Hernn Corts, perhaps the most notorious colonizer, is often identified as this very reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl. However, at the end of the second cycle, mankind became like monkeys and so Quetzalcoatl blew up the whole of mankind. Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. Did the Incas worship Quetzalcoatl? Welcome. There are several stories about the birth of Quetzalcoatl. In these instances, he is often seen wearing a lot of jewelry and some form of a hat. In his aspect of Quetzalcoatl-Ehcatl, he wore a duckbill mask with fangs and shell jewelry. Quetzalcoatl has been worshiped by all the major Mesoamerican cultures including the Mayans and the Aztecs. The relation of Quetzalcoatl with just the latest sun is a result of the mingling of his earliest myths and some new perceptions. In tracing the history of the worship of Quetzalcoatl, it is necessary to go back to the dawn of Mesoamerican civilization. What did Quetzalcoatl teach? They inhabited the top of the Great Pyramid dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc. 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. [38] Some Franciscans at this time held millennarian beliefs[39] and some of them believed that Corts' coming to the New World ushered in the final era of evangelization before the coming of the millennium. Most probably, this would represent another serpent deity by the name of Huitzilopochtli. ; (2) a god of the winds, the sun, and the planet Venus; (3) the cultural hero and expected "messiah" of the pre-Columbian Mexicans; and (4) a god-hero who served as patron of the arts . 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. This made crops grow and brought water for drinking. 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. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. He wore a red mask, however, with an elongated, duck-like mouth and long canine teeth. The first documented worship of Quetzalcoatl is found in Theotihuacan during the first century BC or first century AD. He appears in Post-classic tales from the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec cultures. Quetzalcoatl, or "Feathered Serpent," was an important god to the ancient people of Mesoamerica. Because of this, the latest reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl would come to earth to do exactly that. Quetzalcoatl is the most recognizable name among the Aztec gods. At this particular address, behind the green door, next . Different cultures associated him with priesthood and kingship, further complicating his mythology in later retellings. What are the facts associated with this mysterious god? Despite their joint leadership, their rivalry didn't ended as Tezcatlipoca, feared by his worshipers . 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. The south is represented by Huitzilopochtli who is the Blue Tezcatlipoca and the god of war. [44], Quetzalcoatl was fictionalized in the 1982 film Q as a monster that terrorizes New York City. 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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. The ancient Olmec civilization lasted roughly from 1200 to 400 B.C. Among the Aztecs, it was related to wind, Venus, Sun, merchants, arts, crafts, knowledge, and learning. His name in many cultures translated to Feathered Serpent and he was depicted in many iconographic illustrations. Quetzalcoatl was not only one of the most important deities in pre-Columbian Mexico, he was also one of the oldest. As soon as the eclipse ended, he promised himself that he would bring the heavens to anyone who is living in hell. In the episode "Damnesia You," Xavier winds up in the Aztec world and is immediately (and unsuccessfully) sacrificed for insulting the Sun God, and during the sacrifice the Aztecs humorously fail to pronounce his name. Xolotl Among the Aztecs, this was Quetzalcoatls twin. Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca may have been worshiped as early as 10,000 BC. 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. Whether Quetzalcoatl would return was out of the question. 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. One of these groups centered around the city of Cholula, where the great pyramid was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. 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. Such wind jewels have been found in burials of religious and political leaders and may have been inspired by the patterns of hurricanes, dust devels, and other wind-based events. This, too, meant the end of the god Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl, or Feathered Serpent, was an important god to the ancient people of Mesoamerica. 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. 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 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. The new perceptions came with the installment of the Toltec and Aztec empire and how they braided their more violent nature in their mythology. Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. At one hand, Mayans considered a snake as the embodiment of the cosmos. Before he left, however, he promised to return. 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. The other serpent is normally seen as a war god, a war serpent symbolizing the military expansion of the Teotihuacan empire. