Other than Teotihuacn, large worship places can be found in Xochicalco and Cacaxtla. Quetzalcoatls quarrels with his brother Tezcatlipoca sometimes brought about these destructions of the world. The Nahua largely spoke dialects of the same language, Nahuatl, which helped to unify their culture. Montezuma king of the aztecs during the era had even confirmed that Cortes was Quetzalcoatl or a reincarnation of their deity. Whether Quetzalcoatl would return was out of the question. Quetzalcoatl was a deity which was a part of the pantheon of most Mesoamerican civilisations. 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. Quetzalcoatl appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Thor: Love and Thunder. Some said that before this he had helped to create the world itself. As a god, its only logical that such reincarnations would be for the betterment of the earth and its people. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. Over the South presides the Blue Tezcatlipoca, Huitzilopochtli, the god of war. It shows the first signs of a feathered serpent cult amongst ancient civilizations of the region. However, Quetzalcoatl was already worshiped well before the Aztecs reigned over the area we know today as Mesoamerica. Montezuma's failure to act has been attributed to his belief that Cortes was none other than Quetzalcoatl, who had once gone away to the east, promising to return. [19] The most important center was Cholula, where the world's largest pyramid was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl-worship. One of these groups centered around the city of Cholula, where the great pyramid was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. . As the morning star, he was known by the title Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, meaning "lord of the star of the dawn". Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca may have been worshiped as early as 10,000 BC. 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. 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. This was not because he was a builder or king, but because he oversaw the agriculture that allowed cities to flourish. Profile [] Identity []. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. But the history of the former has been handed down to us through an impure Lamanitish source, which has sadly disfigured and perverted the original incidents and teachings of the Savior's life and ministry. Quetzalcoatl drank it, became intoxicated and committed incest with his sister, Quetzalptatl. Alternatively, he left willingly on a raft of snakes, promising to return. Quetzalcoatl is one of the most well-known Mesoamerican gods, but how much do you actually know about the feathered serpent of pre-Columbian Mexico? He also had anthropomorphic forms, for example in his aspects as Ehecatl the wind god. 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. He used his own blood from wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the bones and create mankind. Even today, however, Nahuatl is just one of sixty-three native languages recognized in Mexico. [12] In the Postclassic period (9001519AD), the worship of the feathered-serpent deity centered in the primary Mexican religious center of Cholula. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) 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. The west is represented by Quetzalcoatl who is also the White Tezcatlipoca and the god of light, justice, mercy, and wind. 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. With her arms bent and pulled up against her sides as if to strike, she is . He figures most prominently in the Aztec mythology but it was in the city of Cholula that the cult of Quetzalcoatl enjoyed influence and prominence during the Classic Period of Mesoamerica. Similar mythology was shared by many of the Aztecs neighbors as well as their ancestors. The worlds largest pyramid, Tlachihualtepetl, was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl and was built up at the site over a period of a thousand years. Cholula remained the most important center of worship of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec/Nahua version of the feathered-serpent deity, in the post-classic period. 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.. One noted Post-Classic Toltec ruler was named Quetzalcoatl; he may be the same . In the extant Mayan sources, it has been revealed that Quetzalcoatl, or the Feathered Serpent, was associated with warfare as well as fertility. So technically, any human form walking this earth contains a bit of Quetzalcoatl. By adding a bit of his own blood, he allowed a new civilization to emerge. Ruler of the, Nicholson 2001, Carrasco 1982, Gillespie 1989, Florescano 2002, Lafaye 1987, Townsend 2003, Martnez 1980, Phelan 1970. In some traditions, he was considered to be the creator of mankind. Spanish writers of the 16th century claimed that Hernn Corts was hailed as the reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl when he arrived in Mexico in 1519. The Aztecs werent a big fan of chronological order and shook up the world of the gods. