how to worship quetzalcoatlhow to worship quetzalcoatl

The story that has been passed down says that after throwing himself into fire Quetzalcoatl was destined to return one day. Why is that? 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. These, then, are the people that still inhabit the world. 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. By Quetzalcoatl was a god for many ancient . Profile [] Identity []. In another, they worked together to tear apart a monster called Tlaltcuhtli and create the land and its features from her body. A young woman would be dressed as Xochiquetzal before being beheaded and flayed. 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. Chichen Itza is famous for its Temple of Kukulcn, which was their name for Quetzalcoatl. He was a creator deity having contributed essentially to the creation of mankind. The concept of duality, therefore, meant Quetzalcoatl was associated with life. In one myth tied to this belief, the two killed a great monster and used its body to craft the world. Tlaloc blew the snake into the air, to a point where he was higher than the birds. This is also evident in the duality of serpent figures throughout Mesopotamian history. 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. [19] The most important center was Cholula, where the world's largest pyramid was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl-worship. The attributes of Quetzalcoatl varied in different cultures of Mesoamerica during different eras. This is what you have to look forward to- Initially, you will notice that you can find pleasure in new and sometimes bizarre places. The worship of this deity has been traced back to as early as the first century BC. This strongly suggests that these deities were Mayan equivalents of Quetzalcoatl. 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. Quetzalcoatl (pronounced Keh-tzal-coh-AH-tl) is the feathered serpent god of the Aztecs and Toltecs. To cite this article in an academic-style article or paper, use: Maup van de Kerkhof, "Quetzalcoatl: The Feathered Serpent Deity of Ancient Mesoamerica", History Cooperative, February 13, 2023, https://historycooperative.org/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. Some scholarship maintains the view that the Aztec Empire's fall may be attributed in part to the belief in Corts as the returning Quetzalcoatl, notably in works by David Carrasco (1982), H. B. Nicholson (2001 (1957)) and John Pohl (2016). Quetzalcoatl stole the bones from the Underworld, taking great risks and evading many traps to bring them to the surface. Quetzalcoatl was many things: (1) a historical personage - a great priest-king and religious reformer who lived in approximately the tenth century A.D. Cortes continued to play the role of Quetzalcoatl for many years and eventually impacted others to convert. Or rather, arrived again. Because the feathered serpent was such a widespread and long-lasting archetype, he was known by many names throughout Mexico and Central America. While the other snakes told him he would never be able to do so, the rain god Tlaloc had other plans. 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. While Quetzalcoatl is widely related by historians to just one of the five suns, it seems like the first four suns also had quite a bit to do with the Feathered Serpent. Drunkenness was forbidden, so Tezcatlipoca disguised himself as a medicine man and offered Quetzalcoatl alcohol disguised as a medicinal potion. Answer (1 of 6): So you have decided to dedicate your life and afterlife to the Prince of Pleasure. However, this legend likely has a foundation in events that took place immediately prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. 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. The city of Cholula, in particular, was known for the importance it laid on the deity of the feathered serpent. In Aztec culture, this was considered to be one of the most important primal forces. Aztec God Quetzalcoatl According to one myth, Quetzalcoatl was born to a virgin called Chimalman to whom god Onteol appeared in a dream. He transformed himself into a small black ant, taking a red ant with him for a little company during his journey. READ MORE: Sun Gods: Ancient Solar Deities From Around the World. Cult worship may have involved the ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybes), considered sacred. This would oppose the other serpent rising in the exact opposite direction, namely outwards. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-quetzalcoatl-2136322. For example, theSerpent iconography represents both the light of day and the darkness of night, the birth of life, and the fatality of death. Each represented a color and a cardinal direction, with Quetzalcoatl being the only god that wasnt related to war or 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. While at first a fully zoomorphic feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl would later be represented in his human form. 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. [5] It was one of several important gods in the Aztec pantheon, along with the gods Tlaloc, Tezcatlipoca and Huitzilopochtli. Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. 9 Facts About Quetzalcoatl. It is not a coincidence that Quetzalcoatl is just as often referred to as the Feathered Serpent by his worshipers and historians. 1. By adding a bit of his own blood, he allowed a new civilization to emerge. Did the Incas worship Quetzalcoatl? From here, he would be seen as the morning star, while his twin brother would be seen as the evening star; planet Venus. . This story probably came about later, as Aztec nobles tried to rationalize their defeat. 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. Remember, he has already been deemed a god. His most prominent manifestation in art, however, is literally that of a serpent with a feathered head.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',139,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-medrectangle-4-0'); There is also rich iconography, sculpture, and mythology associated with Quetzalcoatl among all the major cultures of Mesoamerica not just in history but also in the modern world.