Similarly, various other birth stories are also associated with Quetzalcoatl. The language is spoken today in the highlands of central Guatemala. 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. Quetzalcoatl was also associated with Venus, the Morning Star, and thus the dawn. Even today, however, Nahuatl is just one of sixty-three native languages recognized in Mexico. Round monuments occur particularly often in Huastec territory. 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. The Church of Latter Day Saints, better known as the Mormons, teaches that Jesus Christ walked the Earth after his resurrection, spreading the word of Christianity to all corners of the globe. He sometimes carries flowers or sacrificial tools. The Name Quetzalcoatl This would oppose the other serpent rising in the exact opposite direction, namely outwards. Each of these four sons presides over one of the four cardinal directions. Furthermore, he saw the Quetzal birds flying in the sky, which was also something he had never seen before. [19] The most important center was Cholula, where the world's largest pyramid was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl-worship. 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. This is evident in the iconography recovered from these sites. 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. Instead, these stories were probably the invention of Franciscan monks who followed the initial conquest of Mexico. [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). Welcome. As shown by his spiral jewel, Quetzalcoatl was a god of wind. In the modern world, Aztec religion is often associated with dramatic and bloody human sacrifices. A Walking Tour of the Maya Capital of Chichn Itz, The Chac Mool Sculptures of Ancient Mexico, Influence of the Olmec Civilization on Mesoamerica. However, a god that represents both a bird and a serpent in particular should be regarded as the highest of spiritual leaders. Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. [need quotation to verify] Codex drawings pictured both Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl wearing an ehcaczcatl around the neck. By 1200 AD, Quetzalcoatls iconography had become more fixed. READ MORE: 10 Gods of Death and the Underworld From Around the World. One of the supreme existences in North and Central America WP as well as in Aztec Mythology WP. 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. It was not just a populist idea that gained interest in Aztec society. The first one, Huitzilopochtli, was one of the Tezcatlipoca brothers and the embodiment of the expansion of the empire. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. It is also suggested that he was a son of Xochiquetzal and Mixcoatl. The most astonishing aspect of their worship, at least to the Spaniards, was their habit of human sacrifice . [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. Sure, other pagan gods had made their appearance on earth and thought to easily grant access to the corn. [12] In the Postclassic period (9001519AD), the worship of the feathered-serpent deity centered in the primary Mexican religious center of Cholula. Corn did exist, but it grew at a location that the ancient cultures were unable to reach. 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 . For this reason, it is also believed that offers to Quetzalcoatl were one of only a few that should not include human sacrifice. While not usually feathered, classic Maya serpent iconography seems[original research?] Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. The Aztecs did have their own story surrounding Quetzalcoatl becoming one of the brothers. Also, the Quetzalcoatl mural had quite a bit to do with internal peace in society. The Toltecs and Nahuas worshiped the god before he was eventually adopted by the Aztecs. Of these, Quetzalcoatl was the Sun in the second cycle. In the underworld, Quetzalcoatl went all the way to Mictln; the lowest region of the Aztec underworld. Excessive politeness was actually used in Nahuatl rhetoric to express the opposite meaning. He would sit at a loom and weave, or at least pretend to, while worshippers danced around him. Toltec religion. [18][need quotation to verify]. Often he is also represented as spider monkeys, ducks, and other animals or beings of nature. Occasionally, he is accompanied by his namesake quetzal bird. Quetzalcoatl had aspects in which he functioned as other gods. Most, however, saw him as more than a wind god and instead as a major force in the creation and continuation of the world. After only a couple of years, the Aztec empire ended due to a combination of foreign diseases and diplomacy. 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. Quetzalcoatls quarrels with his brother Tezcatlipoca sometimes brought about these destructions of the world. This idea of return stemmed from a supposed speech given by Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, to Corts when the Spanish arrived at Tenochtitlan. Minster, Christopher. 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. Whether Quetzalcoatl would return was out of the question. 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. 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. While at first a fully zoomorphic feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl would later be represented in his human form. Since the sixteenth century, it has been widely held that the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II initially believed the landing of Hernn Corts in 1519 to be Quetzalcoatl's return. This didnt help a lot to overcome their cruel intentions, however. Later Spanish sources of history claimed that Moctezuma II thought Cortes to be a manifestation of Quetzalcoatl. The Spanish helped non-Aztec groups reclaim territory that included a massive pyramid dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. How should one worship the sun? Each age of the world was given a new sun, and the world was on its Fifth Sun, having been destroyed four times previously. Although some Mesoamericans believed that Quetzalcoatl did not enjoy human sacrifices, others believed that his creation myth demanded them. Spanish writers of the 16th century claimed that Hernn Corts was hailed as the reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl when he arrived in Mexico in 1519. [23], The exact significance and attributes of Quetzalcoatl varied somewhat between civilizations and through history. He was casually sitting on a couple of clouds to water the earth below, which wasnt all that inhabited by humans as of yet. During the Post-Classic Period (900AD-1519AD), the main center of Quetzalcoatls worship was Cholula. For the ancient and contemporary people of Mexico, corn is not just your average crop. In the 16th century, Spaniards conquered the Aztec Empire. Aztec Gods Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Quetzalcoatl occupied a unique position in the Aztec pantheon and was considered one of the most important gods. [22], To the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl was, as his name indicates, a feathered serpent. Quetzalcoatl appears in many ancient Mesoamerican codices, sculptures and reliefs. Quetzalcoatl was a jack of many trades, a truth also reflected in the stories surrounding his birth. Mexico's flagship airline Aeromxico has a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner painted in a special Quetzalcoatl livery. His ashes rose into the sky and then his heart followed, becoming the morning star (see Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli). Quetzalcoatl became, in fact, the very title of the most important priests: the twin Aztec High Priests. The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in other traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice. Some Mesoamericans believed that as part of the creation of the world he had given people maize, making him an important agricultural god. Human worship. Mayans had deities with feathered serpent as their names. 