"Mythology & Folktales"
Quetzalcoatl: The Feathered Serpent(Mesoamerican god)
Presented by: Hector Rodriguez Aguilar
Background history
Who is this god?
Tezcatlipoca’s brother Quetzalcoatl was the god of winds and rain, intelligence and self-reflection. He plays a key role in other Mesoamerican cultures such as Teotihuacan and the Maya.
Quetzalcoatl nagual was a mix of bird and rattlesnake, his name combining the Nahuatl words for quetzal (“the emerald plumed bird”) and coatl (“serpent”).
He is a the patron of science and learning, Quetzalcoatl invented the calendar and books. He was also identified with the planet Venus.
Quetzalcoatl companion is Xolotl, a dog-headed. Quetzalcoatl was said to have descended to the land of death to gather the bones of the ancient dead. He then infused the bones with his own blood, regenerating mankind.
Quetzalcóatl’s calendar name was Ce Acatl (One Reed). The belief that he would return from the east in a One Reed year led the Aztec sovereign Montezuma II to regard the Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés and his comrades as divine envoys, because 1519, the year in which they landed on the Mexican Gulf coast, was a One Reed year
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What were this god's characteristics?
Quetzalcóatl was often represented as a man with a beard, and, as Ehécatl, the wind god, he was shown with a mask with two protruding tubes (through which the wind blew) and a conical hat typical of the Huastec people of east-central Mexico. The temple of Quetzalcóatl at Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital, was a round building, a shape that fitted the god’s personality as Ehécatl.
Quetzalcóatl ruled over the days that bore the name ehécatl(“wind”) and over the 18th 13-day series of the ritual calendar. He was also the ninth of the 13 gods of the daytime hours. Although he was generally listed as one of the first-rank deities, no ceremonial month was dedicated to his cult.
Quetzalcóatl was particularly venerated in the calmecac, religious colleges annexed to the temples, in which the future priests and the sons of the nobility were educated. Outside of Tenochtitlán, the main centre of Quetzalcóatl’s cult was Cholula, on the plateau region called Mesa Central.
How did indigenous people worship this god?
With the immigration of [Nahua]-speaking tribes from the north,Quetzalcóatl’s cult underwent drastic changes.
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.
Quetzalcóatl became the god of the morning and evening star, and his temple was the centre of ceremonial life in Tula.
In Aztec times (14th through 16th centuries) Quetzalcóatl was revered as the patron of priests, the inventor of the calendar and of books, and the protector of goldsmiths and other craftsmen; As the morning and evening star, Quetzalcóatl was the symbol of death and resurrection.
With his companion Xolotl, a dog-headed god, he was said to have descended to the underground hell of Mictlan to gather the bones of the ancient dead. Those bones he anointed with his own blood, giving birth to the men who inhabit the present universe.
One important body of myths describes Quetzalcóatl as the priest-king of Tula, the capital of the Toltecs. He never offered human victims, only snakes, birds, and butterflies But the god of the night sky, Tezcatlipoca, expelled him from Tula by performing feats of black magic.
Quetzalcóatl wandered down to the coast of the “divine water” (the Atlantic Ocean) and then immolated himself on a pyre, emerging as the planet Venus. According to another version, he embarked upon a raft made of snakes and disappeared beyond the eastern horizon.
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How has society used this god’s image?
As a gamer, I was astonished to see Quetzalcóatl in a game called “Smite.”
Smite is a MOBA, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, similar to League of Legends or Dota.
Smite’s characters are gods from various cultures. Smite used a different name for Quetzalcóatl, instead they used “Kukulkan.”
Smite has five classes known as Mage, Assassin, Guardian, Warrior, and Hunter.
Kukulkan is a mage, his abilities does represent his traits as the Aztecs portrayed him which is fascinating.
Is Smite being cultural appropriate with using gods?
I don’t believe the use of Quetzalcoatl in Smite was to mock mesoamerican cultures, instead the game creators invented a perspective of Quetzcoatl known as “Kukulkan” and they added the lore of the diety.
IGN reported Rajan Zed the leader of the head organization called the “Universal Society of Hinduism” based in Nevada.
He call himself as the “Hindu leader”, he has slammed Smite for the improper portrayal of the Hindu gods used in the game.
IGN intreviewed Hi-Rez’s co-founder and COO Todd Harris about Zed’s opinion. Harris argued Hinduism is “embracing and tolerant” and that Hindu’s ancient stories have often been used for entertainment purposes. Harris adds to the argument, mythology associated with those religions do not include deities battling with one another and not appopriate to tell a story from that point-of-view.
