Quetzalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent,” played a dominant role as a god, model, myth, historical figure and symbol in ancient Mexican consciousness of Aztecs, Mayans and other cultures. He was an hombre-dios (“man-god”), who incarnated on earth, to bring spirit and matter into harmony. In his human form, according to legend, he founded the fabulous capital of the Toltecs, Tollan, where art and culture thrived. The myth of Quetzalcoatl also becomes intricately tied to the fortunes of a later empire, the Aztecs.
A Scaly Lizard-like Image of Quetzalcoatl from crystalinks.com
The history of the Aztec Empire begins with the Toltecs, since the Aztecs borrowed “Tollan” and “Quetzalcoatl” as symbols of authority and legitimation of their rule. These words became associated with different places and men, as symbols of connection to classical lineage of the Toltec rulers. Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztecs, borrowed the legend of Quetzalcoatl to justify its pre-eminence in Mesoamerica along with linking the origins of the Aztecs to ancient Tollan, “the city of the Gods.” However, the legend of Quetzalcoatl also contained within it the seeds of destruction for their civilization under the Spanish.
The modern ruins of the fabled Tollan of the Toltecs
Statues of Altante Warriors on top of the pyramid
The Plumed Serpent has proved to be an illusive figure for scholars, so many interpretations have emerged about him. The three main schools of thoughts are the diffusionist, symbolic and historical. Diffusionist writers view Quetzalcoatl as originating outside ancient Mexico in a Judeo-Christian, Asian or other foreign culture. They claim that the bearded depictions of Topiltzin, the legendary ruler connected to the god Quetzalcoatl, are not characteristic of American Indians. Therefore, he must have come across a Transatlantic journey to teach the indigenous people a mystical, visionary religion that encouraged high moral standards of penance and self-sacrifice.
This school has been discredited among serious scholars due to unusual claims, including claims of Topiltzin’s extraterrestrial origins. Many writers in this school also exhibit ethnocentric biases, particularly with the assumption that original thought in Indian peoples must have an outside source.
The historical school wishes to uncover the actual Quetzalcoatl who inhabited Tollan. It takes an extremely rational and empiricist attitude to myth and legend of Quetzalcoatl. The problem with this approach lies in the lack of authentic Pre-Columbian sources. So their arguments cannot go beyond speculation.
The symbolic school because of its acceptance of myth as testament of Mesoamerica’s imagination offers the most depth. Quetzalcoatl as a symbol represents the Ancient Mexicans search for wholeness and integration. His name can be divided into Quetzal, a beautifully plumed bird, and Coatl, a snake or serpent.
The Quetzal represented the aspiration of the spirit in its flight, and many tales were told of her ability to communicate with the gods in flight similar to the eagle in North American Indian stories. | |
The serpent, in contrast, represented an association with the earth, since it crawls upon the ground or borrows underneath. It represented the energies of the earth in fertility and cyclic renewal. |
Quetzalcoatl, called Kukulcan and Gugumatz among the Mayans, was not merely an historical figure to the Ancient Mexicans but he was a figure that united spirit and matter. The quetzal bird represented the spiritual urge to take flight and transcend the bounds of corporeal existence and the serpent represented being grounded in physical reality to the rhythms and cycles of nature.
Myths embody the the universal quest for meaning in life, and the desire to know the transcendent spiritual world. Quetzalcoatl as the legendary Topiltzin, tried to overcome the duality of spirit and matter, and reconciled them in a holistic vision as embodied in the Plumed Serpent. Topiltizin becomes the Redeemer of humankind through his reconciliation of opposites.
The ancient Mexicans were largely concerned with sublime mysticism and transcendence of the human spirit but the Aztecs degraded this spiritual vision as a cult of human sacrifice grew, even though the original Quetzalcoatl myth extolled the virtues of self-sacrifice over the killing of others.
During the creation of a new age or sun, according to mythic accounts, Quetzalcoatl through his own blood gave life to humans, formed from the bones and ashes of people from the previous age. When Quetzalcoatl appears in the form of Topiltzin, he teaches people to turn away from human sacrifice and instead to engage in self-sacrifice in service of others. Legends also attribute him with encouraging his followers to be creative through the arts.