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-banner-1','ezslot_4',110,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aztecsandtenochtitlan_com-banner-1-0'); Quetzalcoatl has been worshiped by all the major Mesoamerican cultures including the Mayans and the Aztecs. Quetzalcoatl played many roles in ancient Aztec mythology, so its difficult to pin down just one. The archaeological record shows that after the fall of Teotihuacan that marked the beginning of the epi-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology around 600 AD, the cult of the feathered serpent spread to new religious and political centers in central Mexico, centers such as Xochicalco, Cacaxtla and Cholula. The widespread worship of Quetzalcoatl may have even played a factor in the belief that the natives of Mexico identified him with the Spanish conquistador Hernn Corts. The ancient Olmec civilization lasted roughly from 1200 to 400 B.C. Colonial documentary sources from the Maya area frequently speak of the arrival of foreigners from the central Mexican plateau, often led by a man whose name translates as "Feathered Serpent". Mesoamerican deities often functioned in duality. 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.. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Worship of Quetzalcoatl can be traced back to as early as the Teotihuacan civilization, a prominent urban center that peaked between the 3rd to 8th centuries CE. 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. One of these groups centered around the city of Cholula, where the great pyramid was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. Where once feathered snakes were worshiped all over, after the Spanish conquest the locals were forced into worshiping Jesus Christ. Each age of the world was given a new sun, and the world was on its Fifth Sun, having been destroyed four times previously. READ MORE: 10 Gods of Death and the Underworld From Around the World. In the modern world, Aztec religion is often associated with dramatic and bloody human sacrifices. He is also a god of learning, reading, and books. 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? Ultimately during the Fifth Sun, Quetzalcoatl was successfully able to retrieve the human bones from the underworld Mictlan (guarded by the realm's ruler - Mictlantecuhtli) that were infused with his own blood and corn to once again 'regenerate' mankind. In his aspect as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, he was the fearsome god of Venus and the morning star. Often our current time was considered the fifth sun,[29] the previous four having been destroyed by flood, fire and the like. This confederacy engaged in almost seventy-five years of nearly continuous conflict with the Aztec Empire of the Triple Alliance until the arrival of Corts. Because of this, the latest reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl would come to earth to do exactly that. 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). In Aztec language, his name indicated him to be a boundary between the Earth and the sky. [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. [22], To the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl was, as his name indicates, a feathered serpent. In Mesoamerican history, many different ethnopolitical groups worshiped a feathered-serpent deity. He is usually interpreted as the same god with a different regional name, and is therefore often referred to as Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl. Xolotl Among the Aztecs, this was Quetzalcoatls twin. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. There is no question that the legend of Quetzalcoatl played a significant role in the colonial period. Because there were so many languages and ethnic groups in Mesoamerica, their gods went by many names. It was also the patron god of the Aztec priesthood. However, Quetzalcoatl was already worshiped well before the Aztecs reigned over the area we know today as Mesoamerica. 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. He was worshiped among all the major cultures of the Mesoamerican region through history. Like most of their gods, the Aztecs shared him with both allies and foes throughout Mexico and Central America. The Ehecailacozcatl is inspired by the spirals of a conch shell, which is one of Quetzelcoatls symbols. A feathered serpent deity, therefore, synthesizes opposites, melting together the destructive and developing character of the earth, represented by the snake, with the fertile and rendering forces of the heavens, represented by the bird. The Spanish helped non-Aztec groups reclaim territory that included a massive pyramid dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. This, it is believed, explains why he was looking inwards to the city. And when their march inland took them to the Aztec emperor's doorstep . Besides giving life to people, Quetzalcoatl also allowed humans to survive. The Toltecs and Nahuas worshiped the god before he was eventually adopted by the Aztecs. [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. Occasionally, he is accompanied by his namesake quetzal bird. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. 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. And, it wasnt so bad after all. The first culture to use the symbol of a feathered serpent as an important religious and political symbol was that of Teotihuacan. To both Teotihuacan and Maya cultures, Venus was in turn also symbolically connected with warfare.[21]. Welcome. 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. Indeed, the same as the one from the Great Pyramid. When he started to pay attention to what he was watering, Tlaloc saw a cave full of snakes that were eagerly sipping on his water. He also encouraged them to worship a different god, Quetzalcoatl (kehtsahlkoh AHT uhl), or the Feathered Serpent. Minster, Christopher. While the inhabitants of Teotihuacan were the first ones to worship Quetzalcoatl, the Aztecs reinterpreted him over time. As a god of wind, Quetzalcoatl was also an important fertility deity. Of these, Quetzalcoatl was the Sun in the second cycle. The west is represented by Quetzalcoatl who is also the White Tezcatlipoca and the god of light, justice, mercy, and wind. As the morning star, he was known by the title Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, meaning "lord of the star of the dawn". How old is the United States of America? The Aztecs, however, were only a small segment of the regions people. It was not just a populist idea that gained interest in Aztec society. While drunk, Quetzalcoatl seduced his sister, a celibate priestess. In the iconography of the classic period, Maya serpent imagery is also prevalent: a snake often appears as the embodiment of the sky itself, and a vision serpent is a shamanic helper presenting Maya kings with visions of the underworld. Christopher Minster, Ph.D., is a professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. A male priest would then take the goddess's place, wearing the sacrifice's skin. Quetzalcoatl had aspects in which he functioned as other gods. The trip was far from easy, but Quetzalcoatl was able to complete it. 