Who is this god?
Tezcatlipoca’s brother Quetzalcoatl was the god of winds and rain, intelligence and self-reflection. He plays a key role in other Mesoamerican cultures such as Teotihuacan and the Maya.
Quetzalcoatl nagual was a mix of bird and rattlesnake, his name combining the Nahuatl words for quetzal (“the emerald plumed bird”) and coatl (“serpent”).
He is a the patron of science and learning, Quetzalcoatl invented the calendar and books. He was also identified with the planet Venus.
Quetzalcoatl companion is Xolotl, a dog-headed. Quetzalcoatl was said to have descended to the land of death to gather the bones of the ancient dead. He then infused the bones with his own blood, regenerating mankind.
Quetzalcóatl’s calendar name was Ce Acatl (One Reed). The belief that he would return from the east in a One Reed year led the Aztec sovereign Montezuma II to regard the Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés and his comrades as divine envoys, because 1519, the year in which they landed on the Mexican Gulf coast, was a One Reed year
What were this god's characteristics?
Quetzalcóatl was often represented as a man with a beard, and, as Ehécatl, the wind god, he was shown with a mask with two protruding tubes (through which the wind blew) and a conical hat typical of the Huastec people of east-central Mexico. The temple of Quetzalcóatl at Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital, was a round building, a shape that fitted the god’s personality as Ehécatl.
Quetzalcóatl ruled over the days that bore the name ehécatl(“wind”) and over the 18th 13-day series of the ritual calendar. He was also the ninth of the 13 gods of the daytime hours. Although he was generally listed as one of the first-rank deities, no ceremonial month was dedicated to his cult.
Quetzalcóatl was particularly venerated in the calmecac, religious colleges annexed to the temples, in which the future priests and the sons of the nobility were educated. Outside of Tenochtitlán, the main centre of Quetzalcóatl’s cult was Cholula, on the plateau region called Mesa Central.
How did indigenous people worship this god?
With the immigration of [Nahua]-speaking tribes from the north,Quetzalcóatl’s cult underwent drastic changes.
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.
Quetzalcóatl became the god of the morning and evening star, and his temple was the centre of ceremonial life in Tula.
In Aztec times (14th through 16th centuries) Quetzalcóatl was revered as the patron of priests, the inventor of the calendar and of books, and the protector of goldsmiths and other craftsmen; As the morning and evening star, Quetzalcóatl was the symbol of death and resurrection.
With his companion Xolotl, a dog-headed god, he was said to have descended to the underground hell of Mictlan to gather the bones of the ancient dead. Those bones he anointed with his own blood, giving birth to the men who inhabit the present universe.
One important body of myths describes Quetzalcóatl as the priest-king of Tula, the capital of the Toltecs. He never offered human victims, only snakes, birds, and butterflies But the god of the night sky, Tezcatlipoca, expelled him from Tula by performing feats of black magic.
Quetzalcóatl wandered down to the coast of the “divine water” (the Atlantic Ocean) and then immolated himself on a pyre, emerging as the planet Venus. According to another version, he embarked upon a raft made of snakes and disappeared beyond the eastern horizon.
How has society used this god’s image?
As a gamer, I was astonished to see Quetzalcóatl in a game called “Smite.”
Smite is a MOBA, Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, similar to League of Legends or Dota.
Smite’s characters are gods from various cultures. Smite used a different name for Quetzalcóatl, instead they used “Kukulkan.”
Smite has five classes known as Mage, Assassin, Guardian, Warrior, and Hunter.
Kukulkan is a mage, his abilities does represent his traits as the Aztecs portrayed him which is fascinating.
Is Smite being cultural appropriate with using gods?
I don’t believe the use of Quetzalcoatl in Smite was to mock mesoamerican cultures, instead the game creators invented a perspective of Quetzcoatl known as “Kukulkan” and they added the lore of the diety.
IGN reported Rajan Zed the leader of the head organization called the “Universal Society of Hinduism” based in Nevada.
He call himself as the “Hindu leader”, he has slammed Smite for the improper portrayal of the Hindu gods used in the game.
IGN intreviewed Hi-Rez’s co-founder and COO Todd Harris about Zed’s opinion. Harris argued Hinduism is “embracing and tolerant” and that Hindu’s ancient stories have often been used for entertainment purposes. Harris adds to the argument, mythology associated with those religions do not include deities battling with one another and not appopriate to tell a story from that point-of-view.