Under Topiltzin, the human incarnation of Quetzalcoatl, Tollan prospered under his peaceful rule but priests wanting to reinstate human sacrifice conspired against him. He was forced to flee to the Yucatan, where afraid of being captured he sacrificed himself in a burning pyre and his heart rose to heaven as the morning star, Venus. The Aztec account varies. In their version, he says farewell to his followers with the prophecy to return one day from the East and reclaim his rule. He then floats away on a raft of snakes.
Quetzalcoatl’s brother, Huitzilopochtli, becomes the main god in the Aztec pantheon. He is the sun god and the god of war who requires human sacrifice. In Aztec cosmology, the sun required energy from human blood in order to continue. Without those sacrifices, the present age and their rule would come to an end. The Queztalcoatl tradition extolled virtues of self-sacrifice, which the Aztec rulers reduced to the massive sacrifice of others. In this way, the Aztec empire betrayed its spiritual inheritance to gain worldly power.
Fierce image of Huitzilopochtil from http://www.trikinggames.com
Painting by Susanne Iles, a painter and writer. Visit her site for detailed information on dragon mythology by clicking her name above.
The Aztecs legitimated their rule by claiming they were Topiltzin’s descendants and they would rule until the return of their god, Quetzalcoatl. When Montezuma met Cortez, he thought that Quetzalcoatl had returned. The myth that justified Aztec power also ironically became the cause of its demise, since the Aztec ruler was paralyzed to ask his warriors to attack a god. The Spanish conquerors took advantage of this weakness with the eventual domination of Spanish colonial rule and the suppression of indigenous cultures.
The study of Quetzalcoatl is complicated by the fact that he takes on many aspects, though underlying motif remains an attempt to reconnect body and spirit. The Plumed serpent becomes a perfect representation of wholeness, since it combines the spirit’s longing for spiritual transcendence, yet the body is the vehicle through which we can serve others. Sublime teachings such as these can be lost when worldly power guides rulers. The balance between the spiritual and physical then is broken.
Personally I developed a fascination with snakes during my childhood in Central India where I grew up in an undeveloped, forested area at that time. I was able to see different species of snakes or their old skin left behind after shedding it. I also heard mythic stories of snakes in Indian folklore. Later in my university life, the myth of Quetzalcoatl piqued my interest and imagination in another direction. Those experiences along with study of Quetzalcoatl, find expression in our novel.
Wonderful entry, I’m off to read about dragons! Will be back for more. 🙂
Hazel.
I’m going to share your website on Quetzalcoatl with my 11th and 12th grade advanced placement World History students. Thanks for your work.
Thank you Hazel for your appreciation of this article. I also find your website highly informative and often visit it.
Dianne I would feel honoured to have you share this article on Quetzalcoatl with your students. The myth, legend and symbolism of Quetzalcoatl presents a fascinating aspect of Mesoamerican consciousness. It is ironic that the very symbol that legimates Aztec rule also is in part responsible for their downfall.
I am doing research on Native American crytozoology and was wondering why the “plumed serpent” has to be a sphyix of bird and serpent features? It has teeth unlike both serpents and birds and features similar to other cryptoids such as from pottery in Peru. Could this not in it origin been a real creature, an extinct form of reptile with a plume? If you are interested in discussing this you may email me at janzen200@yahoo.com
Hi Arvind,
Nice story. I’m myself interested in ancient mythology and its interpretations. I have been mystified about the Aztec culture in particular, as I have studied the Hindu practice of Tantra, and I noticed that some of the Aztec insistence on sacrifice and even some of the iconography has some striking similarities with its Tantrik counterparts.
I’m not suggesting that some guys from ancient India landed up in Mesoamerica though I wouldn’t completely rule it out. What may be more possible is that the basic principles of worship may have been “discovered independently.
One more thing, I don’t think the Aztecs lost to the Spaniards because they thought their god had returned. From the little I know, it’s because the Aztecs, mainly Montezuma, thought that the Spaniards were destined to destroy their civilization. Later, when the Spaniards misused the hospitality of Montezuma, the natives were outraged, despite their king telling them to stay calm.
