Ultimately, the legend that Moctezuma andthe Aztecs believed Cortesto be Quetzalcoatl was a just that: a legend retroactively turned into historical fact by Spanish writers. For the giant pterosaur, see, God of life, light and wisdom, lord of the day and the winds. Aztec religion, the religion followed by the Aztecs, a Nahuatl-speaking people who ruled a large empire in central and southern Mexico in the 15th and early 16th centuries. This rivalry was a recurring theme in Aztec mythology, with the flying serpent (Quetzalcoatl) frequently pitted against the black jaguar (Tezcatlipoca). Quetzalcoatl and his tribe became famous. [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. [6]The Aztecs used this allegory to explain why people came in all different heights. To save children born during the worst phase of 1 Reed, the Aztecs held childrens naming ceremonies on or after the 7th day of the week (7 Rain) as the following days were more auspicious. Used for divination, these documents were called Tonalamame (sing. During this festival, Xochiquetzal was "honored with flower offerings, drinking, and . According to sixteenth century friar Bernadino de Sahagn and his native informants, he also presided over 1 Reed. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Mark Cartwright, Quetzalcoatl,Ancient History Encyclopedia, last modified August 01, 2013,https://www.ancient.eu/Quetzalcoatl/(accessed June 29, 2019). 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. 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. Evidence of such worship comes from the iconography of different Mesoamerican cultures, in which serpent motifs occur frequently. nuna revv stroller compatibility accounts krafton com claim best tasting menus toronto quetzalcoatl offerings. The ruler Topiltzin-Quetzalcoatl (also known as One-Reed) was famous for his wise rule. Accessed June 29, 2019.https://www.britannica.com/topic/Quetzalcoatl. I recently put together a shrine on it I have Tlaloc, Mictlantecuhtli, and Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl managed to complete this challenge through clever trickery. Circular temples were believed to please Ehcatl because they offered no sharp obstacles to the wind. He often wore a conical cap made from the skin of the jaguar and a cloak made from the feathers of the quetzal bird. After he was born, he and his family waited 600 years for his youngest brother, Huitzilopochtli (who was born without flesh), to join them in the process of cosmic construction. Cortes may have looked the part of a god, what with bearing the conical helmets of the time and arriving via wind-powered sailing vessels, but his actions soon revealed that he was not the morally upstanding Quetzalcoatl.[10]. Quetzalcatl ruled over the days that bore the name ehcatl (wind) and over the 18th 13-day series of the ritual calendar. Quetzalcoatl Fact FileInterests: Saving the world (or making it), preserving life, cultivating knowledge and recognising beauty.Day Sign: WindTrecena (13 day week): 1 Jaguar. Were building the worlds most authoritative, online mythology resource, with engaging, accessible content that is both educational and compelling to read. Cortes: The Second Coming of Quetzalcoatl? Quetzalcoatl slithers along the border. The subsequent Toltec culture (9th through 12th centuries), centred at the city of Tula, emphasized war and human sacrifice linked with the worship of heavenly bodies. Physical offerings include copal incense, feathers, Mexican chocolate, and shells. God of the Month: Quetzalcoatl - mexicolore.co.uk Quezovercoatl was described as being half man, half chicken, half jaguar, half serpent, half scorpion, and half mad for a total of three homicidal maniacs.[13]. However, this legend likely has a foundation in events that took place immediately prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. Unlike the newer gods of theAztec pantheon, Quetzalcoatl shared his namesake with the feathered serpent deities of the Kiche Maya and the Yucatec Maya. The city of Tenochtitlan was established in 1325 on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco (much of which has since been filled in to accomodate Mexico City which now exists on this site), and with the city's foundation the original structure of the Templo Mayor was built. The ancient Maya walked and even danced on stilts, The famous obsidian Aztec jar in the form of a spider monkey. He wore a chain of sea-shells around his neck and . This man and woman had a son named Pilcetecli. Math, Kathryn. Latter-day Saint author Brant Gardner, after investigating the link between Quetzalcoatl and Jesus, concluded that the association amounts to nothing more than folklore. