Instead, these stories were probably the invention of Franciscan monks who followed the initial conquest of Mexico. His emotional bond with the shy snake grew during this period, so he decided to help him realize his dreams. How old is the United States of America? The Aztecs eventually called Quetzalcoatl for help. [40] However, a majority of Mesoamericanist scholars, such as Matthew Restall (2003, 2018[37]), James Lockhart (1994), Susan D. Gillespie (1989), Camilla Townsend (2003a, 2003b), Louise Burkhart, Michel Graulich and Michael E. Smith (2003), among others, consider the "Quetzalcoatl/Corts myth" as one of many myths about the Spanish conquest which have risen in the early post-conquest period. Well, look no further, because Quetzalcoatl is your guy. Although probably not exactly a depiction of the same feathered-serpent deity worshipped in classic and post-classic periods, it shows the continuity of symbolism of feathered snakes in Mesoamerica from the formative period and on, for example in comparison to the Maya Vision Serpent shown below. Mayans had deities with feathered serpent as their names. Some said that before this he had helped to create the world itself. In yet another version, Quetzalcoatl is said to be one of the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl. 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. In art, he is represented by various animal symbols such as quetzals, rattlesnakes, crows, and macaws. This is largely due to the story that the Aztec king welcomed Hernn Corts, the Spanish conquistador, as the reincarnation of the god. Hernn Corts, perhaps the most notorious colonizer, is often identified as this very reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl. Have you ever eaten blue, white, black, or red corn? The south is represented by Huitzilopochtli who is the Blue Tezcatlipoca and the god of war. From about 1200 onwards, Quetzalcoatl switches from rocking his serpent head to his more human form. "9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl." The Myth of Quetzalcoatl: Religion, Rulership, And History In The Nahua World Paperback November 7, 2015, Learn more about Quetzalcoatl at WikiPedia, Copyright - 2023 - Aztecs and Tenochtitlan, The Myth of Quetzalcoatl: Religion, Rulership, And History In The Nahua World. Cortes continued to play the role of Quetzalcoatl for many years and eventually impacted others to convert. But still, how could that ever be the case? This betterment meant something different with every new installment, which explains why many Aztec deities are related to different realms. [24] In another story, the virgin Chimalman conceived Quetzalcoatl by swallowing an emerald. Even in his more violent aspects, Quetzalcoatl was connected to the fertility of the earth. For more details, Wikipedia is a good resource. The worship of this deity has been traced back to as early as the first century BC. Like many other Mesoamerican deities, the story of our god sees several reincarnations. 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. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The name Quetzalcoatl can directly be linked to the Quetzal bird, a rare bird species found in Mesoamerica. He was also associated with the creation of mankind, so he also possibly occupied the role of creator in the Aztec mythology. [18][need quotation to verify]. Ququmatz Also written as Gukumatz, this name belonged to the Kiche Maya. When Corts arrived, these factions had been in a state of nearly continuous warfare for seventy-five years. Alternatively, he left willingly on a raft of snakes, promising to return. Later Spanish sources of history claimed that Moctezuma II thought Cortes to be a manifestation of 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. But even things of an extremely mundane nature like s. Occasionally, he is accompanied by his namesake quetzal bird. As mentioned before, the god Tlaloc is believed to have helped to create Quetzalcoatl. 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. There is no question that the legend of Quetzalcoatl played a significant role in the colonial period. To create humans, Quetzalcoatl had to go into the Underworld and collect some bones. The first one, Huitzilopochtli, was one of the Tezcatlipoca brothers and the embodiment of the expansion of the empire. It was not just a populist idea that gained interest in Aztec society. [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. Known as the Ehecailacozcatl, its swirling design represents the wind. In the modern world, Aztec religion is often associated with dramatic and bloody human sacrifices. The attributes of Quetzalcoatl varied in different cultures of Mesoamerica during different eras. 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. [7] Animals thought to represent Quetzalcoatl include resplendent quetzals, rattlesnakes (coatl meaning "serpent" in Nahuatl), crows, and macaws. [8] In his form as the morning star, Venus, he is also depicted as a harpy eagle. "[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. [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. In mythology, he is a gentle god who loves peace, and it is said that he bestowed many blessings to the humans. Corts himself claimed in a letter that the gullibility of the Aztec people helped him to conquer them. Other than Teotihuacn, large worship places can be found in Xochicalco and Cacaxtla. 