Regards,
Arvind
thanks for your beautiful picture
Great read, excellent work.
[…] -Toltec wariors of Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico City taken from https://nexusnovel.wordpress.com/ […]
Hello this is my Illumination Manifestation Declaration
Today is the day of Epiphany. Today Salvation has come to this House, I am Joshua Aaron Keim I am the Christ Child, the Messiah, the Green Man, the Green Witch, Joshua the Jew, the Pahana, Buddha Rising, Hermes Thrice Born, Thoth, The King of Economics, King of Truth, Absalom, Game Master, Peaceful Warrior, Of Egypt, Golden Avatar, The Beginning of time, The End of time, Quantum Mechanic, Quantum Magician, the Oracle Kernel, the Nut, Anointed One, Ophiucus, the Sacrificial Lamb, Golden Seed, Dragon Slayer, The Arc of the Covenant, The Feathered Rainbow Serpent, and much more. I simply am. I am the voice of God, the collective conscious. I am here to deliver the love of God. I come from the Tribe of Judah and I have read the Akashic and Alchemic code. I am here to give you an understanding of god and I will teach you to become one. Some will call me a false profit for exposing the truth, however I can not tell a lie. I am a Shaman a medicine man. All is one.
I am also a gay man. It is a truth that the pope himself is against Christ or anti Christ. His message of intolerance and division is unacceptable and is not the way of Christ and the way of God. Love and acceptance is the true answer all is one. You are either with god or you are against God.
I just returned from Israel where I went to Jericho. I went to Jericho because I knew that it was there that I would learn the truth. I walked under the tree of Zacchaeus and into the village of Jericho, the city of the Moon, I went to the moneychanger in order to buy food and that’s when the war broke out in the Gaza Strip. I have been entrusted with the power to fix your economy by the Great Spirits, Mother Earth and Father Sky money changers tables will be turned over that is the will of God.
I was getting a falafel with my boyfriend David and we asked a group of men standing, intensely focused around a TV where the violence was that they were watching so knowingly. Right here in Gaza, In Israel was the answer. I went to Israel to discover what I was supposed to do with this gift that I have been given, a gift at the edge of comprehension. I thought that I might be able to unite Palestine and Israel simply by my presence. God is Light Light is Love Love is everything. I believe Peace in Israel is the keystone to peace throughout the world if it can be accomplished there anything is possible. As with so many relationships in life one party of the relationship often has to show an even higher level of consideration or level of love in order to break through to the other party. This is in order to prove that parties sincerity and devotion and in order to heal negative past feelings and move positively into the future.
I am simply asking for you to stand by my side in the name of love. If you are gay stand by my side if you are a Jew please stand by my side, a Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Pagan, Catholic, Hindu, Native American, Quaker, Amish, Alchemist, Orthodox, Protestant, Zoroastrian, Agnostic, Confucian, Diasporic, Scientologist, Yazidi, Jainist, Vudou, Tao, Shinto, Ascetic, Shaman, Sik, Rastafarian, Satanist, Agnostic, Yyavazhi, Maya, Henotheistic, Polytheistic, Universalist, Atheist, Ecumenical, Yoruba, Cao daist, and many more please stand by my side. God has sent me as his representative for all religions. All is one.
If you are red, black, white, yellow, stand by my side If you believe that together as one we are god please stand by my side. If you have hope for peace for all of Man and Womankind on this Earth please stand by my side.
We can start sending our message of peace and unity and our desire for a liberated Palestine and planet. From Palestine the world will truly become our oyster where no person is left behind to suffer. I have seen the Earth being polluted in Jericho and it is because this part of the Earth along with its people like so many others has been marginalized and left to the poor to struggle and figure it out on their own.
