In his aspect as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, he was the fearsome god of Venus and the morning star. To create humans, Quetzalcoatl had to go into the Underworld and collect some bones. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Before he left, however, he promised to return. Quetzalcoatl wasnt all that happy with it, however. 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. To this day, new depictions of the creator deity can be found in Mexico. 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. It was not just a populist idea that gained interest in Aztec society. The south is represented by Huitzilopochtli who is the Blue Tezcatlipoca and the god of war. 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 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. Round monuments occur particularly often in Huastec territory. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order Because the feathered serpent was such a widespread and long-lasting archetype, he was known by many names throughout Mexico and Central America. "9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl." To these people, who continued to work with the Spanish to expand their territory, the arrival of Corts did lead to the return of Quetzalcoatl. On the basis of the different symbolic systems used in portrayals of the feathered-serpent deity in different cultures and periods, scholars have interpreted the religious and symbolic meaning of the feathered-serpent deity in Mesoamerican cultures. Alternatively, he left willingly on a raft of snakes, promising to return. Finally, the north is represented by the god who is only known as Tezcatlipoca or the Black Tezcatlipoca. He appears in Post-classic tales from the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec cultures. Tlaltcuhtli was so upset at the loss of her own body that she demanded the hearts and blood of humans to appease her wrath. Ququmatz Also written as Gukumatz, this name belonged to the Kiche Maya. 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. Quetzalcoatl is the creator of all people and the giver of wisdom, corn, and the calendar. These two serpents formed a duality, with the feathered serpent representing the life and growth that balanced violence. Where once feathered snakes were worshiped all over, after the Spanish conquest the locals were forced into worshiping Jesus Christ. There are several stories about the birth of Quetzalcoatl. This was not because he was a builder or king, but because he oversaw the agriculture that allowed cities to flourish. Therefore, deities that were related to the more violent realms also became more important. Continue with Recommended Cookies. The two priests came to their position after living an exemplary life, with pure and compassionate hearts. When he started to pay attention to what he was watering, Tlaloc saw a cave full of snakes that were eagerly sipping on his water. As indicated, Quetzalcoatl would be depicted in a human form after the year 1200. Getting the snake out of the cave had been Tlalocs only objective for months on end. Quetzalcoatl stole the bones from the Underworld, taking great risks and evading many traps to bring them to the surface. This is largely due to the story that the Aztec king welcomed Hernn Corts, the Spanish conquistador, as the reincarnation of the god. Ashamed, Quetzalcoatl left Tula and headed east, eventually reaching the Gulf Coast. Its more likely that Montezuma saw the Spanish not as enemies but as possible allies in his ongoing campaign to enlarge his empire. He used his own blood from wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the bones and create mankind. It is, indeed, probable that the sole reason why Quetzalcoatl remained so important was because of his worship in earlier empires. Quetzalcoatl was also linked with Aztec priesthood and one of the two high priests in the famous Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan assumed the title of Quetzalcoatl. In the extant Mayan sources, it has been revealed that Quetzalcoatl, or the Feathered Serpent, was associated with warfare as well as fertility. Aztec Gods Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Quetzalcoatl occupied a unique position in the Aztec pantheon and was considered one of the most important gods. The first documented worship of Quetzalcoatl is found in Theotihuacan during the first century BC or first century AD.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-box-4','ezslot_7',140,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-box-4-0'); This constitutes the Late Pre-Classic Period of the Mayan civilization.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_9',111,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); By the Late Classic Period (600AD-900AD), it appears that the worship of Quetzalcoatl had spread throughout the Mesoamerican region. The Name Quetzalcoatl [12] In the Postclassic period (9001519AD), the worship of the feathered-serpent deity centered in the primary Mexican religious center of Cholula. The feathered serpent was a deity who was widely worshiped and persisted for a long period of time. Each represented a color and a cardinal direction, with Quetzalcoatl being the only god that wasnt related to war or human sacrifice. Aztec ceremonies often lasted several days . So Quetzalcoatl is named after the thing he looks like, a feathered serpent deity. The Nahua civilization, which included the central Mexican Aztecs, almost universally worshipped Quetzalcoatl among their gods. 