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. Ehecatl In some Aztec areas, such as Tenochtitlan, this was another wind god with nearly identical iconography to Quetzalcoatl. Minster, Christopher. Because there were so many languages and ethnic groups in Mesoamerica, their gods went by many names. [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. The Aztecs, however, were only a small segment of the regions people. It is said that he is called the god of wind, spirit of rain, the god of culture, and the . All but one. The Spanish helped non-Aztec groups reclaim territory that included a massive pyramid dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. The importance of Quetzalcoatl in the Aztec civilization is, too, emphasized by his relationship with the priests of the empire. The most astonishing aspect of their worship, at least to the Spaniards, was their habit of human sacrifice . In the post-classic Nahua civilization of central Mexico (Aztec), the worship of Quetzalcoatl was ubiquitous. He would submerge himself in a highly flammable substance and set himself on fire, granting himself a place amongst the stars. 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. [24] In another story, the virgin Chimalman conceived Quetzalcoatl by swallowing an emerald. There is no surviving account of this myth in native sources, however. Because of this, the ways in which he was worshipped varied widely. Most Mesoamerican beliefs included cycles of suns. But still, how could that ever be the case? 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., -Bernadino de Sahagn, Florentine Codex: General History of the Things of New Spain. 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. He also encouraged them to worship a different god, Quetzalcoatl (kehtsahlkoh AHT uhl), or the Feathered Serpent. 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. In the underworld, Quetzalcoatl went all the way to Mictln; the lowest region of the Aztec underworld. [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. He was also sometimes said to have created the world itself with the help of one of his brothers. This idea of return stemmed from a supposed speech given by Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, to Corts when the Spanish arrived at Tenochtitlan. Tlaloc we already know. This view has been questioned by ethno-historians who argue that the Quetzalcoatl-Corts connection is not found in any document that was created independently of post-Conquest Spanish influence, and that there is little proof of a pre-Hispanic belief in Quetzalcoatl's return. 9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl. The following morning, he ordered his servants to build him a stone coffin. 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. Quetzalcoatl stole the bones from the Underworld, taking great risks and evading many traps to bring them to the surface. This article is about a Mesoamerican deity. In a version of the myth, Quetzalcoatl was born by a virgin named Chimalman, to whom the god Ometeotl appeared in a dream. Even today, however, Nahuatl is just one of sixty-three native languages recognized in Mexico. As a god of wind, Quetzalcoatl was also an important fertility deity. 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. Minster, Christopher. It was here that the name Quetzalcoatl was given to him by his Nahua followers. Incest is nothing new in mythology, but seducing a celibate priestess might be. Quetzalcoatl was not only one of the most important deities in pre-Columbian Mexico, he was also one of the oldest. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. 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. 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. 3. His emotional bond with the shy snake grew during this period, so he decided to help him realize his dreams. Of these, Quetzalcoatl was the Sun in the second cycle. Quetzalcoatl is a form of one of Mesoamericas most wide-spread images. At temples such as the aptly named "Quetzalcoatl temple" in the Ciudadela complex, feathered serpents figure prominently and alternate with a different kind of serpent head. The cult even spread down into the Maya lands. Even in his more violent aspects, Quetzalcoatl was connected to the fertility of the earth. Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. Where once feathered snakes were worshiped all over, after the Spanish conquest the locals were forced into worshiping Jesus Christ. [18][need quotation to verify]. https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-quetzalcoatl-2136322 (accessed March 2, 2023). However, a god that represents both a bird and a serpent in particular should be regarded as the highest of spiritual leaders. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. Two other gods represented by the planet Venus are Tlaloc (ally and the god of rain) and Xolotl (psychopomp and its twin). 