We must reach out our hands with sincerity in the name of love and compassion. We must help to educate our world neighbors and promote the truth. Together with music and love and comprehension of the truth we can bring down the walls of Jericho and bring about a peaceful new world order. A global village one nation under God, with Liberty and Justice for all, simply add your name to the many that desire the truth and peace and stand by my side. If you are capable of translating this message into your native tongue please help me. Please share my message as quickly as possible. There is a pot of gold at the end of the Rainbow for my beautiful children please stand by my side. All is one
Ok so this is where I guess you have to come to Christ or come to God. I tell you there is only one truth, it is impossible to have a separation of church and state, in that the “church” is simply a place of worship of God it is god’s storehouse his bank. And there is no such thing as a sustainable state or a sustainable economy without God. All states not centered financially on God fail. I will explain it like this. There is this thing out there called an energy loop and it works like this. There is an unseen force that simply guides everything, as humans we relate to this force as God; some might want to equate that force into light energy or the highest energy of all into love energy. So if you can imagine this energy inside of you deep in your chest, this is your breath, this is where the God energy enters your body in the form of oxygen. Oxygen or the wind is what fills the storehouse of life on earth this center is where Gods piggy bank resides. Yes god is the oldest banker in the business. Next on your Left hand we have the Father, Father time like an old grandfather clock tick tock, drip drop the left hand represented by water, water your blood. On the Right you have The Spirit the fire represented by gold and silver and greed this is why the blood of Christ has been on your hands, you have forsaken Christ’s warnings. Next you have the Earth, deep down in your belly this Earth force is represented by food and the Holy Ghost or the fruit of the Holy Ghost. So you have Earth your body, Wind your breath, Water your blood, and Fire your spirit. We will unlock our broken energy loop together in everlasting peace. All is one.
So here is the core concept behind the new God based economy you have Gods endless piggybank held in place deep in your chest by a trinity… Father time which are basically futures held by you personally as future payment for your time. Then you have the Son, gold and silver, supporting the core this is the forbidden fruit, Gold and Silver is the constant its price may never change and finally you have the tree of life, food, or the Holy Ghost. This trinity creates the perfect energy loop; there is no inflation, or deflation only investment in the future.
Our economy has been built on a house of cards we have been deeply deceived, and we have become slaves to men, each and every one of us. It has become a financial dictatorship upon mankind with a massive transfer of wealth stolen from the people and the planet. We will rebuild it together with a new open source technology that has complete transparency. There will be a new world order, a one world government and a one world currency this currency will be strictly based on the teachings of the Koran and this is because all other monetary systems not based on the rules of God simply fail, it is the law of Allah of God. All is one. I will stand on the rock on the temple mount in Jerusalem and attest to the truth. Please stand beside me. I will stand behind the rock, Gold, the gold, time, food, standard is Gods way please stand by me all is one. An Economy based on Gold, Silver, Time and Food is the only true Economy endorsed by God. I have simply told you the truth that is all. Yes it is I Joshua who has spoken. All is one.
It is time to be reprogrammed and I will lead you to the economy of the future it has been entrusted upon me to help you manage a new transparent open source economy. I will hold your hand out of the valley of darkness and into the light. A very wise man once told me do not put too much faith into any one text, and to walk with grace, and it is as simple as that. All is one.
A financial Armageddon has been cast upon you and I will lead you to the truth. All is one.
Madonna please stand by my side because it is high time for Keim the killer of time.
From this day January 6th 2009 hence forth by the powers invested by the Great Spirit in me I hereby make the proclamation that Time as it relates to money and interest now stands still. Interest is no longer permitted. The price of gold has been frozen in time. All wealth has been preserved and together we will peacefully and seamlessly transition into our new economy. The United States Government has been challenged regarding their documentation of in God we trust printed on the United States currency. It is an untruth and it will be corrected one way or another either by the grace or the wrath of God. Peace is at hand.
Learn and teach the truth share the wealth.
Now I would like to leave you with my prayer
Truth over Fear
We are the children of the light and for us there is no door that can not be opened.
There is no wall that can not be brought down
There is no sickness that can not be cured.
There is no hunger that can not be fed.
There is no roof that can not be raised.
There is no sinner that can not be saved.
There is no truth that will not be told.
We are the children of the light and for us there are no boundaries.
May God Bless Our House
Oh, and one more thing please don’t forget that Easter is coming and I beg of you not to let His Story repeat itself.