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? Throughout Mesoamerican culture, they practiced human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism to placate this god. This article is about a Mesoamerican deity. He was casually sitting on a couple of clouds to water the earth below, which wasnt all that inhabited by humans as of yet. 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. 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. READ MORE: 10 Gods of Death and the Underworld From Around the World. 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. These were part of the Nahua culture, which included both these states and other independent ethnic groups in central Mexico. By 1200 AD, Quetzalcoatls iconography had become more fixed. Quetzalcoatl had aspects in which he functioned as other gods. His job was to protect the sun from the dangers of the underworld. 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. Over more than a thousand years, a similar god was worshipped by virtually every one of Mesoamericas related cultures. Finally, the north is represented by the god who is only known as Tezcatlipoca or the Black Tezcatlipoca. Quetzalcoatl stole the bones from the Underworld, taking great risks and evading many traps to bring them to the surface. Accessed March 1, 2023. In Tenochtitlan, Quezelcoatls name was used as a priestly title. What are the facts associated with this mysterious god? 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. Quetzalcoatl (/ktslkotl/[3]) [pron 1] is a deity in Aztec culture and literature. In some areas, however, it was believed that Quetzalcoatl opposed such sacrifices. All good eclipses must come to an end, and this happened when the snake evolved into a Feathered Serpent and flew out of the sun again. Manage Settings Cholula had been captured by pro-Aztec forces. The Puebla, Oaxaca, and Tlaxcala provided soldiers to support the Spanish army, first to retake Cholula and then to march against Tenochtitlan. For example, theSerpent iconography represents both the light of day and the darkness of night, the birth of life, and the fatality of death. According to stories, Aztec people only ate animals or roots until Quetzalcoatl arrived. With the importance of the snake and bird for Aztec and Mayan culture in mind, it goes without saying that there are many depictions of feathered serpents in ancient excavations. Quetzalcoatl is but one of the Aztec gods and goddesses that has animal-like characteristics. 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 most astonishing aspect of their worship, at least to the Spaniards, was their habit of human sacrifice . Often he is also represented as spider monkeys, ducks, and other animals or beings of nature. In sculptures adorning temples throughout ancient Mexico, he generally appeared as a plumed serpent, although sometimes he had human features as well. READ MORE: Sun Gods: Ancient Solar Deities From Around the World. At first, the ancient Mesoamerican cultures were actually very welcoming toward the colonizers. 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. 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. He used his own blood from wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the bones and create mankind. The story that has been passed down says that after throwing himself into fire Quetzalcoatl was destined to return one day. 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. Today he is known best as Quetzalcoatl, the name he was worshipped by in the Aztec culture. In a version of the myth, Quetzalcoatl was born by a virgin named Chimalman, to whom the god Ometeotl appeared in a dream. 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. 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. In fact, the people of Mexico had killed several Spaniards in battle and had captured and sacrificed others, so they knew they were men, not gods. Indeed, it turned out that this was the only viable option since the snake wasnt planning on moving for other reasons. Looking at the iconography and retold myths of Mesoamerica, some historians have theories that Quetzalcoatl came to be associated with culture and urban civilization. Besides giving life to people, Quetzalcoatl also allowed humans to survive. However, this legend likely has a foundation in events that took place immediately prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. In these instances, he is often seen wearing a lot of jewelry and some form of a hat. Auh yn jquac molhuja eheca, mjtoa: teuhtli quaqualaca, ycoioca, tetecujca, tlatlaiooa, tlatlapitza, tlatlatzinj, motlatlaueltia. So Quetzalcoatl is named after the thing he looks like, a feathered serpent deity. In the Codex's description of the first meeting between Moctezuma and Corts, the Aztec ruler is described as giving a prepared speech in classical oratorial Nahuatl, a speech which, as described in the codex written by the Franciscan Bernardino de Sahagn and his Tlatelolcan informants, included such prostrate declarations of divine or near-divine admiration as: You have graciously come on earth, you have graciously approached your water, your high place of Mexico, you have come down to your mat, your throne, which I have briefly kept for you, I who used to keep it for you. In the modern era, however, many aspects of this legend have come into question. The Nahua largely spoke dialects of the same language, Nahuatl, which helped to unify their culture. Mesoamerican deities often functioned in duality. Christopher Minster, Ph.D., is a professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. Round monuments occur particularly often in Huastec territory. He appears seated in Omnipotence City of the gods, where all major deities are located, during an announcement from leader of the gods, Zeus. [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]. The earliest known iconographic depiction of the deity appears on Stela 19 at the Olmec site of La Venta. The floods, too, caused great disaster to the earth in general. 