With great respect and awe. With her arms bent and pulled up against her sides as if to strike, she is . Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death and the principle god of the underworld. The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in colonial traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice. 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. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. His ashes rose into the sky and then his heart followed, becoming the morning star (see Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli). In fact, he wanted to tempt him to come out into the light. Although figuring prominently in many Mesoamerican mythologies, Quetzalcoatl also spawned a cult of his own. Often our current time was considered the fifth sun,[29] the previous four having been destroyed by flood, fire and the like. Quetzalcoatl, or "Feathered Serpent," was an important god to the ancient people of Mesoamerica. 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. He also has red and green feathers around his head and back. Aztec ceremonies often lasted several days . And when the wind rose, when the dust rumbled, and it crack and there was a great din, became it became dark and the wind blew in many directions, and it thundered; then it was said: "[Quetzalcoatl] is wrathful. This is also evident in the duality of serpent figures throughout Mesopotamian history. Quetzalcoatl is but one of the Aztec gods and goddesses that has animal-like characteristics. There is no surviving account of this myth in native sources, however. 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. One day, Quetzalcoatls twin brother would coerce him into drinking pulque, a classic Mexican alcoholic beverage still served to this day. It was here that the name Quetzalcoatl was given to him by his Nahua followers. Aztec Gods Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Quetzalcoatl occupied a unique position in the Aztec pantheon and was considered one of the most important gods. Quetzelcoatl also appeared on (Season 3) of the Animal Planet mockumentary Lost Tapes in an episode entitled "Q the Serpent God". This made it an important sign of fertility because it brought with it the rains that renewed the earth. One of the most often-repeated stories involving Quetzalcoatl was one that spread after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in Mexico. Most probably, this would represent another serpent deity by the name of Huitzilopochtli. Other than Teotihuacn, large worship places can be found in Xochicalco and Cacaxtla. 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. Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. 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. This strongly suggests that these deities were Mayan equivalents of Quetzalcoatl. Manage Settings The domestication of corn in Mesoamerica, about 10,000 years ago, is referred to as humanitys greatest achievement when it comes to agriculture. The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in other traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice. Although this proves that the concept of a divine feathered serpent has been around a long time, most historians agree that the cult of Quetzalcoatl did not come about until the late Classic era, hundreds of years later. This is largely due to the story that the Aztec king welcomed Hernn Corts, the Spanish conquistador, as the reincarnation of the god. For example, the Aztecs revered him as the god of the priesthood, knowledge, and trade. After all, thats the process that he himself went through: from darkness to light. The Ehecailacozcatl is inspired by the spirals of a conch shell, which is one of Quetzelcoatls symbols. The south is represented by Huitzilopochtli who is the Blue Tezcatlipoca and the god of war. Such dual deities were sometimes considered to be different aspects of the same god. It is also suggested that he was a son of Xochiquetzal and Mixcoatl. Quetzalcoatl wasnt all that happy with it, however. However, this legend likely has a foundation in events that took place immediately prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. The Aztecs werent a big fan of chronological order and shook up the world of the gods. However, later sources uncover that already a year before him a similar figure dwelled in the lands of the Aztec territory. [5] It was one of several important gods in the Aztec pantheon, along with the gods Tlaloc, Tezcatlipoca and Huitzilopochtli. After the first sun, Quetzalcoatl attacked his brother with a stone club, which caused Tezcatlipoca to command that his jaguars eat all of the people. Accessed March 1, 2023. The city of Cholula, in particular, was known for the importance it laid on the deity of the feathered serpent. According to Aztec mythology, Earth had been through four cycles of Sun, each of which resulted in the destruction of mankind. He used his own blood from wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the bones and create mankind. Quetzalcoatl has been worshiped by all the major Mesoamerican cultures including the Mayans and the Aztecs. He sometimes carries flowers or sacrificial tools. 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]. To create humans, Quetzalcoatl had to go into the Underworld and collect some bones. In the Aztec ritual calendar, different deities were associated with the cycle-of-year names: Quetzalcoatl was tied to the year Ce Acatl (One Reed), which correlates to the year 1519. Why is that? READ MORE: Water Gods and Sea Gods From Around the World. 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 . Xolotl Among the Aztecs, this was Quetzalcoatls twin. But had Montezuma struck quickly at these intruders as they were marching inland, he likely could have defeated them. 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. Each of these four sons presides over one of the four cardinal directions. His representation of heaven and hell is also interpreted in different realms. This constitutes the Late Pre-Classic Period of the Mayan civilization. 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 Spanish helped non-Aztec groups reclaim territory that included a massive pyramid dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. While the Aztecs were still waiting for the returning god Quetzalcoatl, most of their people were killed due to diseases brought by the Spaniards. 3. 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. Where once feathered snakes were worshiped all over, after the Spanish conquest the locals were forced into worshiping Jesus Christ. At this particular address, behind the green door, next . The four suns before Quetzalcoatl had been destroyed by disastrous events, like floods, fires, and volcanic eruptions. Quetzalcoatls quarrels with his brother Tezcatlipoca sometimes brought about these destructions of the world. As a god, its only logical that such reincarnations would be for the betterment of the earth and its people. By the 3rd century AD this was recognizable as a god, who had a pyramid dedicated to his honor in the city of Teotihuacn. 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. What a conundrum. A wide range of maize crops are still eaten to this date, both by the Mexicans that have adopted many of the European habits, and the remaining Indigenous peoples of central Mexico. While with all the feathers it might resemble more of a dragon and move a bit away from classic depiction, it is really meant to be Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl stole the bones from the Underworld, taking great risks and evading many traps to bring them to the surface. Hernn Corts, perhaps the most notorious colonizer, is often identified as this very reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl. 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. In general, he is considered the god of wisdom, the god of the Aztec ritual calendar, the god of corn and maize, and oftentimes a symbol of death and resurrection.The different roles of Quetzalcoatl are partly attributable to a series of reincarnations. While the inhabitants of Teotihuacan were the first ones to worship Quetzalcoatl, the Aztecs reinterpreted him over time. This, too, can be seen in the birth of Quetzalcoatl. (Many academics conclude this passage implies incest.) The temple can be found at Teotihuacan and was erected in the third century. Aztec God Quetzalcoatl According to one myth, Quetzalcoatl was born to a virgin called Chimalman to whom god Onteol appeared in a dream. They inhabited the top of the Great Pyramid dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc. Ruler of the, Nicholson 2001, Carrasco 1982, Gillespie 1989, Florescano 2002, Lafaye 1987, Townsend 2003, Martnez 1980, Phelan 1970. The Nahua largely spoke dialects of the same language, Nahuatl, which helped to unify their culture. Quetzalcoatl (pronounced Keh-tzal-coh-AH-tl) is the feathered serpent god of the Aztecs and Toltecs. Quetzalcoatls twin, Xolotl, was a god associated with death. The shift in perception had to do with a bigger emphasis on war and human sacrifice in these empires. Quetzalcoatl (/ktslkotl/[3]) [pron 1] is a deity in Aztec culture and literature. The Aztecs eventually called Quetzalcoatl for help. He is further related to the gods of wind, with human sacrifice and to the morning star in the Aztec mythology. 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