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The Toltecs and Nahuas worshiped the god before he was eventually adopted by the Aztecs. In a version of the myth, Quetzalcoatl was born by a virgin named Chimalman, to whom the god Ometeotl appeared in a dream. Historians debate to what degree, or whether at all, these narratives about this legendary Toltec ruler describe historical events. 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. In some traditions, he was considered to be the creator of mankind. Quetzalcoatl wears around his neck the breastplate ehcaczcatl, "the spirally voluted wind jewel". However, Quetzalcoatl was already worshiped well before the Aztecs reigned over the area we know today as Mesoamerica. He used his own blood from wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the bones and create mankind. Quetzalcoatl is closely associated with the myth of the four cardinal directions. Aztec Gods Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Quetzalcoatl occupied a unique position in the Aztec pantheon and was considered one of the most important gods. The gods powers extended beyond the wind, however. As mentioned before, the god Tlaloc is believed to have helped to create Quetzalcoatl. This, too, can be seen in the birth of Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl drank it, became intoxicated and committed incest with his sister, Quetzalptatl. The Teotihuacan iconographical depictions are often interpreted as a version where Quetzalcoatl played the role of a fertility-related serpent deity. When Cortes and his crew of Spaniards came ashore in Mexico in 1519, many thought they were gods. [19] The most important center was Cholula, where the world's largest pyramid was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl-worship. Although early images had shown a serpent, by the classical period of Aztec culture Quetzalcoatl was more often shown with a human body. They kept the same gods but believed in a new story. The legend of Quetzalcoatl is spoofed in the Adult Swim CGI series Xavier: Renegade Angel. Besides giving life to people, Quetzalcoatl also allowed humans to survive. The major worship of this god as Quetzalcoatl began in 700 . In the iconography of the classic period, Maya serpent imagery is also prevalent: a snake often appears as the embodiment of the sky itself, and a vision serpent is a shamanic helper presenting Maya kings with visions of the underworld. Tlaloc blew the snake into the air, to a point where he was higher than the birds. 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. This idea of return stemmed from a supposed speech given by Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, to Corts when the Spanish arrived at Tenochtitlan. 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. On the basis of the Teotihuacan iconographical depictions of the feathered serpent, archaeologist Karl Taube has argued that the feathered serpent was a symbol of fertility and of internal political structures - contrasting with the War Serpent symbolizing the outwards military expansion of the Teotihuacan empire. How old is the United States of America? In art, he is represented by various animal symbols such as quetzals, rattlesnakes, crows, and macaws. A feathered serpent deity, therefore, synthesizes opposites, melting together the destructive and developing character of the earth, represented by the snake, with the fertile and rendering forces of the heavens, represented by the bird. 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. 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. These sources further claimed that it was because of this superstition that Moctezuma II invited Cortes as a guest and didnt harm him or his soldiers. However, each and every god had failed terribly in doing so. Quetzalcoatl was considered important in the pantheon of Aztec gods. Ultimately, Quetzalcoatl was forced into exile. Quetzalcoatl wasnt all that happy with it, however. Quetzalcoatl appears in many ancient Mesoamerican codices, sculptures and reliefs. Well, not all of them, but some do. The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first document in Teotihuacan in the first century BCE or first century CE. In this period the deity is known to have been named Quetzalchutl by his Nahua followers. 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. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) This made it an important sign of fertility because it brought with it the rains that renewed the earth. The colonization of Mesoamerica, or rather Abya Yala, has severely impacted the area where Quetzalcoatl was worshiped. He appears seated in Omnipotence City of the gods, where all major deities are located, during an announcement from leader of the gods, Zeus. His earrings are made of either jade or spiraling shells. There, they greatly influenced late Mayan culture. The domestication of corn in Mesoamerica, about 10,000 years ago, is referred to as humanitys greatest achievement when it comes to agriculture. 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". Please like and share this article if you found it useful. [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. [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. 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. 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