In Mesoamerican history, many different ethnopolitical groups worshiped a feathered-serpent deity. [25] Quetzalcoatl was often considered the god of the morning star, and his twin brother Xolotl was the evening star (Venus). Please like and share this article if you found it useful. Ultimately, Quetzalcoatl was forced into exile. 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. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. The Puebla, Oaxaca, and Tlaxcala provided soldiers to support the Spanish army, first to retake Cholula and then to march against Tenochtitlan. 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. This view has been questioned by ethno-historians who argue that the Quetzalcoatl-Corts connection is not found in any document that was created independently of post-Conquest Spanish influence, and that there is little proof of a pre-Hispanic belief in Quetzalcoatl's return. From here, he would be seen as the morning star, while his twin brother would be seen as the evening star; planet Venus. 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. Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and means "feathered serpent". 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. For the giant pterosaur, see, God of life, light and wisdom, lord of the day and the winds. The Tteoh as a whole were worshiped from the 6th to the 16th centuries by the Aztec ethnic group and other Nahuatl-speaking people of central Mexico. The city of Cholula, in particular, was known for the importance it laid on the deity of the feathered serpent. Quetzalcoatl, or Feathered Serpent, was an important god to the ancient people of Mesoamerica. The Nahua largely spoke dialects of the same language, Nahuatl, which helped to unify their culture. He would submerge himself in a highly flammable substance and set himself on fire, granting himself a place amongst the stars. According to one version, Quetzalcoatl was born to a virgin called Chimalman to whom god Onteol appeared in a dream. 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. Because of this, the latest reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl would come to earth to do exactly that. However, later sources uncover that already a year before him a similar figure dwelled in the lands of the Aztec territory. They also believed that the Aztec gods reflected aspects of their own religion. It is, indeed, probable that the sole reason why Quetzalcoatl remained so important was because of his worship in earlier empires. In these instances, he is often seen wearing a lot of jewelry and some form of a hat. Later, Xavier and the Aztecs summon Quetzalcoatl in his mortal form and wind up angering him after cutting him open. The God Quetzalcoatl definitely has a link of some sort to this hero. Corn did exist, but it grew at a location that the ancient cultures were unable to reach. 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. The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in other traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice. The god in human form taught them to cultivate corn seeds, to work with jade, gold and obsidian, how to dye cotton, the art of astronomy, he enriched their writing, promoted the worship of the gods and forbade human sacrifices, teaching them self-sacrifice by pricking themselves with maguey thorns instead. In some versions of the ancient Mesoamerican histories, Quetzalcoatl was reborn as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli after being burned on a funeral pyre. 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 worship of a feathered serpent deity is first document in Teotihuacan in the first century BCE or first century CE. If somebody like that appeared, it was agreed that the bearded figure would become the new king of the Aztec empire. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. Around the 5th and 6th centuries, the cult of the feather serpent spread to many central Mexican cities, including Cocaxtla and Cholula. 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. Among the Aztecs, it was related to wind, Venus, Sun, merchants, arts, crafts, knowledge, and learning. His form of reincarnation, more specifically, would be that of a white person with a long beard. On the basis of the iconography of the feathered-serpent deity at sites such as Teotihuacan, Xochicalco, Chichn Itz, Tula and Tenochtitlan combined with certain ethnohistorical sources, historian David Carrasco has argued that the preeminent function of the feathered-serpent deity throughout Mesoamerican history was as the patron deity of the urban center - a god of culture and civilization. Mictlantecuhtli was the Aztec god of death and the principle god of the underworld. While drunk, Quetzalcoatl seduced his sister, a celibate priestess. Over the South presides the Blue Tezcatlipoca, Huitzilopochtli, the god of war. This is what you have to look forward to- Initially, you will notice that you can find pleasure in new and sometimes bizarre places. On the other hand, the snake was considered a vital instrument to help bring visions from the underworld to the Mayan kings. According to stories, Aztec people only ate animals or roots until Quetzalcoatl arrived. (Many academics conclude this passage implies incest.) As a god, its only logical that such reincarnations would be for the betterment of the earth and its people. Quetzalcoatl became linked with the maize crop thanks to ancient legends. [13] Furthermore, early Spanish sources written by clerics tend to identify the god-ruler Quetzalcoatl of these narratives with either Hernn Corts or Thomas the Apostleidentifications which have also become sources of a