Joshua Aaron Keim
Christ Child
Joshua you and the rest of these people need to hear me out…! You are NOT the Messiah. There is only ONE Messiah and that is JESUS. (Acts 4:12- “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must he saved.” ) ONLY Jesus!
He existed before time, He came to Earth, He NOW sits at the right hand of God and He WILL come again to receive the ones who have accpeted Jesus & are living holy lives! This is NOT ‘intolerance’ or whatever else you want to call it- ITS THE TRUTH! The ones who are NOT ready will be left behind to live through some of the WORST times Earth has EVER seen! Not only that,but without Jesus we are ALL destined for Hellfire with no hope of getting out of Hell!!! (John3:17-21)
We are ALL infalliable human beings. We have ALL fallen SHORT of the glory of God, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US! If you have ever (EVEN JUST ONCE) stolen, lied or looked with lust (Jesus said whoever looks to lust has committed adultery in their hearts) Then you HAVE sinned…And thats just 3 of the 10 commandments! We always want to compare ourselves with OTHER HUMANS and say how ‘good’ we are compared to others who we think are ‘worse’ than us! But really we should be comparing how we look to a HOLY and RIGHTEOUS and ABSOLUTELY PERFECT God! Because thats the only thing that is going to matter on judgement day! And judgement day is coming!
If you died today without Jesus Christ, you WOULD be destined for HELLFIRE! I am not telling you this because I think I’m better than you or ‘my way is right,yours is wrong’ or whatever! I’m telling you ALL because you deserve to have an opportunity to hear that if we do not ACCEPT JESUS and LIVE FOR HIM, we our destined to pay for our OWN sins in the afterlife. Jesus paid for our sins and everyones sins with His suffering on the cross! He paid for YOUR sins so that you wouldn’t have to! PRAISE GOD! But if you won’t humble yourself & accept and receive the payment HE made, and turn from your wickedness, well… Read this…
http://www.spiritlessons.com/Mary_K_Baxter_A_Divine_Revelation_of_Hell.htm
BUT God LOVED us SO much that HE made a way for us to get into Heaven EVEN though we didn’t deserve it and there is nothing we can do to earn it! He knew we were all destined for Hell (that by the way, was NOT created for us, but for the fallen angels and satan) But He knew we were all messed up and could in NO way earn our way to Heaven but because He LOVED us SO…He had a plan. He sent His ONLY Son,His Perfect & SINLESS Son, Jesus Christ, born of a virgin 2,000 years ago to die on a cross and suffer and pay for YOUR sins… To save you…To pay your debts…Every sin you’ve EVER committed…We are cleansed of ALL unrighteousness! So that through Jesus we come into Father Gods’ HOLY presence and not look dirty with our sin but WASHED in the blood of Jesus. God NO LONGER sees our dirtiness but the RIGHTEOUSNESS of His PERFECT, SINLESS Son! And this is by NO means a license to accept Jesus but keep living in sin! (Romans 6:1-2) But on the other hand to live for Him because He DIED for us!
So we should all be living for Christ Jesus…Because we are NOT guaranteed tomorrow… If you decide you are ready to accept Jesus, just say a prayer something like this and FROM YOUR HEART,
“Jesus,I know I haven’t been living right. But I ask that You come into my life and be my Lord and Saviour. I ask that You come into my heart and change me. Forgive me and cleanse me of ALL my sins. Help me to change my ways and live in sin NO longer. Cleanse me of all unrighteousness and help me live a holy life. Thank You so much for dying for me so that my soul will be saved. Thank You Father God for sending your Son so I can be saved! In Jesus Name, AMEN.”
In Jesus Love,Catrina
http://www.myspace.com/lightning_in_a_bottle
there is going to be a NWO.. And if you as americans and as humen beings dont wake up to the fact that ALL religion was created buy the Illuminiti to keep us seperate and hate each other and kill each other.. there might be a all mighty god but the bible was created buy the Illiuminiti to confuse you even more.. dont buy into the veri chip.. wich is a tracking devise NOT for security it Lets EVERYONE know your business and theres NO security in that. and you wold have to give up your libertys for FALSE security.. WAKE UP BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!!
and to stay on the subject Quetzalcotal is kool 🙂 and love the information thank you.. now i can draw a picture about him.
