh-AH-tl) is the feathered serpent god of the Aztecs and Toltecs. Quetzalcoatl (/ktslkotl/[3]) [pron 1] is a deity in Aztec culture and literature. Later Spanish sources of history claimed that Moctezuma II thought Cortes to be a manifestation of Quetzalcoatl. Remember, he has already been deemed a god. Quetzalcoatl was many things: (1) a historical personage - a great priest-king and religious reformer who lived in approximately the tenth century A.D. The Aztec confederacy was opposed by other Nahua groups to the east. As shown by his spiral jewel, Quetzalcoatl was a god of wind. Ququmatz Also written as Gukumatz, this name belonged to the Kiche Maya. Because, if they did include human sacrifice, basically a part of Quetzalcoatl himself would be killed in order to honor him. In this period the deity is known to have been named Quetzalchutl by his Nahua followers. Temple of Ehcatl-Quetzalcoatl. [8] In his form as the morning star, Venus, he is also depicted as a harpy eagle. Known as the Ehecailacozcatl, its swirling design represents the wind. [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. He is also a god of learning, reading, and books. In Aztec culture, depictions of Quetzalcoatl were fully anthropomorphic. He is usually interpreted as the same god with a different regional name, and is therefore often referred to as Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl. 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. 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. How old is the United States of America? Tlaloc blew the snake into the air, to a point where he was higher than the birds. Dated to around 900 BC, it depicts a serpent rising up behind a person probably engaged in a shamanic ritual. After the eclipse of the fourth sun, Quetzalcoatl would go on a trip to the underworld. Mayans had deities with feathered serpent as their names. Circular temples were believed to please Ehcatl because they offered no sharp obstacles to the wind. Human worship. [need quotation to verify] Codex drawings pictured both Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl wearing an ehcaczcatl around the neck. 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. What is often called the Aztec Empire was a confederation of three city-states, established in the 14th and 15th centuries. Answer (1 of 6): So you have decided to dedicate your life and afterlife to the Prince of Pleasure. However, each and every god had failed terribly in doing so. . But, remember, the promise of Quetzalcoatl was to bring heaven to the beings that were living in hell. However, independent historical sources do not substantiate this claim and later historians have disputed it as well. In some versions of the ancient Mesoamerican histories, Quetzalcoatl was reborn as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli after being burned on a funeral pyre. 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. Spanish legends, heres everything you need to know about the most famous god of wind spirit! 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