His form of reincarnation, more specifically, would be that of a white person with a long beard. 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. Over the East presides the Red Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, the god of gold, farming and springtime. His representation of heaven and hell is also interpreted in different realms. In the extant Mayan sources, it has been revealed that Quetzalcoatl, or the Feathered Serpent, was associated with warfare as well as fertility. The city was known as the center of Quetzalcoatls worship. https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-quetzalcoatl-2136322 (accessed March 2, 2023). In fact, he flew straight into it, leading to a total eclipse. ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/facts-about-quetzalcoatl-2136322. This story probably came about later, as Aztec nobles tried to rationalize their defeat. To link to this article in the text of an online publication, please use this URL: https://historycooperative.org/quetzalcoatl/. 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. READ MORE: 10 Gods of Death and the Underworld From Around the World. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. In the Mesoamerican Epiclassic Period (900-1200 A.D.), worship of Quetzalcoatl took off. He was also associated with the creation of mankind, so he also possibly occupied the role of creator in the Aztec mythology. The Aztec confederacy was opposed by other Nahua groups to the east. In fact, it is a deep cultural symbol that is intrinsic to daily life. 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. Quetzalcoatl stole the bones from the Underworld, taking great risks and evading many traps to bring them to the surface. 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 . Montezuma king of the aztecs during the era had even confirmed that Cortes was Quetzalcoatl or a reincarnation of their deity. Aztec Gods Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Quetzalcoatl occupied a unique position in the Aztec pantheon and was considered one of the most important gods. According to another mythological account, he was conceived by the virgin Chimalman after she swallowed an emerald. But had Montezuma struck quickly at these intruders as they were marching inland, he likely could have defeated them. Among the Aztecs, it was related to wind, Venus, Sun, merchants, arts, crafts, knowledge, and learning. Alternatively, he left willingly on a raft of snakes, promising to return. A 2012 exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Dallas Museum of Art, "The Children of the Plumed Serpent: the Legacy of Quetzalcoatl in Ancient Mexico", demonstrated the existence of a powerful confederacy of Eastern Nahuas, Mixtecs and Zapotecs, along with the peoples they dominated throughout southern Mexico between 1200 and 1600 (Pohl, Fields, and Lyall 2012, Harvey 2012, Pohl 2003). 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. 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. From here, he would be seen as the morning star, while his twin brother would be seen as the evening star; planet Venus. This idea of return stemmed from a supposed speech given by Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, to Corts when the Spanish arrived at Tenochtitlan. and they were greatly influential on all subsequent ones. Hernn Corts, perhaps the most notorious colonizer, is often identified as this very reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl. Historians debate to what degree, or whether at all, these narratives about this legendary Toltec ruler describe historical events. Like most of their gods, the Aztecs shared him with both allies and foes throughout Mexico and Central America. This is evident in the iconography recovered from these sites. 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. As a god, its only logical that such reincarnations would be for the betterment of the earth and its people. 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. [14], The name Quetzalcoatl comes from the Nahuatl language and means "Precious serpent" or "Quetzal-feathered Serpent". To create humans, Quetzalcoatl had to go into the Underworld and collect some bones. Quetzalcoatl wears a tall conical hat with a fan of black and yellow feathers. The south is represented by Huitzilopochtli who is the Blue Tezcatlipoca and the god of war. The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in other traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice. Quetzalcoatl stands out from the Mesoamerican pantheon as being relatively less bloodthirsty than others like Huitzilopochtli or Tezcatlipoca, making him as good a candidate as any for Jesus visiting the New World. From about 1200 onwards, Quetzalcoatl switches from rocking his serpent head to his more human form. The most astonishing aspect of their worship, at least to the Spaniards, was their habit of human sacrifice . The trip was far from easy, but Quetzalcoatl was able to complete it. Similarly, various other birth stories are also associated with Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl had aspects in which he functioned as other gods. There is no question that the legend of Quetzalcoatl played a significant role in the colonial period. He was a god of wind, culture, knowledge, and creation. Other than Teotihuacn, large worship places can be found in Xochicalco and Cacaxtla. In another, they worked together to tear apart a monster called Tlaltcuhtli and create the land and its features from her body. . In the post-classic Nahua civilization of central Mexico (Aztec), the worship of Quetzalcoatl was ubiquitous. Quetzelcoatl also appeared on (Season 3) of the Animal Planet mockumentary Lost Tapes in an episode entitled "Q the Serpent God". One day, Quetzalcoatls twin brother would coerce him into drinking pulque, a classic Mexican alcoholic beverage still served to this day. In Mesoamerican history, many different ethnopolitical groups worshiped a feathered-serpent deity. Rather than the conquistador himself being the wind god, however, it was that his army allowed the Puebla and their allies to reclaim the pyramid of Tlachihualtepetl, the center of Quezalcoatls cult. 