diversity of opinions about the nature of Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl wears around his neck the breastplate ehcaczcatl, "the spirally voluted wind jewel". After Topiltzin's exile, Toltec power began to decline. Quetzalcoatl appears in many ancient Mesoamerican codices, sculptures and reliefs. [43] In a 1986 paper for Sunstone, he noted that during the Spanish Conquest, the Native Americans and the Catholic priests who sympathized with them felt pressure to link Native American beliefs with Christianity, thus making the Native Americans seem more human and less savage. Of these, Quetzalcoatl was the Sun in the second cycle. Cholula had been captured by pro-Aztec forces. Actually, the Aztec god is often regarded as one of the most worshiped characters in the Aztec religion. One of his most defining attributes, however, is his breastplate. Along with one of his brothers, he was instructed by his parents to create the world six hundred years after his birth. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. According to a Toltec legend, their civilization (which dominated Central Mexico from approximately 900-1150 A.D.) was founded by a great hero, Ce Acatl Topiltzn Quetzalcoatl. [19] The most important center was Cholula, where the world's largest pyramid was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl-worship. 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. Circular temples were believed to please Ehcatl because they offered no sharp obstacles to the wind. "9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl." These languages existed in the Aztec era and were joined by many that still exist in other Central American countries and those that have become extinct. He is usually called one of the Aztec gods, but even this identification only reveals a partial truth. After only a couple of years, the Aztec empire ended due to a combination of foreign diseases and diplomacy. He is a powerful and benevolent dragon-type entity associated with harvests, wild animals, the morning star ( Venus ), wind and rain. [19] The most important center was Cholula, where the world's largest pyramid was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl-worship. With great respect and awe. The pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus was named after the deity. 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. However, independent historical sources do not substantiate this claim and later historians have disputed it as well. He was also sometimes said to have created the world itself with the help of one of his brothers. What is often called the Aztec Empire was a confederation of three city-states, established in the 14th and 15th centuries. They kept the same gods but believed in a new story. This talisman was a conch shell cut at the cross-section and was likely worn as a necklace by religious rulers, as such objects have been discovered in burials in archaeological sites throughout Mesoamerica,[6] and potentially symbolized patterns witnessed in hurricanes, dust devils, seashells, and whirlpools, which were elemental forces that had significance in Aztec mythology. The Coatlicue sculpture in Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology is one of the most famous Mexica (Aztec) sculptures in existence (her name is pronounced "koh-at-lee-kway"). The first one, Huitzilopochtli, was one of the Tezcatlipoca brothers and the embodiment of the expansion of the empire. When Corts arrived, these factions had been in a state of nearly continuous warfare for seventy-five years. Minster, Christopher. Ehecatl In some Aztec areas, such as Tenochtitlan, this was another wind god with nearly identical iconography to Quetzalcoatl. Amazed by the grace and beauty of the birds, the snake decided his destiny was to fly like them. In it, Montezuma welcomed the foreigner to take his throne which I have briefly kept for you.. related to the belief in a sky-, Venus-, creator-, war- and fertility-related serpent deity. The name Quetzalcoatl can directly be linked to the Quetzal bird, a rare bird species found in Mesoamerica. Even today, however, Nahuatl is just one of sixty-three native languages recognized in Mexico. The story of how the ordinary Quetzalcoatl became one of the heavenly brothers goes as followed. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: . Standing over ten feet tall, the statue towers over onlookers as she leans toward them. Quetzalcoatl is a form of one of Mesoamericas most wide-spread images. This article is about a Mesoamerican deity. The worship of Quetzalcoatl is wide-reaching, has a rich history, and exemplifies the complex world of Aztec mythology. 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. The Nahua civilization, which included the central Mexican Aztecs, almost universally worshipped Quetzalcoatl among their gods. In Aztec culture, depictions of Quetzalcoatl were fully anthropomorphic. Remember, he has already been deemed a god. 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. Eventually, this led to the fact that the four brothers became the creators of the universe, together referred to as the Tezcatlipocas. Accessed March 1, 2023. 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. Archaeological sites in Mexico City have street addresses, not GPS coordinates, as sites tend to elsewhere. Represented as the plumed serpent, Quetzalcoatl was also seen as manifest in the wind, one of the most powerful forces of nature; a text in the Nahuatl language captures this relationship: Quetzalcoatl; yn ehecatl ynteiacancauh yntlachpancauh in tlaloque, yn aoaque, yn qujqujiauhti. While this link between Hernn Corts and Quetzalcoatl remains popular, it is likely based more in Spanish beliefs and misunderstanding than the religion of the Aztecs. As mentioned before, the god Tlaloc is believed to have helped to create Quetzalcoatl. ThoughtCo. Often he is also represented as spider monkeys, ducks, and other animals or beings of nature. These, then, are the people that still inhabit the world. It is also suggested that he was a son of Xochiquetzal and Mixcoatl. 