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. Although early images had shown a serpent, by the classical period of Aztec culture Quetzalcoatl was more often shown with a human body. While at first a fully zoomorphic feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl would later be represented in his human form. In mythology, he is a gentle god who loves peace, and it is said that he bestowed many blessings to the humans. As the story goes, the Aztec believed in a white, bearded god named Quetzalcoatl, who, long ago, had disappeared into the east. Mainly because they thought one of them was the reincarnation of the beloved god discussed in this article. Christopher Minster, Ph.D., is a professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. Ruler of the, Nicholson 2001, Carrasco 1982, Gillespie 1989, Florescano 2002, Lafaye 1987, Townsend 2003, Martnez 1980, Phelan 1970. Mayans had deities with feathered serpent as their names. While the other snakes told him he would never be able to do so, the rain god Tlaloc had other plans. Franciscans then equated the original Quetzalcoatl with Thomas and imagined that the Indians had long-awaited his return to take part once again in God's kingdom. [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]. [9] In Mazatec legends the astrologer deity Tlahuizcalpanteuctli, who is also represented by Venus, bears a close relationship with Quetzalcoatl. Historians debate to what degree, or whether at all, these narratives about this legendary Toltec ruler describe historical events. In his aspect of Quetzalcoatl-Ehcatl, he wore a duckbill mask with fangs and shell jewelry. The major worship of this god as Quetzalcoatl began in 700 . The Toltecs and Nahuas worshiped the god before he was eventually adopted by the Aztecs. By Quetzalcoatl was a god for many ancient . 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. 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. Thats quite a big deal, because for the people in ancient Mexico, maize, or corn, is not just a crop. The Nahua largely spoke dialects of the same language, Nahuatl, which helped to unify their culture. 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. Or rather, arrived again. The invaders looked an awful lot like these late depictions. Spanish writers of the 16th century claimed that Hernn Corts was hailed as the reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl when he arrived in Mexico in 1519. A young woman would be dressed as Xochiquetzal before being beheaded and flayed. However, this legend likely has a foundation in events that took place immediately prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first document in Teotihuacan in the first century BCE or first century CE. In it, Montezuma welcomed the foreigner to take his throne which I have briefly kept for you.. Having been in awe of the sun and its light, the snake decided to fly toward the sun. He drove the winds that brought rain and allowed plants to grow. He was a god of wind, culture, knowledge, and creation. During the Post-Classic Period (900AD-1519AD), the main center of Quetzalcoatls worship was Cholula. At the end of the fourth cycle, when mankind had perished again according to the mythology, Quetzalcoatl created a new people with his blood. 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. The Toltecs and Nahuas worshiped the god before he was eventually adopted by the Aztecs. It allows for a form of food security, and therefore for peace, and as a result, has taken on not only physical and economic importance but spiritual significance as well. The temple of Quetzalcatl at Tenochtitln, the Aztec capital, was a round building, a shape that fitted the god's personality as Ehcatl. The first documented worship of Quetzalcoatl is found in Theotihuacan during the first century BC or first century AD. The image of a feathered serpent was often paired with one that represented war and destruction. Quetzalcoatl appears in many ancient Mesoamerican codices, sculptures and reliefs. 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. Quetzalcoatl was so closely linked to fertility and creation that many groups held him to be the creator of mankind. Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death and the principle god of the underworld. There are three different ways you can cite this article. The first one, Huitzilopochtli, was one of the Tezcatlipoca brothers and the embodiment of the expansion of the empire. Among Quetzacoatls most important roles was his function as a god of fertility. What are the facts associated with this mysterious god? In one myth tied to this belief, the two killed a great monster and used its body to craft the world. 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. To create humans, Quetzalcoatl had to go into the Underworld and collect some bones. It starts with Tlaloc, the Aztec god of rain. Indeed, Quetzalcoatl was born. Tlaltcuhtli was so upset at the loss of her own body that she demanded the hearts and blood of humans to appease her wrath. 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. 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. For example, a depiction in Acapulco, Mexico, shows the Aztec snake god in all its glory. Although little is known about the specific ways in which he was revered, some historians believe that the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms and other intoxicants may have played a large role. He appears in Post-classic tales from the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec cultures. Quetzelcoatl also appeared on (Season 3) of the Animal Planet mockumentary Lost Tapes in an episode entitled "Q the Serpent God". Along with one of his brothers, he was instructed by his parents to create the world six hundred years after his birth. Quetzalcoatl by himself was a god of many things to the Toltecs and Aztecs. 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.. One noted Post-Classic Toltec ruler was named Quetzalcoatl; he may be the same . 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. How old is the United States of America? In Aztec culture, this was considered to be one of the most important primal forces. The city was known as the center of Quetzalcoatls worship. 