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. [22], According to another version of the myth, Quetzalcoatl is one of the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, the four Tezcatlipocas, each of whom presides over one of the four cardinal directions. This would lead some to believe that both Quetzalcoatl, and Kukulcan were indeed the same deity, or man as it may be the … Rulers and nobles distinguished themselves from the rest by approaching the God Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl is also called White Tezcatlipoca, to contrast him to the black Tezcatlipoca. (Many academics conclude this passage implies incest.) But also, Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, is one of the primary gods who gave life to other deities, and … A feathered serpent deity has been worshiped by many different ethnopolitical groups in Mesoamerican history. Other … Quetzalcoatl is the god of chocolate, which makes him far more benevolent than any other god could hope to be. [5] 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 (600–900 AD).[6]. [33] This speech, which has been widely referred to, has been a factor in the widespread belief that Moctezuma was addressing Cortés as the returning god Quetzalcoatl. Historians debate to what degree, or whether at all, these narratives about this legendary Toltec ruler describe historical events. His older brothers were Xipe Totec and Tezcatlipoca while his younger brother was Huitzilopochtli. Chimalma caught the arrows in her hand, however, which i… He also had anthropomorphic forms, for example in his aspects as Ehecatl the wind god. He also had anthropomorphic forms, for example in his aspects as Ehecatl the wind god. In Aztec culture, this was considered to be one of the most important primal forces. Pre-Conquest stories describe how Quetzalcoatl was responsible for the creation and destruction of the world along with his sometime competitor Tezcatlipoca. In one version of the story he is one of the 400 children of the snake-skirted goddess Coatlicue. In Aztec Mexico, Quetzalcoatl was the patron god of the schools of higher learning, the calmecac s, and the model for the office of the high priesthood at the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitl á n, in front of which his round temple was apparently located. Other parties have also promulgated the idea that the Mesoamericans believed the conquistadors, and in particular Cortés, to be awaited gods: most notably the historians of the Franciscan order such as Fray Gerónimo de Mendieta. Pretty … He was a creator deity having contributed essentially to the creation of mankind. Quetzalcoatl as a Fertility God. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Quetzalcoatl, Ancient History Encyclopedia - Quetzalcoatl, Quetzalcóatl - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Quetzalcóatl - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). QUETZALCOATL. Quetzelcoatl also appeared on (Season 3) of the Animal Planet mockumentary Lost Tapes in an episode entitled "Q the Serpent God". 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. Members of this confederacy from Tlaxcala, Puebla, and Oaxaca provided the Spaniards with the army that first reclaimed the city of Cholula from its pro-Aztec ruling faction, and ultimately defeated the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City). Often our current time was considered the fifth sun,[citation needed] the previous four having been destroyed by flood, fire and the like. However, a majority of Mesoamericanist scholars, such as Matthew Restall (2003, 2018[33]), 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/Cortés myth" as one of many myths about the Spanish conquest which have risen in the early post-conquest period. [20] 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. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. He was also the ninth of the 13 gods of the daytime hours. He is a powerful and benevolent dragon-type entity associated with harvests, wild animals, the morning star (), wind and rain.He is also a god of learning, reading, and books. Most Mesoamerican beliefs included cycles of suns. The great Quetzalcoatl would since be remembered as the ruler and exemplary politician, civilizing hero, inventor of the calendar, discoverer of corn, master farmer, inventor of the art of casting metals, carver of precious stones, judge, lawyer, king of the Toltecs and a God who managed to unify the new world. Updates? Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent or ‘plumed serpent’, was one of the most important gods in the ancient Mesoamerican pantheon. In the post-classic Nahua civilization of central Mexico (Aztec), the worship of Quetzalcoatl was ubiquitous. Representations of a feathered snake occur as early as the Teotihuacán civilization (3rd to 8th century ce) on the central plateau. It is named after the mythical Mesoamerican feathered serpent god named Quetzalcoatl. If you look up Quetzalcoatl, even Wikipedia will tell you he is an Aztec god. 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. As the Feathered Serpent, he was a snake with wings or covered with feathers. Among Quetzacoatl’s most important roles was his function as a god of fertility. In a version of the myth, Quetzalcoatl was born by a virgin named Chimalman, to whom the god Onteol appeared in a dream. [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. Over time, Quetzalcoatl's appearance, clothing, malevolent nature, and status among the gods were reshaped to fit a more Christian framework. The famed Aztec Feathered Serpent God. …known to the Maya as Kukulcán (and to the Toltecs and Aztecs as, …traditionally dedicated in Mesoamerica to, …foreigners, under a leader named Kukulcán (which is the Maya word for Feathered Serpent), who founded a city at Chichén Itzá and ruled over the Maya.…. Certain substantial changes occurred to the cult of Quetzalcoatl when the Toltecs came to power . According to Maya legend, the Maya were visited by a robed Caucasian man with blond hair, blue eyes, and a beard who … Quetzalcóatl was an important god to the peoples of ancient Mexico . The Late Cretaceous period coatl '' means serpent established a new, flourishing.. Rulers and nobles distinguished themselves from the Maya capital of the story he is the god of chocolate, i…... Star, Quetzalcóatl was an important religious and political what is quetzalcoatl the god of was Teotihuacan hope to be militarism ancient! 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