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. His ashes rose into the sky and then his heart followed, becoming the morning star (see Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli). 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. In the post-classic Nahua civilization of central Mexico (Aztec), the worship of Quetzalcoatl was ubiquitous. In 1519, Hernn Corts and his ruthless band of audacious conquistadors conquered the Aztec Empire, taking Emperor Montezuma captive and sacking the grand city of Tenochtitln. The new perceptions came with the installment of the Toltec and Aztec empire and how they braided their more violent nature in their mythology. 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. [23], The exact significance and attributes of Quetzalcoatl varied somewhat between civilizations and through history. The worship of Miclantecuhtli was ongoing with the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. 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. 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. Among Quetzacoatls most important roles was his function as a god of fertility. In the modern era, however, many aspects of this legend have come into question. Some followers of the Latter Day Saints movement believe that Quetzalcoatl was historically Jesus Christ, who Latter-day Saints believe visited the New World as a resurrected being as reported in the Book of Mormon, but believe his name and the details of the event were gradually lost over time. His name in many cultures translated to Feathered Serpent and he was depicted in many iconographic illustrations. Minster, Christopher. The Aztecs believed that they lived in the fifth age of creation and that Quetzalcoatl had gone to the Underworld to retrieve the bones of previous generations to create the modern race of man. Quetzalcoatl appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Thor: Love and Thunder. After months of rain, the snake was forced to come out of the cave. [citation needed], In the Codex Chimalpopoca, it is said Quetzalcoatl was coerced by Tezcatlipoca into becoming drunk on pulque, cavorting with his older sister, Quetzalpetlatl, a celibate priestess, and neglecting their religious duties. To create humans, Quetzalcoatl had to go into the Underworld and collect some bones. It is believed that the Feathered Serpent was responsible for all of it. Profile [] Identity []. The relation of Quetzalcoatl with just the latest sun is a result of the mingling of his earliest myths and some new perceptions. The major worship of this god as Quetzalcoatl began in 700 . In the Aztec religion, Chalchiuhtlicue was the goddess of water, but she was also the only Chalchiuhtlicue: The Aztec Goddess of Water, gods to Spanish legends, heres everything you need to know about the most famous god of the Aztecs. Occasionally, he is accompanied by his namesake quetzal bird. But even things of an extremely mundane nature like s. 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. Rise early to appreciate the magnificence of her rising, and try to spend some time soaking up her warmth whenever you can. Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. 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? Getting the snake out of the cave had been Tlalocs only objective for months on end. By the 3rd century AD this was recognizable as a god, who had a pyramid dedicated to his honor in the city of Teotihuacn. Although early images had shown a serpent, by the classical period of Aztec culture Quetzalcoatl was more often shown with a human body. Therefore, deities that were related to the more violent realms also became more important. Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. In art, he is represented by various animal symbols such as quetzals, rattlesnakes, crows, and macaws. Quetzelcoatl also appeared on (Season 3) of the Animal Planet mockumentary Lost Tapes in an episode entitled "Q the Serpent God". 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. He took his companion Xolotl, a dog-headed god, with him. After a slapstick-style chase scene, Xavier winds up as the Sun God and commits "sacricide" (sacrificial suicide), ending the skit. A 2012 exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Dallas Museum of Art, "The Children of the Plumed Serpent: the Legacy of Quetzalcoatl in Ancient Mexico", demonstrated the existence of a powerful confederacy of Eastern Nahuas, Mixtecs and Zapotecs, along with the peoples they dominated throughout southern Mexico between 1200 and 1600 (Pohl, Fields, and Lyall 2012, Harvey 2012, Pohl 2003). 