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 the modern era, however, many aspects of this legend have come into question. "[17], Quetzalcoatl also became linked with rulership and priestly office; additionally, among the Toltec, the name was used as a military title and its representation as an emblem. 3. He is a powerful and benevolent dragon-type entity associated with harvests, wild animals, the morning star ( Venus ), wind and rain. In fact, he flew straight into it, leading to a total eclipse. He headed east, eventually settling in Chichen Itza. 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. Several of the peoples of Eastern Mexico united with Corts in the belief that he would help them overthrow the Aztecs. Minster, Christopher. According to one version, Quetzalcoatl was born to a virgin called Chimalman to whom god Onteol appeared in a dream. 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. 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. Occasionally, he is accompanied by his namesake quetzal bird. Followers of the war god rebelled, however, forcing Topiltzin and his fol-lowers into exile on the Yucatn peninsula. [5] It was one of several important gods in the Aztec pantheon, along with the gods Tlaloc, Tezcatlipoca and Huitzilopochtli. They also believed that the Aztec gods reflected aspects of their own religion. Having been in awe of the sun and its light, the snake decided to fly toward the sun. After months of rain, the snake was forced to come out of the cave. His body is usually black, a color that represents the north in Aztec art. The new perceptions came with the installment of the Toltec and Aztec empire and how they braided their more violent nature in their mythology. Indeed, it turned out that this was the only viable option since the snake wasnt planning on moving for other reasons. Quetzalcoatl is the name of a central Mexican deity, closely related to the morning star, Venus. 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. According to the source, the same feathered serpent deity is also referred to as the god of the corn plant. . An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. [10], The earliest known documentation of the worship of a Feathered Serpent occurs in Teotihuacan in the first century BC or first century AD. In yet another version, Quetzalcoatl is said to be one of the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl. 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". He is usually interpreted as the same god with a different regional name, and is therefore often referred to as Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl. READ MORE: Sun Gods: Ancient Solar Deities From Around the World. Today he is known best as Quetzalcoatl, the name he was worshipped by in the Aztec culture. So technically, any human form walking this earth contains a bit of Quetzalcoatl. Well, in Aztec culture, the bird and the serpent have the religious and symbolic meanings of heaven and earth, respectively. Remember, he has already been deemed a god. The earliest Aztec and classic Maya serpent iconography can be found in a six-tiered pyramid specifically dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. 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. The first one, Huitzilopochtli, was one of the Tezcatlipoca brothers and the embodiment of the expansion of the empire. Accessed March 1, 2023. Indeed, the same as the one from the Great Pyramid. 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. 2. According to stories, Aztec people only ate animals or roots until Quetzalcoatl arrived. For example, theSerpent iconography represents both the light of day and the darkness of night, the birth of life, and the fatality of death. Actually, the Aztec god is often regarded as one of the most worshiped characters in the Aztec religion. The Coatlicue sculpture in Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology is one of the most famous Mexica (Aztec) sculptures in existence (her name is pronounced "koh-at-lee-kway"). 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. Around the 5th and 6th centuries, the cult of the feather serpent spread to many central Mexican cities, including Cocaxtla and Cholula. 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. 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. Some said that before this he had helped to create the world itself. 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. Members of this confederacy from Tlaxcala, Puebla, and Oaxaca provided the Spaniards with the army that first reclaimed the city of Cholula from its pro-Aztec ruling faction, and ultimately defeated the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City). At this particular address, behind the green door, next . [9] In Mazatec legends the astrologer deity Tlahuizcalpanteuctli, who is also represented by Venus, bears a close relationship with Quetzalcoatl. 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. The connection between Quetzalcoatl and the fall of the Aztec Empire may also have its roots in political events that predated the arrival of Corts and his army. To both Teotihuacan and Maya cultures, Venus was in turn also symbolically connected with warfare.