Quetzalcoatl, whose name means “feathered serpent” in Nahuatl, was one of the most important and most complex gods in the Mexica pantheon. Quetzalcoatl was the god of wind, of learning, of priests, and of the morning star, and he was associated with the planet Venus. He was one of the four Tezcatlipocas, the high gods of the Mexica state, and he was associated with the west, with the color white, and with the day sign Ce Acatl, “one reed.” Quetzalcoatl was also a culture hero, who was believed to have contributed to the creation of the present age and to have given the Mexica many of the basic elements of their civilization.
The Origins of Quetzalcoatl
The cult of Quetzalcoatl was much older than the Mexica, and it had been worshipped in Mesoamerica for centuries before the Mexica arrival in the Valley of Mexico. The cult was particularly important among the Toltecs, the people who had dominated central Mexico from the tenth to the twelfth centuries, and Quetzalcoatl was believed to have been a great ruler of the ancient Toltec capital of Tollan. The cult was also important among the peoples of the Gulf Coast, and it was associated with the city of Cholula, where the great pyramid dedicated to Quetzalcoatl was one of the largest structures of pre-Columbian America.
The Mexica inherited the cult of Quetzalcoatl from the older cultures of central Mexico, and they incorporated him into their own religious system. The Mexica gave Quetzalcoatl new attributes and new mythologies, and they made him one of the four Tezcatlipocas, the high gods of the Mexica state. The Mexica also associated Quetzalcoatl with the planet Venus, and they kept careful records of the appearances and disappearances of the planet.
The Attributes of Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl had a wide range of attributes, and he was associated with many different aspects of Mexica life. He was the god of wind, and he was believed to be the source of the winds that blew across the earth. He was the god of learning, and he was the patron of the priests, the scribes, and the artisans. He was the god of the morning star, and he was associated with the planet Venus. He was also the patron of the calendar, and he was associated with the day sign Ce Acatl.
Quetzalcoatl was also a culture hero, and the Mexica believed that he had contributed to the creation of the present age. According to Mexica tradition, Quetzalcoatl had descended to the underworld, Mictlan, to recover the bones of the previous humans, and he had given them new life to create the present humanity. He was also believed to have given the Mexica the gifts of agriculture, of writing, and of the calendar.
The Myth of Quetzalcoatl
The most famous myth of Quetzalcoatl is the story of his departure from Tollan. According to the myth, Quetzalcoatl had been a great ruler of the ancient Toltec capital, and he had presided over a golden age of peace and prosperity. Yet he had been driven from his city by the dark god Tezcatlipoca, who had tricked him into drunkenness and incest. Quetzalcoatl, ashamed of his actions, had departed from Tollan and had retreated to the east, where he had immolated himself and had become the morning star.
The myth of the departure of Quetzalcoatl had important implications for the Spanish conquest. According to the tradition, Quetzalcoatl had promised to return, and the arrival of the Spanish, with their light skin and beards, was interpreted by Moctezuma II as the return of Quetzalcoatl. This belief may have contributed to the initial peaceful reception of Cortés.
The Cult of Quetzalcoatl
The cult of Quetzalcoatl shaped the Mexica religion, and it was centered on the great temple of Quetzalcoatl in the sacred precinct of Tenochtitlan. The cult was also important in the city of Cholula, where the great pyramid dedicated to Quetzalcoatl was one of the largest structures of pre-Columbian America. The cult of Quetzalcoatl was also important in the city of Tenayuca, where there was an early temple dedicated to him.
The priests of Quetzalcoatl were noted for their austere and ascetic life, and they were required to undergo a series of rigorous religious and physical tests, including fasting, bloodletting, and celibacy. The priests of Quetzalcoatl were also known for their scholarship, and they were responsible for the training of the young in the calmecac and for the maintenance of the religious calendar.
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