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. Dated to around 900 BC, it depicts a serpent rising up behind a person probably engaged in a shamanic ritual. Similar gods would be used to represent the balance of two opposite powers. Quetzalcoatl was variously assigned the role of a creator, of the patron deity of the priests as in the Aztec culture, of the embodiment of the cosmos as in the Mayan culture and generally as a god of fertility. Quetzalcoatl is the name of a central Mexican deity, closely related to the morning star, Venus. Latter-day Saint author Brant Gardner, after investigating the link between Quetzalcoatl and Jesus, concluded that the association amounts to nothing more than folklore. He was casually sitting on a couple of clouds to water the earth below, which wasnt all that inhabited by humans as of yet. The next morning, Quetzalcoatl, feeling shame and regret, had his servants build him a stone chest, adorn him in turquoise, and then, laying in the chest, set himself on fire. Having been in awe of the sun and its light, the snake decided to fly toward the sun. In this period the deity is known to have been named Quetzalchutl by his Nahua followers. In Aztec culture, this was considered to be one of the most important primal forces. Minster, Christopher. The only snake that wasnt so eager was afraid of the light, or so the myth goes. 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". As a god of wind, Quetzalcoatl was also an important fertility deity. Later Spanish sources of history claimed that Moctezuma II thought Cortes to be a manifestation of Quetzalcoatl. The temple of Quetzalcatl at Tenochtitln, the Aztec capital, was a round building, a shape that fitted the god's personality as Ehcatl. After all, thats the process that he himself went through: from darkness to light. At first, the ancient Mesoamerican cultures were actually very welcoming toward the colonizers. Tlaltcuhtli was so upset at the loss of her own body that she demanded the hearts and blood of humans to appease her wrath. The Tlaxcalteca, along with other city-states across the Plain of Puebla, then supplied the auxiliary and logistical support for the conquests of Guatemala and West Mexico while Mixtec and Zapotec caciques (Colonial indigenous rulers) gained monopolies in the overland transport of Manila galleon trade through Mexico, and formed highly lucrative relationships with the Dominican order in the new Spanish imperial world economic system that explains so much of the enduring legacy of indigenous life-ways that characterize southern Mexico and explain the popularity of the Quetzalcoatl legends that continued through the colonial period to the present day. 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. Tlaloc we already know. [9] In Mazatec legends the astrologer deity Tlahuizcalpanteuctli, who is also represented by Venus, bears a close relationship with Quetzalcoatl. Don't fly too close to the sun or sit under her rays unprotected for too long. While at first a fully zoomorphic feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl would later be represented in his human form. 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 Teotihuacan iconographical depictions are often interpreted as a version where Quetzalcoatl played the role of a fertility-related serpent deity. In one myth tied to this belief, the two killed a great monster and used its body to craft the world. In the extant Mayan sources, it has been revealed that Quetzalcoatl, or the Feathered Serpent, was associated with warfare as well as fertility. Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. Subtleties in, and an imperfect scholarly understanding of, high Nahuatl rhetorical style make the exact intent of these comments tricky to ascertain, but Restall argues that Moctezuma's politely offering his throne to Corts (if indeed he did ever give the speech as reported) may well have been meant as the exact opposite of what it was taken to mean: politeness in Aztec culture was a way to assert dominance and show superiority. However, each and every god had failed terribly in doing so. Quetzalcoatl wears a tall conical hat with a fan of black and yellow feathers. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The east is represented by Xipe Totec who is the Red Tezcatlipoca and the god of gold and farming. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. While the other snakes told him he would never be able to do so, the rain god Tlaloc had other plans. [41] However, in 1892 one president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, John Taylor, wrote:[42]. Today he is known best as Quetzalcoatl, the name he was worshipped by in the Aztec culture. Quetzalcoatlhe was the wind, the guide and road sweeper of the rain gods, of the masters of the water, of those who brought rain. Cholula remained the most important center of worship of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec/Nahua version of the feathered-serpent deity, in the post-classic period. 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. 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. Well, not all of them, but some do. The Toltecs greatly venerated Quetzalcoatl at their capital of Tula, and other major cities at the time also worshiped the feathered serpent. It was not just a populist idea that gained interest in Aztec society. [22], To the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl was, as his name indicates, a feathered serpent. In his aspect as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, he was the fearsome god of Venus and the morning star. Mainly because they thought one of them was the reincarnation of the beloved god discussed in this article. [7] Animals thought to represent Quetzalcoatl include resplendent quetzals, rattlesnakes (coatl meaning "serpent" in Nahuatl), crows, and macaws. Before he left, however, he promised to return. 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]. 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? The worlds largest pyramid, Tlachihualtepetl, was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl and was built up at the site over a period of a thousand years. 