Effigies, Part II

(Quetzalcoatl from the Codex Borbonicus)

October 24, 2011
Dr. Anthony Peet

Religion is ripe with effigies, from the Christian crucifix to gilded replicas of Buddha, from marble deity statues of ancient Greece to jade and turquoise artifacts pulled from Mexico’s past. It seems that no matter the religion, people have tried to make their gods tangible. The recently discovered Quetzalcoatl effigy is no exception.


So what makes this effigy so special? Perhaps the most obvious reason is the beautiful craftsmanship in semi-precious stones. The exquisite carving of Quetcalcoatl from a single piece of jadeitite rarely found in such a large size is phenomenal in itself. But when you combine it with such an exceptional mosaic of turquoise, the artifact is simply stunning. And let’s not forget about the rich black obsidian pupils set within eyes made of mother-of-pearl. There is no question the high reverence the effigy’s creator held for his god.

Which raises yet another question. If the effigy is so special, why was it traded to a people who didn’t worship Quetzalcoatl? After all, if the artifact itself wasn’t special enough, the fact that it was unearthed in a region far distant from its origin, is.

There are already a dozen theories floating around out there trying to explain this anomaly. This isn’t the first Mesoamerican artifact discovered in the American southwest. Various articles ranging from Macaw feathers to parrot effigies have long been unearthed from Chaco Canyon. However, they are all trinkets when compared to the Quetzalcoatl effigy

Perhaps the most plausible explanation (at least in my mind) for the Quetzalcoatl effigy’s presence in Utah is simply the expansion of the Quetzalcoatl religion. A study in Mesoamerican religions will almost immediately reveal a rapid spread of the deity’s influence throughout Mexico and down into South America. But why should it stop there? Having firmly conquered the minds of the southern regions, would it not seem reasonable that the cult started spreading north? And what better attraction to convert others to your religion than an eye-popping replica of your god?

Whether the effigy was truly created and used to broadcast the Quetzalcoatl religion, we may never know for certain. After all, it doesn’t appear that such fellowship took hold in the American southwest. Then again, perhaps the cult had little exposure before the cultures of the southwest underwent their diaspora, and should that be the case then it might be rational to assume the Quetzalcoatl effigy found itself caught up in a dramatic cultural shift that in itself became an anthropological mystery.