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Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl.
The creator god of humanity represented duality by nature. Half air and
half earth, the feathered serpent was one of the most important pre-Hispanic
deities, the main protagonist of many of the major Mesoamerican myths and
his cult was very ancient. Quetzalcoatl had different avocations: Venus
as the morning star, called Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli; Xolotl, the "Precious
Twin," Venus as the afternoon star; and Ehecatl, god of Wind. The
cult of Quetzalcoatl reached the Maya zone, where he is known as Kukulkan.
Among his most important attributes are the cut shell ornament, whether
used as a pectoral, earplugs or adornment in some other part of his accouterments.
As the wind god, he wears a beak-shaped mask, with which he produces the
wind. The image is from the Codex Borbonicus.
Last Modified: January 14, 1998.
Museo del Templo Mayor, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e História,
México.
Seminario #8, Centro Histórico. Cuauhtémoc,
México, D.F. 06060
©Copyright
1997
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