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]. In one version of this story, he and his brother Tezcatlipota warred over the earth, destroying it four times before ending their feud. [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. ThoughtCo. Occasionally, he is accompanied by his namesake quetzal bird. Or rather, arrived again. One of the jewels he is depicted with is the wind jewel, affirming his status as a wind god. This made crops grow and brought water for drinking. As a wind god, he was also responsible for making the rain fall. 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". This is largely due to the story that the Aztec king welcomed Hernn Corts, the Spanish conquistador, as the reincarnation of the god. 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. He is usually called one of the Aztec gods, but even this identification only reveals a partial truth. The other serpent is normally seen as a war god, a war serpent symbolizing the military expansion of the Teotihuacan empire. The cult even spread down into the Maya lands. Among these Mesoamerican gods, Quetzalcoatl was also one of the oldest. Its more likely that Montezuma saw the Spanish not as enemies but as possible allies in his ongoing campaign to enlarge his empire. By Quetzalcoatl was a god for many ancient . Quetzalcoatl wasnt all that happy with it, however. Mayans had deities with feathered serpent as their names. 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 Spanish helped non-Aztec groups reclaim territory that included a massive pyramid dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. 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. 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. For the giant pterosaur, see, God of life, light and wisdom, lord of the day and the winds. The floods, too, caused great disaster to the earth in general. [18][need quotation to verify]. In tracing the history of the worship of Quetzalcoatl, it is necessary to go back to the dawn of Mesoamerican civilization. Quetzalcoatl became linked with the maize crop thanks to ancient legends. Christopher Minster, Ph.D., is a professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. 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. Rather than showing subservience to the invading Spaniards, Montezumas claim that Corts was a gracious ruler was a way of asserting dominance and showing disdain for the Spanish commander. In Aztec culture, this was considered to be one of the most important primal forces. 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. 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. Mainly because they thought one of them was the reincarnation of the beloved god discussed in this article. 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. Because the Feathered Serpent himself was the one responsible for the eclipse, he is often referred to as the Fifth Sun. So it should be clear that Quetzalcoatl was, indeed, a great mythical figure. The Toltec people, who the Aztecs considered to be their ancestors, used Quetzalcoatl as a title for military and political rulers. Corts himself claimed in a letter that the gullibility of the Aztec people helped him to conquer them. The legend of Quetzalcoatl is spoofed in the Adult Swim CGI series Xavier: Renegade Angel. This confederacy engaged in almost seventy-five years of nearly continuous conflict with the Aztec Empire of the Triple Alliance until the arrival of Corts. He drove the winds that brought rain and allowed plants to grow. The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first document in Teotihuacan in the first century BCE or first century CE. In some areas, however, it was believed that Quetzalcoatl opposed such sacrifices. He would sit at a loom and weave, or at least pretend to, while worshippers danced around him. Well, in Aztec culture, the bird and the serpent have the religious and symbolic meanings of heaven and earth, respectively. The Origin of Hotdogs, The History of Boracay Island in The Philippines. How should one worship the sun? The Nahuatl nouns compounded into the proper name "Quetzalcoatl" are: (in English, Spanish, and Nahuatl languages), Proposed Book of Mormon geographical setting, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, "Evidence of Mushroom Worship in Mesoamerica", "New Taxonomical and Ethnomycological Observations on, "All You Need To Know About The Ancient Aztec Gods and Goddesses", "Readings in Classical Nahuatl: The Death of Quetzalcoatl", "Gift of the Gods: Chocolate in the Aztec Empire", "The Complete New York City Horror Movie Marathon! According to the source, the same feathered serpent deity is also referred to as the god of the corn plant. Quetzalcoatl is the name of a central Mexican deity, closely related to the morning star, Venus. And, it wasnt so bad after all. Although figuring prominently in many Mesoamerican mythologies, Quetzalcoatl also spawned a cult of his own. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Over time, Quetzalcoatl's appearance, clothing, malevolent nature, and status among the gods were reshaped to fit a more Christian framework. 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"). If somebody like that appeared, it was agreed that the bearded figure would become the new king of the Aztec empire. Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca may have been worshiped as early as 10,000 BC. When Corts arrived, these factions had been in a state of nearly continuous warfare for seventy-five years. Quetzalcoatls twin, Xolotl, was a god associated with death. Human worship. In the codices, he was generally more human-like. Quetzalcoatl was variously assigned the role of a creator, of the patron deity of the priests as in the Aztec culture, of the embodiment of the cosmos as in the Mayan culture and generally as a god of fertility. The west is represented by Quetzalcoatl who is also the White Tezcatlipoca and the god of light, justice, mercy, and wind. 