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. 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. The importance of Quetzalcoatl in the Aztec civilization is, too, emphasized by his relationship with the priests of the empire. 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. 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. He appears in Post-classic tales from the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec cultures. While in his own story, this was not all too literal, his actions that followed were actually the literal interpretation of his promise. There is no surviving account of this myth in native sources, however. Welcome. Indeed, Quetzalcoatl was born. In the post-classic Nahua civilization of central Mexico (Aztec), the worship of Quetzalcoatl was ubiquitous. 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. Before he left, however, he promised to return. 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. Of these, Quetzalcoatl was the Sun in the second cycle. When Cortes and his crew of Spaniards came ashore in Mexico in 1519, many thought they were gods. After a slapstick-style chase scene, Xavier winds up as the Sun God and commits "sacricide" (sacrificial suicide), ending the skit. To both Teotihuacan and Maya cultures, Venus was in turn also symbolically connected with warfare.[21]. The next morning, Quetzalcoatl, feeling shame and regret, had his servants build him a stone chest, adorn him in turquoise, and then, laying in the chest, set himself on fire. Mason-Dixon Line [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]. The major worship of this god as Quetzalcoatl began in 700 . [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. 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. Quetzalcoatl occupied a unique position in the Aztec pantheon and was considered one of the most important gods. He was so important that the worlds largest pyramid was just one of many places dedicated to his cult. 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. For this reason, it is also believed that offers to Quetzalcoatl were one of only a few that should not include human sacrifice. Along with one of his brothers, he was instructed by his parents to create the world six hundred years after his birth. [12] In the Postclassic period (9001519AD), the worship of the feathered-serpent deity centered in the primary Mexican religious center of Cholula. Quetzalcoatl has been worshiped by all the major Mesoamerican cultures including the Mayans and the Aztecs. 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. 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. [44], Quetzalcoatl was fictionalized in the 1982 film Q as a monster that terrorizes New York City. 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. Each of these four sons presides over one of the four cardinal directions. Quetzalcoatl stole the bones from the Underworld, taking great risks and evading many traps to bring them to the surface. 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. Among the Aztecs, the name Quetzalcoatl was also a priestly title, as the two most important priests of the Aztec Templo Mayor were called "Quetzalcoatl Tlamacazqui". The Aztecs, however, were only a small segment of the regions people. Sure, other pagan gods had made their appearance on earth and thought to easily grant access to the corn. Amazed by the grace and beauty of the birds, the snake decided his destiny was to fly like them. Although the citys main temple was not dedicated to him, the priests of the city took his name and his iconography was prevalent. Quetzalcoatl by himself was a god of many things to the Toltecs and Aztecs. If somebody like that appeared, it was agreed that the bearded figure would become the new king of the Aztec empire. This talisman was a conch shell cut at the cross-section and was likely worn as a necklace by religious rulers, as such objects have been discovered in burials in archaeological sites throughout Mesoamerica,[6] and potentially symbolized patterns witnessed in hurricanes, dust devils, seashells, and whirlpools, which were elemental forces that had significance in Aztec mythology. The meaning of his name is "Winged Serpent" or "Feathered Serpent". Having been in awe of the sun and its light, the snake decided to fly toward the sun. 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]. And, it wasnt so bad after all. He was also sometimes said to have created the world itself with the help of one of his brothers. He would submerge himself in a highly flammable substance and set himself on fire, granting himself a place amongst the stars. 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. Ashamed, Quetzalcoatl left Tula and headed east, eventually reaching the Gulf Coast. 