According to another mythological account, he was conceived by the virgin Chimalman after she swallowed an emerald. 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. Chichen Itza is famous for its Temple of Kukulcn, which was their name for Quetzalcoatl. Rather, one was named Quetzalcoatl Totec Tlamacazqui, and the other one Quetzalcoatl Tlaloc Tlamacazqui. The other serpent is normally seen as a war god, a war serpent symbolizing the military expansion of the Teotihuacan empire. Quetzalcoatl was not only one of the most important deities in pre-Columbian Mexico, he was also one of the oldest. It was here that the name Quetzalcoatl was given to him by his Nahua followers. [need quotation to verify] Codex drawings pictured both Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl wearing an ehcaczcatl around the neck. 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. Historian Matthew Restall concludes that: The legend of the returning lords, originated during the Spanish-Mexica war in Corts' reworking of Moctezuma's welcome speech, had by the 1550s merged with the Corts-as-Quetzalcoatl legend that the Franciscans had started spreading in the 1530s. The Toltecs greatly venerated Quetzalcoatl at their capital of Tula, and other major cities at the time also worshiped the feathered serpent. It has been theorised that the legend was created by mixing Moctezuma IIs welcome speech with a later Franciscan invention that related Cortes with Quetzalcoatl. However, at the end of the second cycle, mankind became like monkeys and so Quetzalcoatl blew up the whole of mankind. Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican god whose name literally means feathered serpent. This article is about a Mesoamerican deity. 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. During the Post-Classic Period (900AD-1519AD), the main center of Quetzalcoatls worship was Cholula. 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. Indeed, it turned out that this was the only viable option since the snake wasnt planning on moving for other reasons. Of these, Quetzalcoatl was the Sun in the second cycle. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Several of the peoples of Eastern Mexico united with Corts in the belief that he would help them overthrow the Aztecs. In Xochicalco, depictions of the feathered serpent accompany the image of a seated, armed ruler and the hieroglyph for the day sign 9 Wind. Although some Mesoamericans believed that Quetzalcoatl did not enjoy human sacrifices, others believed that his creation myth demanded them. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-quetzalcoatl-2136322. However, as opposed to earlier depictions of Quetzalcoatl, the Mayan version of the deity had more elaborate features. Besides giving life to people, Quetzalcoatl also allowed humans to survive. Although the citys main temple was not dedicated to him, the priests of the city took his name and his iconography was prevalent. Did the Incas worship Quetzalcoatl? 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. 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. The Toltecs and Nahuas worshiped the god before he was eventually adopted by the Aztecs. According to Aztec mythology, Earth had been through four cycles of Sun, each of which resulted in the destruction of mankind. 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. However, a god that represents both a bird and a serpent in particular should be regarded as the highest of spiritual leaders. and they were greatly influential on all subsequent ones. Auh yn jquac molhuja eheca, mjtoa: teuhtli quaqualaca, ycoioca, tetecujca, tlatlaiooa, tlatlapitza, tlatlatzinj, motlatlaueltia. Alternatively, he left willingly on a raft of snakes, promising to return. Based on this narrative, Quetzalcoatl is often cited as the Creator in the Aztec mythology. Because the feathered serpent was such a widespread and long-lasting archetype, he was known by many names throughout Mexico and Central America. Aztec Gods Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Quetzalcoatl occupied a unique position in the Aztec pantheon and was considered one of the most important gods. In Aztec culture, this was considered to be one of the most important primal forces. In another, they worked together to tear apart a monster called Tlaltcuhtli and create the land and its features from her body. A lot of cultures such as the Maya, Toltecs, Aztecs, and many polities in Central Mexico used to worship the deity Quetzalcoatl during Postclassic period. Corts himself claimed in a letter that the gullibility of the Aztec people helped him to conquer them. If somebody like that appeared, it was agreed that the bearded figure would become the new king of the Aztec empire. He was also sometimes said to have created the world itself with the help of one of his brothers. He used his own blood from wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the bones and create mankind. The west is represented by Quetzalcoatl who is also the White Tezcatlipoca and the god of light, justice, mercy, and wind. By Quetzalcoatl was a god for many ancient . 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". At first, the ancient Mesoamerican cultures were actually very welcoming toward the colonizers. As a priestly god, Quetzalcoatl oversaw the violent sacrifices that ensured that Tlaltcuhtli did not destroy life. Like most of their gods, the Aztecs shared him with both allies and foes throughout Mexico and Central America. Mason-Dixon Line We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Quetzalcoatl (pronounced Keh-tzal-coh-AH-tl) is the feathered serpent god of the Aztecs and Toltecs. At the end of the fourth cycle, when mankind had perished again according to the mythology, Quetzalcoatl created a new people with his blood. In art, he is represented by various animal symbols such as quetzals, rattlesnakes, crows, and macaws. The cult even spread down into the Maya lands. 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. 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 fact, he wanted to tempt him to come out into the light. This didnt help a lot to overcome their cruel intentions, however. 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. The trip was far from easy, but Quetzalcoatl was able to complete it. This is also evident in the duality of serpent figures throughout Mesopotamian history. [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]. Quetzalcoatl was also associated with Venus, the Morning Star, and thus the dawn. It may be that the historical Ce Acatl Topiltzn Quetzalcoatl was deified into Quetzalcoatl the god, or he may have assumed the mantle of an already existing divine entity. In the extant Mayan sources, it has been revealed that Quetzalcoatl, or the Feathered Serpent, was associated with warfare as well as fertility. While at first a fully zoomorphic feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl would later be represented in his human form. Some said that before this he had helped to create the world itself. Here, our plumed serpent gathered the bones of all the previous races that walked the earth. Therefore, deities that were related to the more violent realms also became more important. Different cultures associated him with priesthood and kingship, further complicating his mythology in later retellings. The worlds largest pyramid, Tlachihualtepetl, was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl and was built up at the site over a period of a thousand years. In sculptures adorning temples throughout ancient Mexico, he generally appeared as a plumed serpent, although sometimes he had human features as well. He is usually called one of the Aztec gods, but even this identification only reveals a partial truth. So it should be clear that Quetzalcoatl was, indeed, a great mythical figure. [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. The city was known as the center of Quetzalcoatls worship. The east is represented by Xipe Totec who is the Red Tezcatlipoca and the god of gold and farming. 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