Sahagn (Book III, chapter III) also made special mention of their devotion to him. Discovered using Shazam, the music discovery app. Download Full Size Image. At a certain time the four gathered together and consulted concerning creation. info)), in honorific form: Quetzalctzin) is a deity in Aztec culture and literature whose name comes from the . It is not clear whether Quetzalcoatl slept with his sister in the myth, but the next morning he said, I have sinned, the stain on my name can never be erased. [37] This speech, which has been widely referred to, has been a factor in the widespread belief that Moctezuma was addressing Corts as the returning god Quetzalcoatl. He painted the rulers cheeks green and dyed his lips red. Quetzalcoatl looked at himself in the mirror and was pleased with the artifice. A feathered serpent deity like Quetzalcoatl was worshipped by many different groups . Quetzalcoatl said that the heavens and the stars had already warned him that after four years he must leave, and he would therefore obey. According to the Book of Mormon, the resurrected Jesus Christ descended from heaven and visited the people of the American continent, shortly after his resurrection. 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. Quetzalcoatl is portrayed as a snake covered with quetzal plumes. Quetzalcoatl Fact FileInterests: Saving the world (or making it), preserving life, cultivating knowledge and recognising beauty.Day Sign: WindTrecena (13 day week): 1 Jaguar. Ruler of the. Over the East presides the Red Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, the god of gold, farming and springtime. 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. He was the teacher of arts, the wise lawgiver, the virtuous prince, the master builder, and the merciful judge. Most Mesoamerican beliefs included cycles of suns. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Look now at your flesh; know yourself; see Quetzalcoatl and his tribe became famous. 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. "[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. Later, Xavier and the Aztecs summon Quetzalcoatl in his mortal form and wind up angering him after cutting him open. 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." [17] However sixteenth-century Franciscan missionaries were very taken with him. [41] However, in 1892 one president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, John Taylor, wrote:[42]. First they made fire, then half a sun, the heavens, the waters, and a great fish called Cipactli; from Cipactlis flesh they made the solid earth. Quetzalcoatl invented the calendar, metal-working, and agriculture. Although probably not exactly a depiction of the same feathered-serpent deity worshipped in classic and post-classic periods, it shows the continuity of symbolism of feathered snakes in Mesoamerica from the formative period and on, for example in comparison to the Maya Vision Serpent shown below. In the morning, they woke up together in bed. [22], To the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl was, as his name indicates, a feathered serpent. wildwoods grill food truck menu Because of this, he was closely associated with Tlaloc, the god of the rain. [5] 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'."[6]. Another Quetzalcoatl was a culture hero. Well might they flee from me. Creation MythsQuetzalcoatl-Ehcatl and his crafty brother Tezcatlipoca were in the business of creation. She instantly obeyed and, drinking some of the pulque, also became drunk. When the brothers separated the sky from the earth, they even turned into the trees that held the two apart, earnings the names of Quetzalhuxotl and Tezcacahuitl.Quetzalcoatls life-giving ability gave rise to many of the things around us. Unlike many other deities, Quetzalcoatl was consistently benevolent and caring toward people. Go tell your master, he said to the servants, that I have come to show him his own flesh. What is this? asked Quetzalcoatl when the message was delivered. Quetzalcoatl taught people science, architecture, and art and established government and spiritual rituals. [15] 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.[16]. The first century of the Toltec civilization was dominated by the Teotihuacn culture, with its inspired ideals of priestly rule and peaceful behaviour. The feathered serpent was rare in the Classic era . According to sixteenth century friar Bernadino de Sahagn and his native informants, he also presided over 1 Reed. Whence come you? Florentine Codex Book 3(Click on image to enlarge), Pic 4: Mexica doctors performing a ceremony in tribute to Quetzalcoatl (pictured). On a lone voyage, he went to find the bones of the dead in the underworld, known as Mictlan. quetzalcoatl offeringsdoris raymond husband. For many years he ruled the city and at last began to build a very great temple. Quetzalcoatl would permit no human offerings in his name. He was a creator deity having contributed essentially to the creation of mankind. Amongst the later Toltec and Aztec cultures, however, he had to up his game to the level of priest and creator god sounds like hard work!Lets have a look at how Quetzalcoatl was represented during the Toltec and Aztec periods Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, the PriestThe Toltecs lived in the City of Tula (near Mexico City) in the early Postclassic period (900-1200AD). There are several stories about the birth of Quetzalcoatl. The trecena was marked by the Aztec nobility who made offerings in Calmecacs, learning institutions for noble children. You can see from the mural pictured here (pic 1) that he was represented in Cacaxtla (east of Mexico City) around 600 AD and Teotihuacan around 200 AD (pic 2). Under the guise of wind, he was called Quetzalcoatl-Ehcatl and was considered a great cultural hero. As a result, the heavens themselves fell, and the sun and stars were alike quenched. The two then realized that their struggle had to end, so they united their efforts and raised again the sky, resting it on two mighty trees, the Tree of the Mirror (tezcaquahuitl) and the Beautiful Great Rose Tree (quetzalveixochitl) on which the concave heavens have ever since securely rested. The earth still had no sun to light it, and the four brothers met again. Place of devotion: Offerings were regularly presented to Quetzalcoatl in Tenochtitlan, but he was also celebrated in other cities like Cholula and Chichn Itz. Welcome, youth. Quetzalcoatl became placid. All products are produced on-demand and shipped worldwide within 2 - 3 business days. [47], In 1971 Tony Shearer published a book called Lord of the Dawn: Quetzalcoatl and the Tree of Life, inspiring New Age followers to visit Chichen Itza at the summer solstice when dragon-shaped shadows are cast by the Kulkulcan pyramid.