Quetzalcoatl - The God

Image from http://www.bis.ifc.unam.mx/

Dr. John Friedman
2/01/12

Quetzalcoatl – From the Nahuatl language – Quetzal, referring to the tropical quetzal bird, Coatl, the Nahuatl word for snake or serpent. As a result, Quetzalcoatl is known as the feathered serpent deity of Mesoamerica.


The religion of Quetzalcoatl was born out of the ancient city of Teotihuacan in central Mexico and quickly spread throughout the furthest reaches of Mesoamerica. His name may have changed among different civilizations, (for instance, the Mayan referred to him as Kukulkan) but the feathered serpent.

To the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl was the god of peace, priesthood, knowledge and learning. However, other interpretations relate Quetzalcoatl to fertility, rain, culture and war. The first images of him are revealed on the façade of the Temple of Quetzalcoatl in Teotihuacan. Later images can be found in zoomorphic frescoes, sculptures and other iconographic depictions in ruins scattered throughout Mesoamerica. Temples and pyramids were constructed in his name, including the famous Castillo, or Pyramid of Kukulcan in Chichen Itza.

Quetzalcoatl was significantly linked to the year One Reed on the Aztec calendar, and was also given astronomical attributes. In Teotihuacan, he was associated with the Milky Way and the star group, Pleiades. He was also recognized as Venus, the morning star, while his mythological evil twin, Tezcatlipoca, was associated with Venus as the evening star. In Aztec mythology, Quetzalcoatl was credited as one of the four gods that created the current fifth age.

Perhaps one of the most well-known legends from Mesoamerica is the fabled return of Quetzalcoatl. It is by this legend that the lines between Quetzalcoatl the god and Quetzalcoatl the man get confused. Some believe the return of Quetzalcoatl is supposed to be the return of some great ruler or savior. Thus, Quetzalcoatl has been identified as St. Thomas or even Jesus. The Aztecs themselves mistook Hernan Cortes for Quetzalcoatl’s return due to his timely landing in 1519, a One Reed year on their sacred calendar.

Others interpret Quetzalcoatl’s return in astronomical terms, stating the legend prophesizes the alignment of the sun and Pleiades occurring in our current time, heralding the dawn of a new age centered upon the year 2012. Still others draw parallels between the New Age of Aquarius with Quetzalcoatl’s return. And of course, there are alien conspiracies floating around out there too!

Whatever Quetzalcoatl was, or still is, there is no mistaking the impact he has made upon the centuries, right up to our present time. Whether man, deity, or a doomsayer’s latest excuse for a prophesied end, I think it is safe to say that the feathered serpent won’t easily be lost to the annuls of Teotihuacan.