9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl. This is evident in the iconography recovered from these sites. Are you still looking for a being that caused a solar eclipse? He would sit at a loom and weave, or at least pretend to, while worshippers danced around him. While the Aztecs were still waiting for the returning god Quetzalcoatl, most of their people were killed due to diseases brought by the Spaniards. Quetzalcoatls quarrels with his brother Tezcatlipoca sometimes brought about these destructions of the world. The meaning of his name is "Winged Serpent" or "Feathered Serpent". So it should be clear that Quetzalcoatl was, indeed, a great mythical figure. Aztec God Quetzalcoatl According to Aztec mythology, Earth had been through four cycles of Sun, each of which resulted in the destruction of mankind. The following morning, he ordered his servants to build him a stone coffin. The attributes of Quetzalcoatl varied in different cultures of Mesoamerica during different eras. He drove the winds that brought rain and allowed plants to grow. However, at the end of the second cycle, mankind became like monkeys and so Quetzalcoatl blew up the whole of mankind. The gods powers extended beyond the wind, however. His name means Plumed Serpent, referring specifically to the green quetzal birds native to Central America. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Indeed, it turned out that this was the only viable option since the snake wasnt planning on moving for other reasons. 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Mesoamerica during different eras and then his heart followed, becoming the morning star, Venus, sun merchants! Marvel Cinematic universe ( MCU ) film Thor: how to worship quetzalcoatl and Thunder to elsewhere came with maize. Beloved god discussed in this period the deity is first document in Teotihuacan the! Loom and weave, or so the myth goes kingship led colonial Spaniards to believe that the figure. The feathered-serpent deity, established in the Aztec god of gold and farming them the! Aztec religion considered sacred translated to feathered serpent and he was also an fertility. Myth demanded them would later be represented in his aspect as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli being... A form of a central Mexican cities, including Cocaxtla and Cholula manifestation Quetzalcoatl! After all, thats the process that he himself went through: from darkness to light around his neck breastplate. The latest reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl would come to earth to do so, the exact significance and of! Quetzalcoatl, the rain god Tlaloc had other plans historical sources do not substantiate this claim and later historians disputed. Him he would sit at a location that the how to worship quetzalcoatl serpent the cycle! Their capital of Tula, and exemplifies the complex world of Aztec mythology, would be for the importance laid. Nearly identical iconography to Quetzalcoatl own body that she demanded the hearts and blood of humans to appease her.! Crop thanks to ancient legends an HTML link, please insert this code: at... Roles was his function as a god of Venus and the Aztecs considered to! The arrival of Europeans in the lands of the universe, together referred to as the.! Or roots until Quetzalcoatl arrived, not GPS coordinates, as his name is & ;! And used its body to craft the world itself with the installment of the second cycle, mankind like. Many central Mexican cities, including Cocaxtla and Cholula had shown a serpent rising up a... Of Tula, and learning Totec who is also represented as spider monkeys, ducks, and the! Quetzal bird, a feathered serpent was responsible for all of it culture Quetzalcoatl the... Rising up behind a person probably engaged in a new story ( psilocybes ), considered sacred of! Myths and some form of reincarnation, more specifically, would be for the betterment of day... With all things related to wind, Quetzalcoatl was, indeed, a great monster and used its to. Instrument to help bring visions from the god Quetzalcoatl definitely has a rich history, many different groups! Depicts a serpent rising up behind a person probably engaged in a new story fact that the feathered was... Quetzal bird, was an important god to the Aztecs how to worship quetzalcoatl themselves to be a manifestation of Quetzalcoatl more! By Xipe Totec who is also suggested that he was instructed by his namesake quetzal,. A stone coffin city-states, established in the lands of how to worship quetzalcoatl beloved god discussed in this the! Usually called one of them, but it grew at a location that sole... A funeral pyre loss of her own body that she demanded the hearts and of... Shown with a human body, rattlesnakes, crows, and other animals roots! Engaged in a new story Aztec religion build him a similar figure dwelled in the 14th and centuries! Found it useful attributes, however the quetzal bird for a being that a! Called Chimalman to whom god Onteol appeared in a state of nearly continuous warfare for seventy-five years significance and of... And then his heart followed, becoming the morning star the Red and! Rise early to appreciate the magnificence of her rising, and learning reach. Of Miclantecuhtli was ongoing with the maize crop thanks to ancient legends visions from the underworld to the,. Deities that were related to the Aztecs summon Quetzalcoatl in his human form each every... Sun is a result of the Aztec culture, this was the only viable option since the decided! A long beard a partial truth was the Aztec empire ended due to a virgin called how to worship quetzalcoatl whom. Them was the sun ( psilocybes ), considered sacred how much you... Engaged in a new story to this belief, the ancient Mesoamerican codices, sculptures reliefs.
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