[48]. Children born during 1 Reed were thought to be ill-fortuned, and the calendar foretold that all they gained in life would be taken by the wind (Sahagn, book III, chapter VIII). This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Quetzalcoatl, Ancient History Encyclopedia - Quetzalcoatl, Ancient Origins - Quetzalcoatl: From feathered serpent to creator God, Quetzalcatl - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Quetzalcatl - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Quetzalcatl wandered down to the coast of the divine water (the Atlantic Ocean) and then immolated himself on a pyre, emerging as the planet Venus. Quetzalcoatls link to erudition and religious dedication ensured his worship across Mesoamerica, and some priests of high rank were anointed with his name. [7] Quetzalcoatl was one of several important gods in the Aztec pantheon, along with the gods Tlaloc, Tezcatlipoca and Huitzilopochtli. Whence come you? In some incredible escapades, they created the earth, sea and night sky and were regents of the first two suns, or world eras of the existing five. He discouraged human sacrifice, recommending flower offerings instead. Of the four, one was called the black and one the red Tezcatlipoca, and the fourth was Huitzilopochtli. A stunning reconstruction of an Aztec headdress, The sunflower - one of Mexicos gifts to the world, The ancient Voladores ceremony is still performed today, In Aztec poetry warriors die - to return again and again, Read a lovely story about Aztec companion spirits, Molluscs were both useful and symbolic in the Mexica empire, An Aztec stone jaguar head lurks in Mexico City, Theres only one Aztec drawing of the (fig) paper tree. His calendrical name was 9 Wind.Parents: The dual creator Ometeotl (Two Lord), also known as Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl (Two Lord and Two Lady)Siblings: Tezcatlipoca and Camaxtle. He called his attendants and asked that his sister Quetzalpetlatl come to him. Top-ranking priests from Tenochtitlan were awarded the name of Quetzalcoatl, and Aztec leaders, upon coming into power, were obliged to first worship at the temple at Cholula (Florescano 2001, p.237). He vowed to return someday. The Quetzalcoatl of that myth is a god. quetzalcoatl offerings. Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca were brothers in divine myths, where they worked together as creators, and against each other in acts of destruction. It was common for ancient Mexicans to be named by their dates of birth, and Quetzalctl . Alternatively, too drunk to actually engage in sex, they were also too drunk to recall their actions: Tezcatlipoca told them they had sex and they believed him. Download scientific diagram | The god Quetzalcoatl with offerings of tamales. Quetzalcatl ruled over the days that bore the name ehcatl (wind) and over the 18th 13-day series of the ritual calendar. The significance of this combined name: quetzal (a beautiful feathered bird) and coatl (a serpent) revealed divinity. Creatures: Snakes, especially rattlesnakes; also now Quetzalcoatlus, the pterosaur named in his honor. For the giant pterosaur, see, God of life, light and wisdom, lord of the day and the winds. They had a son, but there was no wife for him to marry, so the four gods made one out of the hair taken from the head of their divine mother, Zochiquetzal. He accompanies the sun across the sky during the day. pictures of antonia lofaso and heavy d. Menu. [25] Quetzalcoatl was often considered the god of the morning star, and his twin brother Xolotl was the evening star (Venus). The work was left to Quetzalcoatl and Huitzilopochtli. The earliest known iconographic depiction of the deity appears on Stela 19 at the Olmec site of La Venta. The 1981 has a listed mintage of 30,500,000, and the 1982 with a mintage of 20,000,000. The First London Nahuatl Study Day and Workshops. Omissions? The first keeper of written records, he was patron of the Calmecac, a school for noble children who learned to paint histories and astrology, as well as practice the art of war. Quetzalcoatl was shocked at his appearance: truly he did not look well. Please confirm you want to block this member. For many years he ruled the city and at last began to build a very great temple. 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. In his form as Ehecatl he is the wind, and is represented by spider monkeys, ducks, and the wind itself. The earliest depictions of the feathered serpent deity were fully zoomorphic, depicting the serpent as an actual snake, but already among the Classic Maya, images of the deity began acquiring human features, such as the beard (see the Borgia codex illustration above) that he was sometimes depicted with. [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. The pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus was named after the deity. As soon as Quetzalcoatl saw his face in the mirror, he said: How is it possible my subjects can look on me without affright? Quetzalcatls defeat symbolized the downfall of the Classic theocracy. In the era following the 16th-century Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, a number of records conflated Quetzalcoatl with Ce Acatl Topiltzin, a ruler of the mythico-historic city of Tollan. Quetzelcoatl also appeared on (Season 3) of the Animal Planet mockumentary Lost Tapes in an episode entitled "Q the Serpent God". It is not clear whether Quetzalcoatl slept with his sister in the myth, but the next morning he said, I have sinned, the stain on my name can never be erased. Xolotl, the Evening StarTlahuizcalpentecuhtli could only guard the sun as it crossed the daytime sky. Quetzalcoatl then swept the earth with a violent tornado that destroyed all of the inhabitants except for a few who were changed into monkeys. 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