Table of Contents
History of Quetzalcatl
As the morning and evening star, Quetzalcatl was the symbol of death and resurrection. With his companion Xolotl, a dog-headed god, he was said to have descended to the underground hell of Mictlan to gather the bones of the ancient dead.
Who created Quetzalcoatl?
In another story, the virgin Chimalman conceived Quetzalcoatl by swallowing an emerald. 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.
What is the history of Quetzalcoatl?
Quetzalcatl was the god of winds and rain, and the creator of the world and humanity. In Central Mexico from 1200, the feathered serpent god was considered the patron god of priests and merchants as well as the god of learning, science, agriculture, crafts and the arts.
How was Quetzalcoatl Worshipped?
Religion and Ritual
The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in other traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice. … Quetzalcoatl’s opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who supposedly sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. Alternatively, he left willingly on a raft of snakes, promising to return.
Why did Quetzalcoatl turn into an ant?
All of the other gods had already tried to move the mountains by using force, Quetzalcoatl decided to use something more powerful intelligence. Quetzalcoatl was transformed into a small black ant and in the company of a red made his way toward the mountains.
Did the Aztecs think Cortes was Quetzalcoatl?
Many within the Aztec Empire came to believe that Corts was Quetzalcoatl the god who would return to overthrow the god Tezcatlipoca, who demanded human sacrifice. Corts was aided by an Indian woman La Malinche or Malintzin, who became an invaluable interpreter for and mistress and confidant of Corts.
Is Quetzalcoatl good or evil?
Quetzalcoatl was neither good nor bad to the Aztecs. As the creator, he was responsible for both life and death, so the people used human sacrifice to satisfy him and gain favor. Quetzalcoatl was also responsible for bringing maize, a life-sustaining food in the region.
What did Quetzalcoatl teach?
As a culture hero, Quetzalcoatl taught humankind how to make arts and crafts and measure time. He was also a Toltec priest-king called Topiltzin Quetzalcoatlan embodiment of the god.
Why is Quetzalcoatl important in history?
In Aztec times (14th through 16th centuries) Quetzalcatl was revered as the patron of priests, the inventor of the calendar and of books, and the protector of goldsmiths and other craftsmen; he was also identified with the planet Venus.
Did the Mayans worship Quetzalcoatl?
Quetzalcoatl, or Feathered Serpent, was an important god to the ancient people of Mesoamerica. 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.
What are Quetzalcoatl powers?
Quetzalcoatl possesses the conventional powers of the Mexican Gods. He has superhuman strength (Class 50 perhaps) and endurance plus mystical abilities enabling him to fly and command ambient elemental energies, such as having control over the air and wind. He can also teleport under certain conditions.
Who killed Quetzalcoatl?
One Aztec story claims that Quetzalcoatl was tricked by Tezcatlipoca into becoming drunk and sleeping with a celibate priestess (in some accounts, his sister Quetzalpetlatl) and then burned himself to death out of remorse.
What did Quetzalcoatl wear?
Quetzalcoatl, the Mexican god of wind and learning, wearing around his neck the sign of the wind god, the wind breastplate ehecailacocozcatl, the spirally voluted wind jewel made of a conch shell (illustration copied from the Codex Borbonicus, p. 22 by Milwaukee Public Museum artist Lee Tishler).
Why is Quetzalcoatl a girl?
It’s not as if she’s particularly worshipped as a god of lucha libre. She just really likes lucha. Originally a male deity, at the time of materialization, Quetzalcoatl obtained an existence as a female deity.
Who is Xolotl?
In Aztec mythology, the dog god Xolotl is the Sunset god. He accompanies and guards the Sun into the land of Death every night. The world was said to have been destroyed four times before our present age.
Did the Aztecs have enemies?
Any enemy of the Aztecs is a friend of theirs. They become, and remain, loyal allies of the Spaniards in Mexico. In November 1519 when Cortes approaches Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztecs, his small force is augmented by 1000 Tlaxtalecs. But to the astonishment of the Spaniards, no force is needed.
Is rayquaza based on Quetzalcoatl?
Rayquaza’s Inspiration: Rayquaza is based on Quetzalcoatl, the flying serpent god from Mesoamerican mythology. Quetzalcoatl created the boundary between the Earth & Sky, similar to Rayquaza’s relationship with Groudon & Kyogre.
How did Quetzalcoatl create humans?
As he fell into the the pit, Quetzalcoatl was knocked unconscious and mixed up the bones he was carrying. After his eventual escape, Quetzalcoatl combined the now slightly shuffled bones with his blood and corn to create the first humans of the fifth age.
Why did the Aztecs perform human sacrifice?
Politically, human sacrifice was important in Aztec culture as a way to represent a social hierarchy between their own culture and the enemies surrounding their city. Additionally, it was a way to structure the society of the Aztec culture itself.
Which civilization was ruled by Montezuma?
In 1502 Montezuma succeeded his uncle Ahuitzotl, becoming the ninth ruler of an Aztec empire that was at its greatest geographical extent and cultural height.
What feathers did Aztecs use?
In addition to the quetzal, especially precious feathers came from brightly-colored tropical birds such as the lovely cotinga, macaw, parrot, hummingbird, oropendula, emerald toucanet, and troupial. However, more common feathers of domesticated birds such as ducks and turkeys were also used.
Who is the Mexican god?
Huitzilopochtli, also spelled Uitzilopochtli, also called Xiuhpilli (Turquoise Prince) and Totec (Our Lord), Aztec sun and war god, one of the two principal deities of Aztec religion, often represented in art as either a hummingbird or an eagle.
Who was Quetzalcoatl wife?
Ch?malm?
| Chimalma | |
|---|---|
| Parents | Tlaltecuhtli and Tlalcihuatl (Codex Zumarraga) |
| Siblings | Coatlicue and Xochitlicue (Codex Ros) |
| Consort | Mixcoatl (Codex Chimalpopoca) |
| Children | With Mixcoatl: Quetzalcoatl (Codex Chimalpopoca) |
Why is Quetzalcoatl white?
Some see Quetzalcoatl as a possible white god. Native Americans made contact with pre-Columbian European explorers, influencing their religions and culture. White gods is the belief that ancient cultures around the world were visited by white races in ancient times, and that they were known as “white gods”.
Who is kukulkan?
Kukulkan, also spelled K’uk’ulkan, /ku?k?l?k??n/ (“Plumed Serpent”, “amazing Serpent”) is the name of a Mesoamerican serpent deity that was worshipped by the Yucatec Maya people of the Yucatn Peninsula before the Spanish Conquest of the Yucatn.
Who is the snake god?
The snake deity is called “U Thlen” (lit: Python or large serpent) and it is said to demand human sacrifice from his worshippers. Those who can provide the Thlen with human blood, are usually rewarded with riches, but he would shame those who cannot provide the needed sacrifice.
