God Studies: Quetzalcoatl

Quetzalcoatl is one of the most important and influential of the Mesoamerican gods. He appears as a combination of a rattle snake and a bird, and he is the god of wisdom and the winds and rain. The entomology of his name comes from the Nahuatl language, where “quetzal” refers to an emerald bird, and “coatl” means serpent. Along with his godly form, Quetzalcoatl also appeared as a bearded man who was adorned in jewelry. He was known to carry two pipes with him, which he blew into to create the wind. Though Quetzalcoatl is an Aztec God, he is known to many cultures under different names like Kukulkán to the Mayans, Gucumatz to the Quiché, and Ehecatl to the Huastecs. I would like to take a moment and make a comment on the many different views of this God. I have never come across a God with so many different myths and legends surrounding them. Every culture in Mesoamerica has a different view on this deity based on their needs and their own legends as a people. This will cover his main identifying factors, keeping in mind that they may vary widely based on which peoples you speak to or hear about. As possibly the most important of the gods, Quetzalcoatl is the creator of the world and of mankind. The most important myth surrounding him is that of the discovery of Maize. When Quetzalcoatl created mankind, he didn’t take into account what they would eat. Desperate to find a food source for the increasingly hungry people, he came across a red ant that carried a single grain of maize. The ant led the God to a mountain, where he said the maize grew. The only way to reach the maize inside the mountain was through a small hole, so the God transformed himself into a black ant to journey inside the mountain and retrieve the maize. He brought a few grains back to the Aztecs and told them to plant the grains to grow food. This is why Quetzalcoatl is associated with the grain harvest, a very important aspect of Mesoamerican life. Various interpretations associate Quetzalcoatl with different things. He is associated with priests and merchants, and a god of arts and crafts, science, agriculture, and learning. It is said that he invented the calendar, and is commonly associated with the North Star and the planet Venus. The serpent itself was a very important symbol to Mesoamerican peoples. It was a symbol of duality, much like the yin and yang symbol. This theme is also present in other traditions, like Norse mythology, where the end of the world is said to be brought by a great serpent. Like the Norse, the South American peoples foretold that the world began with a serpent, and would end with a serpent. The common pagan symbol that reflects this idea is the Ouroboros. This brings about the symbolism of the double-headed serpent, which seems to be a representation of this theme and of the God Quetzalcoatl. The double-headed serpent is a symbol of the sky, where one end is the material world, and the other end is representative of the Underworld. The serpent was also a common symbol and costume for many important Mesoamerican religious rites and festivals.

Correspondence Chart:

Pantheon: Aztec, Mayan, Toltec (Mexico) Other Names: Kukulkán (Mayan), Gucumatz (Quiché), Ehecatl (Huastecs) Colors: Green, Blue Planet: Venus Element: Air, Water Plants: Grain (Corn) Animals: Ant, Opossum, Snake, Phoenix Offerings & Symbols: Maize Stones: Emerald, Turquoise Issues & Intentions: Agriculture (Farming, Gardening), Arts (Crafts), Business, Change, Creation, Dealing with Darkness, Utilizing Darkness, Fertility, Healing, Illumination, Learning, Life, Science, Skills, Spirituality, To Acquire and Keep Wealth, Wind, Wisdom