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Under his guidance, the capital city of Tula became incredibly prosperous. 25 Feb/23. Sir Terry Pratchetts novelEricincluded a parody of Quetzalcoatl in the form of a demon namedQuezovercoatl. 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. Privacy Policy. The myth reports that during the 5th Sun, Quetzalcoatl spotted a red ant carrying a maize kernel.He followed the ant and reached the place where maize grew, the "Mountain of Sustenance", or Tonacatepetl (Ton-ah-cah-TEP-eh-tel) in Nahua. Henry Phillips, Jr., Notes upon the Codex Ramirez, with a Translation of the Same,Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society21, no. Considered by some to be Quetzalcoatls double, assistant or twin, Xolotl aided Quetzalcoatl when he descended to the Mictlan to recover the bones of humankind. They are widely perceived to have spread an active cult of Quetzalcoatl as far south as El Salvador.Parallel to this historic account of Toltec civilization, the Aztecs recorded the myth that the Toltecs were led by a charismatic priest, Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl (1 Reed Our Lord Quetzalcoatl) (pic 3). The mask is formed of two intertwined and looped serpents worked in contrasting colors of turquoise mosaic; one in green and one in blue that twist across the face and around the eyes, blending over the nose. However, Quetzalcoatl had another invocation that would help Venus through the underworld as the Evening Star: Xolotl, the dog (pic 10). Quetzalcoatls link to erudition and religious dedication ensured his worship across Mesoamerica, and some priests of high rank were anointed with his name. Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli was considered patron of this calendar (Ylotl Gonzlez-Torres,1991). No accounts written by the Aztecs agree with Corts and his men, and Professor Felipe Fernndez-Armesto tells us why (follow the link below), This article was uploaded to the Mexicolore website on Aug 31st 2013, (Written/compiled by Julia Flood/Mexicolore). A typical portrayal of the Feathered Serpent. Copyright: Museo Nacional de Antropologa(Click on image to enlarge), Pic 2: Feathered Serpent at Teotihuacan. Quetzalcoatl invented the calendar, metal-working, and agriculture. The Feathered Snake symbol is a beautiful juxtaposition of the earthly serpent of immortality and the Heavenly bird of Spirit. [7], Other versions of the legend featured Quetzalcoatl discovering a great mountain of seeds that he could not move by himself. According to Aztec cosmology, the sun god Huitzilopochtli was waging a constant war against darkness, and if . He was also the ninth of the 13 gods of the daytime hours. Chimalma caught the arrows in her hand, however, which is how she got her name (which means Shield Hand). Over the West presides the White Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, the god of light, justice, mercy and wind. From the smoking remains rose the morning star, Venus, who is represented by Quetzalcoatl in his guise of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli. in History from Georgia State University. Quetzalcoatl | Definition, Myth, & Meaning | Britannica The different roles of Quetzalcoatl are partly attributable to a series of . The Aztec believed that the heart ( tona) was both the seat of the individual and a fragment of the Sun's heat ( istli ). These people could now satisfy the gods' own need for blood. There are several stories about the birth of Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl. 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". Codex drawings pictured both Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl wearing an ehecailacocozcatl around the neck. eir goddess offerings; ups corporate hr phone number; norm cash home run out of tiger stadium; Proven Training. They offered women and infants in sacrifice to the rain gods Tlloc, Chalchiuhtlicue and the Tlaloques, and in Tlatelolco they dedicated to Ehcatl, god of the wind, more than 54 offerings and 41 subjects in sacrifice for his intercession for them. 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. [18][need quotation to verify]. Quetzalcoatl became a representation of the rain, the celestial water and their associated winds, while Tlaloc would be the god of earthly water, the water in lakes, caverns and rivers, and also of vegetation. [22], To the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl was, as his name indicates, a feathered serpent. 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. 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). 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.
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