[21]. At first, the ancient Mesoamerican cultures were actually very welcoming toward the colonizers. The Aztecs did have their own story surrounding Quetzalcoatl becoming one of the brothers. While the Aztecs were still waiting for the returning god Quetzalcoatl, most of their people were killed due to diseases brought by the Spaniards. In his form as Ehecatl he is the wind, and is represented by spider monkeys, ducks, and the wind itself. He also encouraged them to worship a different god, Quetzalcoatl (kehtsahlkoh AHT uhl), or the Feathered Serpent. Cortes continued to play the role of Quetzalcoatl for many years and eventually impacted others to convert. He wouldnt become the new Aztec ruler, however. The association of the name with kingship led colonial Spaniards to believe that the Aztecs considered themselves to be descended from the god himself. [32][33][34][35][36] Most documents expounding this theory are of entirely Spanish origin, such as Corts's letters to Charles V of Spain, in which Corts goes to great pains to present the naive gullibility of the Aztecs in general as a great aid in the conquest of the Aztec Empire. Of these, Quetzalcoatl was the Sun in the second cycle. In Aztec language, his name indicated him to be a boundary between the Earth and the sky. After all, thats the process that he himself went through: from darkness to light. [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]. He was so important that the worlds largest pyramid was just one of many places dedicated to his cult. [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. . Subtleties in, and an imperfect scholarly understanding of, high Nahuatl rhetorical style make the exact intent of these comments tricky to ascertain, but Restall argues that Moctezuma's politely offering his throne to Corts (if indeed he did ever give the speech as reported) may well have been meant as the exact opposite of what it was taken to mean: politeness in Aztec culture was a way to assert dominance and show superiority. It is not a coincidence that Quetzalcoatl is just as often referred to as the Feathered Serpent by his worshipers and historians. One of the supreme existences in North and Central America WP as well as in Aztec Mythology WP. By adding a bit of his own blood, he allowed a new civilization to emerge. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. Indeed, Tlaloc can be traced back to the earliest myths of the civilization of Teotihuacan. The ancient Olmec civilization lasted roughly from 1200 to 400 B.C. In the codices, he was generally more human-like. It is believed that the Feathered Serpent was responsible for all of it. likely used for curing rituals and private worship. 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. Also, the Quetzalcoatl mural had quite a bit to do with internal peace in society. While drunk, Quetzalcoatl seduced his sister, a celibate priestess. Well, look no further, because Quetzalcoatl is your guy. 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. Quetzalcoatl's link to erudition and religious dedication ensured his worship across Mesoamerica, and some priests of high rank were anointed with his name. The story of how the ordinary Quetzalcoatl became one of the heavenly brothers goes as followed. However, later sources uncover that already a year before him a similar figure dwelled in the lands of the Aztec territory. Instead, these stories were probably the invention of Franciscan monks who followed the initial conquest of Mexico. Quetzelcoatl also appeared on (Season 3) of the Animal Planet mockumentary Lost Tapes in an episode entitled "Q the Serpent God". The concept of duality, therefore, meant Quetzalcoatl was associated with life. Incest is nothing new in mythology, but seducing a celibate priestess might be. Or rather, arrived again. Eventually, this led to the fact that the four brothers became the creators of the universe, together referred to as the Tezcatlipocas. He was known as the inventor of books and the calendar, the giver of maize (corn) to mankind, and sometimes as a symbol of death and resurrection. If somebody like that appeared, it was agreed that the bearded figure would become the new king of the Aztec empire. Quetzalcoatl has been worshiped by all the major Mesoamerican cultures including the Mayans and the Aztecs. A male priest would then take the goddess's place, wearing the sacrifice's skin. Among the Aztecs, it was related to wind, Venus, Sun, merchants, arts, crafts, knowledge, and learning. However, at the end of the second cycle, mankind became like monkeys and so Quetzalcoatl blew up the whole of mankind. Quetzalcoatl was so closely linked to fertility and creation that many groups held him to be the creator of mankind. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gods of Death Like most Mesoamerican gods, he was shown with a standard set of attributes. There, they greatly influenced late Mayan culture. Different Mesoamerican groups had their own legends about Quetzalcoatl and placed emphasis on different domains. The earliest known iconographic depiction of the deity appears on Stela 19 at the Olmec site of La Venta. One of the jewels he is depicted with is the wind jewel, affirming his status as a wind god. Xochiquetzal and the Moon There is no surviving account of this myth in native sources, however. However, this legend likely has a foundation in events that took place immediately prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. Ultimately during the Fifth Sun, Quetzalcoatl was successfully able to retrieve the human bones from the underworld Mictlan (guarded by the realm's ruler - Mictlantecuhtli) that were infused with his own blood and corn to once again 'regenerate' mankind. A bit of his name indicated him to be the creator of mankind cortes continued play... 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