| Quetzalcoatl | |
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 Quetzalcoatl's two forms: the Feathered Serpent at the left and Ehecatl, the god of wind, at the right, depicted in Codex Laud. | |
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Other Names |
White Tecatlipoca, Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, Feathered Serpent, Precious Twin, Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli |
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First Appearance |
Aztec Mythology |
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Created by |
Aztec Mythology |
Origin[]
Quetzalcoatl in feathered-serpent form as depicted in the Codex Telleriano-Remensis
Quetzalcoatl is a deity in Aztec culture and literature. Among the Aztecs, he was related to wind, Venus, Sun, merchants, arts, crafts, knowledge, and learning. He was also the patron god of the Aztec priesthood.
The exact significance and attributes of Quetzalcoatl varied somewhat between civilizations and through history. Quetzalcoatl is one of the four sons of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, he was often considered the god of the morning star, and his twin brother Xolotl was the evening star (Venus). As the morning star he was known by the title Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, meaning "lord of the star of the dawn." He was known as the inventor of books and the calendar, the giver of maize (corn) to mankind, and sometimes as a symbol of death and resurrection. Quetzalcoatl was also the patron of the priests and the title of the twin Aztec high priests.
Most Mesoamerican beliefs included cycles of suns. Usually, our current time was considered the fifth sun, the previous four having been destroyed by flood, fire and the like. Quetzalcoatl allegedly went to Mictlan, the underworld, and created fifth-world mankind from the bones of the previous races (with the help of Chihuacoatl), using his own blood, from a wound in his penis, to imbue the bones with new life.
His birth, along with his twin Xolotl, was unusual; it was a virgin birth, to the goddess Coatlicue. Alternatively, he was a son of Xochiquetzal and Mixcoatl.
One Aztec story claims that Quetzalcoatl was seduced by Tezcatlipoca into becoming drunk and sleeping with a celibate priestess (in some accounts, his sister Quetzalpetlatl) and then burned himself to death out of remorse. His heart became the morning star (see Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli).
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Quetzalcoatl from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
- Codex Zumarraga
- Codex Chimalpopoca
- Codex Telleriano-Remensis
- Codex Borbonicus
- Codex Borgia
- Codex Magliabechiano
- Florentine Codex
- Diccionario de Mitología Nahoa (1905)
- The Plumed Serpent (1925)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- City Of The Living Dead #nn - When Professor Bob Martin and his wife Anne travel to the Yucatan in Mexico, they are warned by a guide named Ramon to stay out of the ruins of the Aztec city, Quetana. In legend, Quetana is said to be inhabited by a group of escaped prisoners, lead by Torque, who took shelter in the city and discovered its treasure hoard of gold. They shortly die of yellow fever. Afterward, they are cursed by Quetzal, the Aztec God of Justice, to be permanent residents of the City of the Living Dead. Professor Martin dismisses the story and the pair go to the city anyway, causing terrifying events to unfold.
- Gorgo #8: The Monster is a prehistoric shapeshifting beast that sustains itself off of human fear. It has existed for almost all of human history, feeding on their fear of monsters. After a long sleep, the Monster awakens in its cave in the year 2092. It thinks back to itself about the past, when it terrorized civilizations in different forms such as a medieval dragon, the Loch Ness Monster and Quetzalcoatl. However, people of the future have completely lost their fear, and instead laugh at the sight of the creature, ultimately killing the malnourished monster.
Notes[]
- Rayquaza the dragon/flying type legendary Pokémon originally from the video game Pokemon Emerald is partially inspired by the Quetzalcoatl.