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? [5] It was one of several important gods in the Aztec pantheon, along with the gods Tlaloc, Tezcatlipoca and Huitzilopochtli. It shows the first signs of a feathered serpent cult amongst ancient civilizations of the region. Quetzalcoatl is thus not only an Aztec god. Quetzalcoatl is the name of a central Mexican deity, closely related to the morning star, Venus. The two priests came to their position after living an exemplary life, with pure and compassionate hearts. Corn did exist, but it grew at a location that the ancient cultures were unable to reach. related to the belief in a sky-, Venus-, creator-, war- and fertility-related serpent deity. 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. Quetzalcoatl wasnt all that happy with it, however. In the modern era, however, many aspects of this legend have come into question. In yet another version, Quetzalcoatl is said to be one of the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl. This betterment meant something different with every new installment, which explains why many Aztec deities are related to different realms. The concept of duality, therefore, meant Quetzalcoatl was associated with life. In their mythology, the world was periodically destroyed and rebuilt by the gods. While not usually feathered, classic Maya serpent iconography seems[original research?] Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and means "feathered serpent". 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. To both Teotihuacan and Maya cultures, Venus was in turn also symbolically connected with warfare.[21]. 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. This is evident in the iconography recovered from these sites. He is a powerful and benevolent dragon-type entity associated with harvests, wild animals, the morning star ( Venus ), wind and rain. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. But even things of an extremely mundane nature like s. [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]. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gods of Death (Restall 2001 p. 114)[full citation needed]. It is believed by the Aztec religion expert that the deity arose from the combination of the historical leader, Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, and a Mesoamerican god. His ashes rose into the sky and then his heart followed, becoming the morning star (see Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli). [41] However, in 1892 one president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, John Taylor, wrote:[42]. Because of this, the latest reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl would come to earth to do exactly that. They inhabited the top of the Great Pyramid dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc. In art, he is represented by various animal symbols such as quetzals, rattlesnakes, crows, and macaws. Mexico's flagship airline Aeromxico has a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner painted in a special Quetzalcoatl livery. 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. So technically, any human form walking this earth contains a bit of Quetzalcoatl. 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. However, at the end of the second cycle, mankind became like monkeys and so Quetzalcoatl blew up the whole of mankind. With her arms bent and pulled up against her sides as if to strike, she is . Drunkenness was forbidden, so Tezcatlipoca disguised himself as a medicine man and offered Quetzalcoatl alcohol disguised as a medicinal potion. 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. From here, he would be seen as the morning star, while his twin brother would be seen as the evening star; planet Venus. ThoughtCo. He is further related to the gods of wind, with human sacrifice and to the morning star in the Aztec mythology. Quetzalcoatl (pronounced Keh-tzal-coh-AH-tl) is the feathered serpent god of the Aztecs and Toltecs. Alternatively, he left willingly on a raft of snakes, promising to return. 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. It is not a coincidence that Quetzalcoatl is just as often referred to as the Feathered Serpent by his worshipers and historians. For the giant pterosaur, see, God of life, light and wisdom, lord of the day and the winds. Dated to around 900 BC, it depicts a serpent rising up behind a person probably engaged in a shamanic ritual. Ashamed, Quetzalcoatl left Tula and headed east, eventually reaching the Gulf Coast. The eclipse that was caused by the birth of Quetzalcoatl is believed to be the fifth eclipse to ever happen. Quetzalcoatl is but one of the Aztec gods and goddesses that has animal-like characteristics. Over time, Quetzalcoatl's appearance, clothing, malevolent nature, and status among the gods were reshaped to fit a more Christian framework. While other gods had relied on brute force for reaching the other side, Quetzalcoatl relied on intelligence in order to reach the maize. [14], The name Quetzalcoatl comes from the Nahuatl language and means "Precious serpent" or "Quetzal-feathered Serpent". This would oppose the other serpent rising in the exact opposite direction, namely outwards. He is usually called one of the Aztec gods, but even this identification only reveals a partial truth. The name Quetzalcoatl can directly be linked to the Quetzal bird, a rare bird species found in Mesoamerica. 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