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. 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. So Quetzalcoatl is named after the thing he looks like, a feathered serpent deity. 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. The worship of Quetzalcoatl is wide-reaching, has a rich history, and exemplifies the complex world of Aztec mythology. 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]. 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. Why is that? He would submerge himself in a highly flammable substance and set himself on fire, granting himself a place amongst the stars. Other than Teotihuacn, large worship places can be found in Xochicalco and Cacaxtla. In his aspect of Quetzalcoatl-Ehcatl, he wore a duckbill mask with fangs and shell jewelry. This is evident in the iconography recovered from these sites. 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. Whether Quetzalcoatl would return was out of the question. Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican god whose name literally means feathered serpent. But the history of the former has been handed down to us through an impure Lamanitish source, which has sadly disfigured and perverted the original incidents and teachings of the Savior's life and ministry. It was also the patron god of the Aztec priesthood. and they were greatly influential on all subsequent ones. His ashes rose into the sky and then his heart followed, becoming the morning star (see Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli). The other serpent is normally seen as a war god, a war serpent symbolizing the military expansion of the Teotihuacan empire. Getting the snake out of the cave had been Tlalocs only objective for months on end. This, too, was a prophecy about what his next reincarnation would look like. It shows the first signs of a feathered serpent cult amongst ancient civilizations of the region. The cult even spread down into the Maya lands. Some said that before this he had helped to create the world itself. He wouldnt become the new Aztec ruler, however. 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. This idea of return stemmed from a supposed speech given by Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, to Corts when the Spanish arrived at Tenochtitlan. In a version of the myth, Quetzalcoatl was born by a virgin named Chimalman, to whom the god Ometeotl appeared in a dream. Quetzalcoatl was the Aztec version of this plumed snake archetype. Alternatively, he left willingly on a raft of snakes, promising to return. Colonial documentary sources from the Maya area frequently speak of the arrival of foreigners from the central Mexican plateau, often led by a man whose name translates as "Feathered Serpent". 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. [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. Because the feathered serpent was such a widespread and long-lasting archetype, he was known by many names throughout Mexico and Central America. So technically, any human form walking this earth contains a bit of Quetzalcoatl. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. What are the facts associated with this mysterious god? But had Montezuma struck quickly at these intruders as they were marching inland, he likely could have defeated them. How old is the United States of America? The Toltecs and Nahuas worshiped the god before he was eventually adopted by the Aztecs. The Toltecs and Nahuas worshiped the god before he was eventually adopted by the Aztecs. 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. 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. 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. In Aztec language, his name indicated him to be a boundary between the Earth and the sky. In Mesoamerican history, many different ethnopolitical groups worshiped a feathered-serpent deity. After a slapstick-style chase scene, Xavier winds up as the Sun God and commits "sacricide" (sacrificial suicide), ending the skit. Along with one of his brothers, he was instructed by his parents to create the world six hundred years after his birth. [22], To the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl was, as his name indicates, a feathered serpent. Table of Contents [ hide] Etymology and Archaeology [19] The most important center was Cholula, where the world's largest pyramid was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl-worship. Of these, Quetzalcoatl was the Sun in the second cycle. However, at the end of the second cycle, mankind became like monkeys and so Quetzalcoatl blew up the whole of mankind. While not usually feathered, classic Maya serpent iconography seems[original research?] Did the Incas worship Quetzalcoatl? The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in other traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice. . [37] This speech, which has been widely referred to, has been a factor in the widespread belief that Moctezuma was addressing Corts as the returning god Quetzalcoatl. Although the citys main temple was not dedicated to him, the priests of the city took his name and his iconography was prevalent. Looking at the iconography and retold myths of Mesoamerica, some historians have theories that Quetzalcoatl came to be associated with culture and urban civilization. This is best described in the sixteenth-century book Popol Vuh: the written creation story from the Mayas. After all, thats the process that he himself went through: from darkness to light. In Tenochtitlan, Quezelcoatls name was used as a priestly title. [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. Amazed by the grace and beauty of the birds, the snake decided his destiny was to fly like them. This, too, meant the end of the god Quetzalcoatl. [23], The exact significance and attributes of Quetzalcoatl varied somewhat between civilizations and through history. In some stories he created mankind, and in others he worked with his brother to form the earth itself. . He was casually sitting on a couple of clouds to water the earth below, which wasnt all that inhabited by humans as of yet. During the epi-classic period, a dramatic spread of feathered serpent iconography is evidenced throughout Mesoamerica, and during this period images begin to figure prominently at sites such as Chichn Itz, El Tajn, and throughout the Maya area. Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. Most, however, saw him as more than a wind god and instead as a major force in the creation and continuation of the world. Or rather, arrived again. likely used for curing rituals and private worship. Cholula had been captured by pro-Aztec forces. 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. 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. In the Mesoamerican Epiclassic Period (900-1200 A.D.), worship of Quetzalcoatl took off. "9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl." In sculptures adorning temples throughout ancient Mexico, he generally appeared as a plumed serpent, although sometimes he had human features as well. 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? At the end of the fourth cycle, when mankind had perished again according to the mythology, Quetzalcoatl created a new people with his blood. Mesoamerican deities often functioned in duality. This article is about a Mesoamerican deity. [12] In the Postclassic period (9001519AD), the worship of the feathered-serpent deity centered in the primary Mexican religious center of Cholula. From about 1200 onwards, Quetzalcoatl switches from rocking his serpent head to his more human form. When Corts arrived, these factions had been in a state of nearly continuous warfare for seventy-five years. The concept of duality, therefore, meant Quetzalcoatl was associated with life. 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. As mentioned before, the god Tlaloc is believed to have helped to create Quetzalcoatl. Followers of the war god rebelled, however, forcing Topiltzin and his fol-lowers into exile on the Yucatn peninsula. Aztec God Quetzalcoatl According to one myth, Quetzalcoatl was born to a virgin called Chimalman to whom god Onteol appeared in a dream. Ultimately, Quetzalcoatl was forced into exile. [24] In another story, the virgin Chimalman conceived Quetzalcoatl by swallowing an emerald. Montezuma king of the aztecs during the era had even confirmed that Cortes was Quetzalcoatl or a reincarnation of their deity. The importance of Quetzalcoatl in the Aztec civilization is, too, emphasized by his relationship with the priests of the empire. Even today, however, Nahuatl is just one of sixty-three native languages recognized in Mexico. 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. In fact, the then-current king himself, Moteuhzoma II, prophesied the return of Quetzalcoatl as a white-bearded person even if it would mean that hed have to give up his place on the throne. Well, look no further, because Quetzalcoatl is your guy. Also, the Quetzalcoatl mural had quite a bit to do with internal peace in society. . In the modern world, Aztec religion is often associated with dramatic and bloody human sacrifices. Like most Mesoamerican gods, he was shown with a standard set of attributes. [12] Feathered-serpent iconography is prominent at all of these sites. Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death and the principle god of the underworld. 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 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 . A wide range of maize crops are still eaten to this date, both by the Mexicans that have adopted many of the European habits, and the remaining Indigenous peoples of central Mexico. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. The famous Pyramid of the Niches at El Tajin is believed by many to be dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, and the many ball courts there also suggest that his cult was important. 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. The attributes of Quetzalcoatl varied in different cultures of Mesoamerica during different eras. That is, according to the Aztecs. 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