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. While not usually feathered, classic Maya serpent iconography seems[original research?] In a version of the myth, Quetzalcoatl was born by a virgin named Chimalman, to whom the god Ometeotl appeared in a dream. 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. He is a former head writer at VIVA Travel Guides. How should one worship the sun? The meaning of his name is "Winged Serpent" or "Feathered Serpent". 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. Minster, Christopher. Mayans had deities with feathered serpent as their names. Minster, Christopher. Did the Incas worship Quetzalcoatl? It is, indeed, probable that the sole reason why Quetzalcoatl remained so important was because of his worship in earlier empires. In Aztec culture, this was considered to be one of the most important primal forces. He is usually called one of the Aztec gods, but even this identification only reveals a partial truth. Dated to around 900 BC, it depicts a serpent rising up behind a person probably engaged in a shamanic ritual. For example, the Aztecs revered him as the god of the priesthood, knowledge, and trade. Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. Over time, Quetzalcoatl's appearance, clothing, malevolent nature, and status among the gods were reshaped to fit a more Christian framework. The trip was far from easy, but Quetzalcoatl was able to complete it. Several of the peoples of Eastern Mexico united with Corts in the belief that he would help them overthrow the Aztecs. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He appears seated in Omnipotence City of the gods, where all major deities are located, during an announcement from leader of the gods, Zeus. For this reason, it is also believed that offers to Quetzalcoatl were one of only a few that should not include human sacrifice. 1. READ MORE: Sun Gods: Ancient Solar Deities From Around the World. Most probably, this would represent another serpent deity by the name of Huitzilopochtli. https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-quetzalcoatl-2136322 (accessed March 2, 2023). Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. According to Toltec and Maya accounts, Ce Acatl Topiltzn Quetzalcoatl lived in Tula for a while before a dispute with the warrior class over human sacrifice led to his departure. Xolotl was the sinister god of monstrosities who wears the spirally-twisted wind jewel and the ear ornaments of Quetzalcoatl. According to stories, Aztec people only ate animals or roots until Quetzalcoatl arrived. Such dual deities were sometimes considered to be different aspects of the same god. He was a god of wind, culture, knowledge, and creation. 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 History of Guns, Greek Mythology: Stories, Characters, Gods, and Culture, Aztec Mythology: Important Stories and Characters, Greek Gods and Goddesses: Family Tree and Fun Facts, Roman Gods and Goddesses: The Names and Stories of 29 Ancient Roman Gods, How Quetzalcoatl Created and Sustained Humans, How Quetzalcoatl Became Part of the Tezcatlipocas, Aztec and Maya Serpent Imagery of Quetzalcoatl, Water Gods and Sea Gods From Around the World, Sun Gods: Ancient Solar Deities From Around the World, 10 Gods of Death and the Underworld From Around the World, Herne the Hunter: Spirit of Windsor Forest, Sif: The Golden-Haired Goddess of the Norse, iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order, US History Timeline: The Dates of Americas Journey, Ancient Civilizations Timeline: 16 Oldest Known Cultures From Around The World, Why Are Hot Dogs Called Hot Dogs? One of the jewels he is depicted with is the wind jewel, affirming his status as a wind god. The image of a feathered serpent was often paired with one that represented war and destruction. [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. He wouldnt become the new Aztec ruler, however. Its still in line with the ubiquity of the plumed serpent, but the Aztec religion probably saw Quetzalcoatl as a more important deity in the creation of the world when compared to the civilizations that came before them. [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. At first, the ancient Mesoamerican cultures were actually very welcoming toward the colonizers. Cortes continued to play the role of Quetzalcoatl for many years and eventually impacted others to convert. 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]. [41] However, in 1892 one president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, John Taylor, wrote:[42]. 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. Rise early to appreciate the magnificence of her rising, and try to spend some time soaking up her warmth whenever you can. The four suns before Quetzalcoatl had been destroyed by disastrous events, like floods, fires, and volcanic eruptions. Quetzalcoatl wasnt all that happy with it, however. 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