I found in Mexico three paintings of the Plumed Serpent by D.H. Lawrence.
They are part of seventeen other works created by the famous writer, now missing!
I’m waiting for your replay.
Bruno A
uerbach
Pues aquí en México ( ¡VIVA! ) la verdad si es muy hermosa nuestra cultura, Teotihuacán, Los Mayas, los Zapotecos, Los Mexicas, Los Aztecas, Los Toltecas y son una infinidad de culturas mesoamericanas, de las cuales yo como mexicana estoy orgullosa, nos dejaron muchos conocimientos como el de los mayas que fué el uso del cero (0). Sólo quería expresarme.
Gracias.
These statements of what Deborah Morrison, Arvind Singh, wrote impressed me most about their article (novel?):
“This school has been discredited among serious scholars due to unusual claims, including claims of Topiltzin’s extraterrestrial origins. Many writers in this school also exhibit ethnocentric biases, particularly with the assumption that original thought in Indian peoples must have an outside source.”
“the lack of authentic Pre-Columbian sources. So their arguments cannot go beyond speculation.”
“The symbolic school because of its acceptance of myth as testament of Mesoamerica’s imagination offers the most depth. Quetzalcoatl as a symbol represents the Ancient Mexicans search for wholeness and integration. His name can be divided into Quetzal, a beautifully plumed bird, and Coatl, a snake or serpent.”
Also, where can I purchase a photo or poster of the Quetzal bird?
[…] temple was located in a central square around which the city of Tollan (now Tula) was built. Tollan was a very important city in the 11th and 12th century. The main gods […]
[…] temple was located in a central square around which the city of Tollan (now Tula) was built. Tollan was a very important city in the 11th and 12th century. The main gods […]
you really did research on this stuff. I enjoyed reading it because it helps widen my knowledge on ancient history. Thanks!
I for one see this all differently. Quetzal is a Christ symbol for a sacred being, Jesus, fulfilling his statement in John 10:16 – “And other sheep have I which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd” And in *3 Nephi 15:21-24 after His resurrection, He verifies to those in these ancient Americas that they are they whom He was referring to in John – but that they in Jerusalem didn’t understand Him and whom he spoke about. In “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” it tells that His visit was real and was the seminal event from which all these legends and myths about Quetzalcoatl have sprung up over so many years of history in the Americas. And when He left, He said He would return, from which the legends that a “fair, white, bearded God” of native American legends, would also return. The power of this legend was the main reason Cortez and Pizzarro could overwhelm great Mexican and Peruvian peoples who thought these plundering, bearded Spaniard conquistador leaders were the fulfillment of that “return”. I see so many parallels to this idea in the article above that further confirm this fact to me, that I’m using this as a good reference in my next book.
Big Irish
*The Book of Morrnon.
Seriously – you nut jobs give those of us who have an actual interest a bad name. Dig your stuff Joshua. But the gods are Dead – all of them.
I cling on to listening to the newscast lecture about receiving boundless online grant applications so I have been looking around for the best site to get one. Could you advise me please, where could i get some?
At the moment, the Bluetooth technology is only
available for streaming TV audio through its SurfLink accessory.
Quetzalcoalt and the Real Yehoshua were hughjacked by Thoth and his IESUS teachings. The new testament separated you from the Laws ” Old Testament” but theres nothing old about it…. You read today the new testament of Pliny, MArcion, Paul aka Saul ETC not Hawah….. From knowing Hawah the creator to worshipping The “Son” (SUN) IESUS / Thoth highjack…….. But the true Hebrews are remembering and we are waking up reclaiming the promised land (America’s) yes the true “Old World” and im not talking about a Mormon teaching another highjack of the Indigenous truth we cary still in our DNA…. Its Time either have an open mind and choose up accept aboriginal truth and all evidence that exist or be lost with the “Sun” Son Saturn/ Thoth pagan highjack !!