Quetzalcoatl
There is clearly no greater common thread uniting all Mesoamerican cultures than Quetzalcoatl. While the Aztec name Quetzalcoatl is most widely used, he was known as Kukulcan to the Maya, as well as Gukumatz and Nine Wind, among other names. Often represented by a plumed serpent, Quetzalcoatl appears in the mythology of every major Mesoamerican culture, and since Teotihuacan, has maintained a position among the mega-deities of Mesoamerica.
There are a number of legends associated with Quetzalcoatl, with the common thread being benevolence. While the lessons taught by Mesoamerican myth tend toward the cataclysmic, those attributed to Quetzalcoatl are always the opposite. This may largely be responsible for his prominence, despite his apparent position as the least powerful of the “upper level” Mesoamerican gods.
Among his many achievements Quetzalcoatl is credited with introducing the arts and sciences, domesticating corn, discouraging human sacrifice, and promoting a spiritualized version of ritual drunkenness. After a struggle with his arch rival, the sorcerer-god Tezcaltipoca, he is said to have departed to the east on a flaming raft, vowing to return. The myth states that he ultimately rose up to become Venus, the Morning Star.
When The Spanish Conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés, arrived on the shores of their land, it was the Aztec Emperor Montezuma's interpretation of a prophecy regarding Quetzalcoatl's return that allowed a small group of well-armed Europeans to easily overrun an entire nation whose primary preoccupation was war.
 Mural by Diego Rivera at the National Palace depicting key scenes from the myth of Quetzalcoatl View larger image |
While once thought to be an entirely mythical being, archaeological records indicate that at least a portion of the myth of Quetzalcoatl has a basis in historical fact. The incomplete nature of Mesoamerican historical records allows for a great deal of overlap and confusion between the mythological Quetzalcoatl, and the deeds of actual human beings who subsequently carried his name.
Perhaps the most widely known Quetzalcoatl is Ce Acatl Topitzlin Quetzalcoatl, whose accomplishments during his decades-long reign over a thriving Toltec nation included construction of the magnificent capital city of Tula. His reign was ended by his nemesis (just like Tezcaltipoca caused the mythical Quetzalcoatl's departure), and he is said to have also sailed east on a raft of snakes, vowing, like the first Quetzalcóatl, to return one day to rule his people.
The history continues that he landed on the Yucatan peninsula. Eventually he became ruler of the Itza Maya, and is credited with revitalizing their capital city of Chichen Itza. This includes the construction of the Pyramid of Kukulkan, that with its surrounding structures, continues to be a marvel in its precise orientation to significant celestial markers such as Venus and the Pleiades. Following his arrival, Chichen Itza became the ideological and commercial center for the entire region during the Maya post classic period until the collapse of the Mayan empire.
While Quetzalcoatl appears throughout pre-conquest Mexico and Central America, the synchronicities do not end there. Quetzalcoatl is to Mesoamerican culture what Christ is to European culture. Both became the pre-eminent myth of their culture, and are based upon a man who ascends to heaven, thus becoming “god-like.” Both faced temptations brought on by a nemesis. There is currently a great deal of research available that connects the history of Quetzalcoatl with the beliefs of the Mormons that a Christ did walk in the Americas. Both Quetzalcoatl and Buddha are said to have risen to become the Morningstar, or Venus. Connections have also been made between Quetzalcoatl, and his vow to return, and the end-time prophecies of both the Inca and the Hopi. These are just a few of the many synergies. The opportunity to explore the interconnectedness of the world's great myths is virtually without limit.