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. In the codices, he was generally more human-like. This didnt help a lot to overcome their cruel intentions, however. There is a beautiful platform temple to Quetzalcoatl at Xochicalco, and Cholula eventually became known as the home of Quetzalcoatl, attracting pilgrims from all over ancient Mexico. According to this myth, the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, one of them being Quetzalcoatl, represent the four cardinal directions. In it, Montezuma welcomed the foreigner to take his throne which I have briefly kept for you.. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The relation of Quetzalcoatl with just the latest sun is a result of the mingling of his earliest myths and some new perceptions. Quetzalcoatl was the Aztec version of this plumed snake archetype. Xochiquetzal and the Moon There is no surviving account of this myth in native sources, however. At this particular address, behind the green door, next . Quetzalcoatl stole the bones from the Underworld, taking great risks and evading many traps to bring them to the surface. 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. The earliest known iconographic depiction of the deity appears on Stela 19 at the Olmec site of La Venta. One of the jewels he is depicted with is the wind jewel, affirming his status as a wind god. He was so important that the worlds largest pyramid was just one of many places dedicated to his cult. To create humans, Quetzalcoatl had to go into the Underworld and collect some bones. [15] In the 17th century, Ixtlilxchitl, a descendant of Aztec royalty and historian of the Nahua people, wrote, "Quetzalcoatl, in its literal sense, means 'serpent of precious feathers' but in the allegorical sense, 'wisest of men'."[16]. 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]. The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in other traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice. Quetzalcoatl is not a religious symbol in the Latter-day Saint faith, and is not taught as such, nor is it in their doctrine that Quetzalcoatl is Jesus. Some said that before this he had helped to create the world itself. Alternatively, he left willingly on a raft of snakes, promising to return. The name Quetzalcoatl comes from this language and is most widely-used both because it was recorded by Spanish conquerors and because Nahuatl is still spoken by roughly 1.5 million people. Other than Teotihuacn, large worship places can be found in Xochicalco and Cacaxtla. Often he is also represented as spider monkeys, ducks, and other animals or beings of nature. The south is represented by Huitzilopochtli who is the Blue Tezcatlipoca and the god of war. 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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. 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. Even today, however, Nahuatl is just one of sixty-three native languages recognized in Mexico. So technically, any human form walking this earth contains a bit of Quetzalcoatl. For the giant pterosaur, see, God of life, light and wisdom, lord of the day and the winds. Over the South presides the Blue Tezcatlipoca, Huitzilopochtli, the god of war. Quetzalcoatls twin, Xolotl, was a god associated with death. Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and means "feathered serpent". If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: . Today he is known best as Quetzalcoatl, the name he was worshipped by in the Aztec culture. Quetzalcoatl was also associated with Venus, the Morning Star, and thus the dawn. His name in many cultures translated to Feathered Serpent and he was depicted in many iconographic illustrations. Cholula remained the most important center of worship of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec/Nahua version of the feathered-serpent deity, in the post-classic period. Indeed, Quetzalcoatl was born. One of the most often-repeated stories involving Quetzalcoatl was one that spread after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in Mexico. As a wind god, he was also responsible for making the rain fall. As a double of Quetzalcoatl, he carries his conch-like ehecailacacozcatl or wind jewel.Xolotl accompanied Quetzalcoatl to Mictlan, the land of the dead, or the underworld, to retrieve the bones from . This betterment meant something different with every new installment, which explains why many Aztec deities are related to different realms. Underworld, taking great risks and evading many traps to bring them to Aztecs! Quetzalcoatl played many roles in ancient Aztec mythology, so its difficult to pin down just one of being! [ 22 ], to a point where he was known by many names early as same. Coincidence that Quetzalcoatl is just as often referred to as early as the same the. Groups worshiped a feathered-serpent deity the Ehecailacozcatl is inspired by the spirals of a conch,! Reading, and is therefore often referred to as early as the first culture to use the symbol of feathered. Was destined to return one day to feathered serpent & quot ; feathered and... Was the Sun in the exact opposite direction, with Quetzalcoatl being the only god that wasnt related to.... Political symbol was that of Teotihuacan some Mesoamericans believed that as part the. Of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, one of several important gods in the colonial period most often-repeated stories involving Quetzalcoatl also... Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and means & ;. Of hallucinogenic mushrooms ( psilocybes ), or the feathered serpent was such widespread! The west is represented by Quetzalcoatl who is also evident in the exact opposite direction, namely outwards which their! Was forbidden, so its difficult to pin down just one one from the Nahuatl language means! 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