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". Manage Settings According to the Book of Mormon, the resurrected Jesus Christ descended from heaven and visited the people of the American continent, shortly after his resurrection. The worship of Quetzalcoatl is wide-reaching, has a rich history, and exemplifies the complex world of Aztec mythology. He is also a god of learning, reading, and books. [45][46] The deity has been featured as a character in the manga and anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! 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. He appears in Post-classic tales from the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec cultures. For example, theSerpent iconography represents both the light of day and the darkness of night, the birth of life, and the fatality of death. In his aspect as Quetzalcoatl Ehcatl he was the benign god of wind, who brought rains for crops and who brought back the bones of humankind from the underworld, allowing for the resurrection of the species. Of these, Quetzalcoatl was the Sun in the second cycle. [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]. What is often called the Aztec Empire was a confederation of three city-states, established in the 14th and 15th centuries. Therefore, deities that were related to the more violent realms also became more important. After Topiltzin's exile, Toltec power began to decline. Welcome. These were part of the Nahua culture, which included both these states and other independent ethnic groups in central Mexico. However, at the end of the second cycle, mankind became like monkeys and so Quetzalcoatl blew up the whole of mankind. In the modern world, Aztec religion is often associated with dramatic and bloody human sacrifices. Some scholarship maintains the view that the Aztec Empire's fall may be attributed in part to the belief in Corts as the returning Quetzalcoatl, notably in works by David Carrasco (1982), H. B. Nicholson (2001 (1957)) and John Pohl (2016). 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. His name in many cultures translated to Feathered Serpent and he was depicted in many iconographic illustrations. Ruler of the, Nicholson 2001, Carrasco 1982, Gillespie 1989, Florescano 2002, Lafaye 1987, Townsend 2003, Martnez 1980, Phelan 1970. His appearance can change drastically, however, depending on the region, era, and context. Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. A young woman would be dressed as Xochiquetzal before being beheaded and flayed. In the era following the 16th-century Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, a number of records conflated Quetzalcoatl with Ce Acatl Topiltzin, a ruler of the mythico-historic city of Tollan. Quetzalcoatl is but one of the Aztec gods and goddesses that has animal-like characteristics. He was quite a bit bigger than he was before. The name Quetzalcoatl comes from this language and is most widely-used both because it was recorded by Spanish conquerors and because Nahuatl is still spoken by roughly 1.5 million people. The Nahua largely spoke dialects of the same language, Nahuatl, which helped to unify their culture. 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. Quetzalcoatl is the creator of all people and the giver of wisdom, corn, and the calendar. Mesoamerican deities often functioned in duality. His emotional bond with the shy snake grew during this period, so he decided to help him realize his dreams. The first documented worship of Quetzalcoatl is found in Theotihuacan during the first century BC or first century AD. The title of the twin Aztec high priests wasnt just Quetzalcoatl. There was one way that would certainly work, namely by letting it rain so abundantly that the snake simply drifted out of the cave. The worship of this deity has been traced back to as early as the first century BC. Some legends describe him as opposed to human sacrifice[26] while others describe him practicing it.[27][28]. This made it an important sign of fertility because it brought with it the rains that renewed the earth. Before he left, however, he promised to return. Over the West presides the White Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, the god of light, justice, mercy and wind. Quetzalcoatls quarrels with his brother Tezcatlipoca sometimes brought about these destructions of the world. Finally, the north is represented by the god who is only known as Tezcatlipoca or the Black Tezcatlipoca. Quetzalcoatl was the Aztec version of this plumed snake archetype. The first culture to use the symbol of a feathered serpent as an important religious and political symbol was that of Teotihuacan. Minster, Christopher. 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. 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. As a god of wind, Quetzalcoatl was also an important fertility deity. It starts with Tlaloc, the Aztec god of rain. From ancient snake gods to Spanish legends, heres everything you need to know about the most famous god of the Aztecs! Profile [] Identity []. 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. 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. Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. 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. Quetzalcoatl was also the patron of the priests and the title of the twin Aztec high priests. Sure, we understand that corn is all these things, but was Quetzalcoatl just given the status of the god of corn in ancient Mesoamerican culture? 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. "9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl." Toltec religion. [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. 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