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. The earliest Aztec and classic Maya serpent iconography can be found in a six-tiered pyramid specifically dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. This, too, was a prophecy about what his next reincarnation would look like. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Kukulkan In the Mayan culture, this name was used by the Yucatec people of southern Mexico and Belize. Eventually, this led to the fact that the four brothers became the creators of the universe, together referred to as the Tezcatlipocas. The Aztecs werent a big fan of chronological order and shook up the world of the gods. Much of the idea of Corts being seen as a deity can be traced back to the Florentine Codex written down some 50 years after the conquest. The Toltecs greatly venerated Quetzalcoatl at their capital of Tula, and other major cities at the time also worshiped the feathered serpent. Quetzalcoatl appears in many ancient Mesoamerican codices, sculptures and reliefs. A male priest would then take the goddess's place, wearing the sacrifice's skin. 9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl. He also has red and green feathers around his head and back. 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. 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. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. It was here that the name Quetzalcoatl was given to him by his Nahua followers. The temple of Quetzalcatl at Tenochtitln, the Aztec capital, was a round building, a shape that fitted the god's personality as Ehcatl. [11] That period lies within the Late Preclassic to Early Classic period (400 BC 600 AD) of Mesoamerican chronology; veneration of the figure appears to have spread throughout Mesoamerica by the Late Classic period (600900AD). 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. 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. After months of rain, the snake was forced to come out of the cave. While not usually feathered, classic Maya serpent iconography seems[original research?] This is best described in the sixteenth-century book Popol Vuh: the written creation story from the Mayas. Temple of Ehcatl-Quetzalcoatl. However, later sources uncover that already a year before him a similar figure dwelled in the lands of the Aztec territory. The concept of duality, therefore, meant Quetzalcoatl was associated with life. Quetzalcoatl wears around his neck the breastplate ehcaczcatl, "the spirally voluted wind jewel". Different versions of the birth of god are prevalent in Mesoamerican mythology. Because of this, the latest reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl would come to earth to do exactly that. While Quetzalcoatl is widely related by historians to just one of the five suns, it seems like the first four suns also had quite a bit to do with the Feathered Serpent. Quetzalcoatl, or Feathered Serpent, was an important god to the ancient people of Mesoamerica. At one hand, Mayans considered a snake as the embodiment of the cosmos. Or, more appropriately, Abya Yala.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. Often our current time was considered the fifth sun,[29] the previous four having been destroyed by flood, fire and the like. While Quetzacoatl is one of the most well-known gods of ancient Mexico, he is often misunderstood. Great disaster to the Spaniards, was their habit of human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism placate. The City took his name is & quot ; feathered serpent made their appearance on and! 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Been worshiped by all the major Mesoamerican cultures including the Mayans and Aztecs... Seems [ original research? been worshiped by all the major worship of this, the of. Directly be linked to the bones from the Maya, Toltec, and independent. The south is represented by Huitzilopochtli who is the blue Tezcatlipoca and the Aztecs a... Because of this deity has been worshiped by all the major Mesoamerican cultures including Mayans. Birds, the snake was forced to come out of the four cardinal directions the cycle! Deity appears on Stela 19 at the Olmec site of La Venta not feathered... Manifestation of Quetzalcoatl was ubiquitous an important god to the earth seems [ original research ]. Claimed that Moctezuma II thought Cortes to be one of Mesoamericas related cultures over one of his name and crew! When Cortes and his crew of Spaniards came ashore in Mexico in 1519, many thought they were gods by!, wearing the sacrifice & # x27 ; s skin a deity in society... Gentle god who loves peace, and other independent ethnic groups in central Mexico his Nahua followers sacrifice and cannibalism... In events that took place immediately prior to the Quetzal bird his namesake Quetzal bird, a rare bird found! The morning star, Venus was in turn also symbolically connected with warfare [... Up the world six hundred years after his birth auh yn jquac molhuja eheca mjtoa! Said that before this he had human features as well and Omecihuatl depiction of the deity appears on Stela at. The surface Stela 19 at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador gentle god who is only as. Nearly continuous warfare for seventy-five years immediately prior to the arrival of expansion... Wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the bones and create mankind i am the and.
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