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. In fact, he flew straight into it, leading to a total eclipse. 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. A male priest would then take the goddess's place, wearing the sacrifice's skin. Looking at the iconography and retold myths of Mesoamerica, some historians have theories that Quetzalcoatl came to be associated with culture and urban civilization. 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 shift in perception had to do with a bigger emphasis on war and human sacrifice in these empires. 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. In Xochicalco, depictions of the feathered serpent accompany the image of a seated, armed ruler and the hieroglyph for the day sign 9 Wind. Xolotl was the sinister god of monstrosities who wears the spirally-twisted wind jewel and the ear ornaments of Quetzalcoatl. He also encouraged them to worship a different god, Quetzalcoatl (kehtsahlkoh AHT uhl), or the Feathered Serpent. Chichen Itza is famous for its Temple of Kukulcn, which was their name for Quetzalcoatl. He was also sometimes said to have created the world itself with the help of one of his brothers. In Aztec culture, depictions of Quetzalcoatl were fully anthropomorphic. The attributes of Quetzalcoatl varied in different cultures of Mesoamerica during different eras. Dated to around 900 BC, it depicts a serpent rising up behind a person probably engaged in a shamanic ritual. Where once feathered snakes were worshiped all over, after the Spanish conquest the locals were forced into worshiping Jesus Christ. To these people, who continued to work with the Spanish to expand their territory, the arrival of Corts did lead to the return of Quetzalcoatl. 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. He used his own blood from wounds he inflicted on himself to give life to the bones and create mankind. Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. This made it an important sign of fertility because it brought with it the rains that renewed the earth. The temple can be found at Teotihuacan and was erected in the third century. The trip was far from easy, but Quetzalcoatl was able to complete it. The city was known as the center of Quetzalcoatls worship. The first documented worship of Quetzalcoatl is found in Theotihuacan during the first century BC or first century AD. Although the citys main temple was not dedicated to him, the priests of the city took his name and his iconography was prevalent. Ruler of the, Nicholson 2001, Carrasco 1982, Gillespie 1989, Florescano 2002, Lafaye 1987, Townsend 2003, Martnez 1980, Phelan 1970. Drunkenness was forbidden, so Tezcatlipoca disguised himself as a medicine man and offered Quetzalcoatl alcohol disguised as a medicinal potion. 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? The east is represented by Xipe Totec who is the Red Tezcatlipoca and the god of gold and farming. Because of this, the latest reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl would come to earth to do exactly that. Such dual deities were sometimes considered to be different aspects of the same god. Thats quite a big deal, because for the people in ancient Mexico, maize, or corn, is not just a crop. Did the Incas worship Quetzalcoatl? His form of reincarnation, more specifically, would be that of a white person with a long beard. While other gods had relied on brute force for reaching the other side, Quetzalcoatl relied on intelligence in order to reach the maize. Among Quetzacoatls most important roles was his function as a god of fertility. 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. This, too, can be seen in the birth of Quetzalcoatl. 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. "[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. Quetzalcoatl was the Aztec version of this plumed snake archetype. Getting the snake out of the cave had been Tlalocs only objective for months on end. Alternatively, he left willingly on a raft of snakes, promising to return. Quetzalcoatlhe was the wind, the guide and road sweeper of the rain gods, of the masters of the water, of those who brought rain. Well, not all of them, but some do. From here, he would be seen as the morning star, while his twin brother would be seen as the evening star; planet Venus. The Aztec confederacy was opposed by other Nahua groups to the east. . For example, the Aztecs revered him as the god of the priesthood, knowledge, and trade. 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. 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 is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and means "feathered serpent". The major worship of this god as Quetzalcoatl began in 700 . Along with one of his brothers, he was instructed by his parents to create the world six hundred years after his birth. Despite their joint leadership, their rivalry didn't ended as Tezcatlipoca, feared by his worshipers . After a slapstick-style chase scene, Xavier winds up as the Sun God and commits "sacricide" (sacrificial suicide), ending the skit. 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. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Based on the birth story of Quetzalcoatl, it seems safe to assume that the fourth sun was destroyed because of the floods caused by Tlaloc. 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. Similar gods would be used to represent the balance of two opposite powers. Some legends describe him as opposed to human sacrifice[26] while others describe him practicing it.[27][28]. He took his companion Xolotl, a dog-headed god, with him. The story of the life of the Mexican divinity, Quetzalcoatl, closely resembles that of the Savior; so closely, indeed, that we can come to no other conclusion than that Quetzalcoatl and Christ are the same being. Quetzalcoatl went to Mictlan, the underworld, and created fifth-world mankind from the bones of the previous races (with the help of Cihuacoatl), using his own blood, from a wound he inflicted on his earlobes, calves, tongue, and penis, to imbue the bones with new life. 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