In fact, it is a deep cultural symbol that is intrinsic to daily life. Some said that before this he had helped to create the world itself. [22], To the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl was, as his name indicates, a feathered serpent. "9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl." [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. The earliest known iconographic depiction of the deity appears on Stela 19 at the Olmec site of La Venta. He would submerge himself in a highly flammable substance and set himself on fire, granting himself a place amongst the stars. By Quetzalcoatl was a god for many ancient . In Mesoamerican history, many different ethnopolitical groups worshiped a feathered-serpent deity. 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. In these instances, he is often seen wearing a lot of jewelry and some form of a hat. READ MORE: Sun Gods: Ancient Solar Deities From Around the World. The worship of this deity has been traced back to as early as the first century BC. In some versions of the ancient Mesoamerican histories, Quetzalcoatl was reborn as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli after being burned on a funeral pyre. Quetzalcoatl stole the bones from the Underworld, taking great risks and evading many traps to bring them to the surface. 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. 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. C catl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl [s kat topiltsin ketsalkoat] ( Our Prince One-Reed Precious Serpent) (c. 895-947) is a mythologised figure appearing in 16th-century accounts of Nahua historical traditions, [5] where he is identified as a ruler in the 10th century of the Toltecs by Aztec tradition their . In an example from Yaxchilan, the Vision Serpent has the human face of the young maize-god, further suggesting a connection to fertility and vegetational renewal; the Maya Young Maize god was also connected to Venus. 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. Some Mormons believe that Quetzalcoatl, who was associated with the east, (which in turn was represented by the color white to the Aztecs), was white-skinned. Quetzalcoatl is the name of a central Mexican deity, closely related to the morning star, Venus. In Aztec culture, depictions of Quetzalcoatl were fully anthropomorphic. Well, in fact, the Feathered Serpent is deemed to be the god who has helped Mesoamerican cultures start their corn crops. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. In sculptures adorning temples throughout ancient Mexico, he generally appeared as a plumed serpent, although sometimes he had human features as well. Have you ever eaten blue, white, black, or red corn? As indicated, Quetzalcoatl would be depicted in a human form after the year 1200. How should one worship the sun? One of the most often-repeated stories involving Quetzalcoatl was one that spread after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in Mexico. [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. Cholula had been captured by pro-Aztec forces. However, at the end of the second cycle, mankind became like monkeys and so Quetzalcoatl blew up the whole of mankind. Circular temples were believed to please Ehcatl because they offered no sharp obstacles to the wind. While drunk, Quetzalcoatl seduced his sister, a celibate priestess. Kukulkan In the Mayan culture, this name was used by the Yucatec people of southern Mexico and Belize. 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. After a slapstick-style chase scene, Xavier winds up as the Sun God and commits "sacricide" (sacrificial suicide), ending the skit. [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. Because the feathered serpent was such a widespread and long-lasting archetype, he was known by many names throughout Mexico and Central America. It was not just a populist idea that gained interest in Aztec society. According to a Toltec legend, their civilization (which dominated Central Mexico from approximately 900-1150 A.D.) was founded by a great hero, Ce Acatl Topiltzn Quetzalcoatl. Remember, he has already been deemed a god. 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. Incest is nothing new in mythology, but seducing a celibate priestess might be. The floods, too, caused great disaster to the earth in general. 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. Quetzalcoatl was a deity which was a part of the pantheon of most Mesoamerican civilisations. Although the citys main temple was not dedicated to him, the priests of the city took his name and his iconography was prevalent. While in his own story, this was not all too literal, his actions that followed were actually the literal interpretation of his promise. Later, Xavier and the Aztecs summon Quetzalcoatl in his mortal form and wind up angering him after cutting him open. He wouldnt become the new Aztec ruler, however. Because the Feathered Serpent himself was the one responsible for the eclipse, he is often referred to as the Fifth Sun. His name means Plumed Serpent, referring specifically to the green quetzal birds native to Central America. Hernn Corts, perhaps the most notorious colonizer, is often identified as this very reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl. Different cultures associated him with priesthood and kingship, further complicating his mythology in later retellings. The two priests came to their position after living an exemplary life, with pure and compassionate hearts. 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. Quetzalcoatls quarrels with his brother Tezcatlipoca sometimes brought about these destructions of the world. He was a creator deity having contributed essentially to the creation of mankind. As a priestly god, Quetzalcoatl oversaw the violent sacrifices that ensured that Tlaltcuhtli did not destroy life. 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? Mason-Dixon Line According to one version, Quetzalcoatl was born to a virgin called Chimalman to whom god Onteol appeared in a dream. The date 9 Wind is known to be associated with fertility, Venus and war among the Maya and frequently occurs in relation to Quetzalcoatl in other Mesoamerican cultures. Standing over ten feet tall, the statue towers over onlookers as she leans toward them. Human worship. Montezuma king of the aztecs during the era had even confirmed that Cortes was Quetzalcoatl or a reincarnation of their deity. Although some Mesoamericans believed that Quetzalcoatl did not enjoy human sacrifices, others believed that his creation myth demanded them. He was worshiped among all the major cultures of the Mesoamerican region through history. Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death and the principle god of the underworld. Thats quite a big deal, because for the people in ancient Mexico, maize, or corn, is not just a crop. Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. 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. However, each and every god had failed terribly in doing so. What a conundrum. He was a god of wind, culture, knowledge, and creation. After the eclipse of the fourth sun, Quetzalcoatl would go on a trip to the underworld. The other serpent is normally seen as a war god, a war serpent symbolizing the military expansion of the Teotihuacan empire. Ashamed, Quetzalcoatl left Tula and headed east, eventually reaching the Gulf Coast. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. How old is the United States of America? As the story goes, the Aztec believed in a white, bearded god named Quetzalcoatl, who, long ago, had disappeared into the east. 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. Quetzalcoatl went to Mictlan, the underworld, and created fifth-world mankind from the bones of the previous races (with the help of Cihuacoatl), using his own blood, from a wound he inflicted on his earlobes, calves, tongue, and penis, to imbue the bones with new life. Nor would he be seen as the reincarnation of the Feathered Serpent god.Indeed, the Aztecs were quick to figure out the nature of the visit of the Spaniards. 1. Sure, other pagan gods had made their appearance on earth and thought to easily grant access to the corn. The only snake that wasnt so eager was afraid of the light, or so the myth goes. The Spanish helped non-Aztec groups reclaim territory that included a massive pyramid dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. At the end of the fourth cycle, when mankind had perished again according to the mythology, Quetzalcoatl created a new people with his blood. According to stories, Aztec people only ate animals or roots until Quetzalcoatl arrived. 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. Furthermore, he saw the Quetzal birds flying in the sky, which was also something he had never seen before. Feathered serpents appear as early as 900 BC in parts of Mexico. Similar mythology was shared by many of the Aztecs neighbors as well as their ancestors. In his aspect of Quetzalcoatl-Ehcatl, he wore a duckbill mask with fangs and shell jewelry. As Quetzalcoatl Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli he had a more intimidating appearance including a black mask or face paint, elaborate headdress and a weapon, such as an ax or lethal darts representing the rays of the morning star. 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. While other gods had relied on brute force for reaching the other side, Quetzalcoatl relied on intelligence in order to reach the maize. Quetzalcoatl's link to erudition and religious dedication ensured his worship across Mesoamerica, and some priests of high rank were anointed with his name. Throughout Mesoamerican culture, they practiced human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism to placate this god. Christopher Minster, Ph.D., is a professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. It shows the first signs of a feathered serpent cult amongst ancient civilizations of the region. According to Aztec mythology, Earth had been through four cycles of Sun, each of which resulted in the destruction of mankind. These were part of the Nahua culture, which included both these states and other independent ethnic groups in central Mexico. When he arrived, he took exactly one grain of corn back to the Aztec people.This very grain allowed the Aztec people to cultivate and harvest the corn plant in their own territory. 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. Quetzalcoatl appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Thor: Love and Thunder. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. They kept the same gods but believed in a new story. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. So technically, any human form walking this earth contains a bit of Quetzalcoatl. 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). The importance of Quetzalcoatl in the Aztec civilization is, too, emphasized by his relationship with the priests of the empire. Xochiquetzal and the Moon 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. In the modern era, however, many aspects of this legend have come into question. However, independent historical sources do not substantiate this claim and later historians have disputed it as well. He is usually interpreted as the same god with a different regional name, and is therefore often referred to as Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl. [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. Quetzalcoatl has been worshiped by all the major Mesoamerican cultures including the Mayans and the Aztecs. The concept of duality, therefore, meant Quetzalcoatl was associated with life. Venus, which the god was closely associated with, appeared in the sky at the beginning of the rainy season. Quetzalcoatl was associated with the wind-god Ehecatl and is often depicted with his insignia: a beak-like mask. The Aztec confederacy was opposed by other Nahua groups to the east. It is believed that the Feathered Serpent was responsible for all of it. One of his most defining attributes, however, is his breastplate. 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. Because of this, the ways in which he was worshipped varied widely. In the post-classic Nahua civilization of central Mexico (Aztec), the worship of Quetzalcoatl was ubiquitous. The Origin of Hotdogs, The History of Boracay Island in The Philippines. 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. According to this myth, the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, one of them being Quetzalcoatl, represent the four cardinal directions. "9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl." The Toltecs and Nahuas worshiped the god before he was eventually adopted by the Aztecs. 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