Quetzalcoatl

Quetzalcoatl, meaning "feathered serpent" in Nahuatl (quetzalli = feather of the quetzal, coatl = serpent), is a major deity in Mesoamerican religion, most prominently in Aztec culture, though he appears in earlier and neighboring traditions and is identified with the Maya deity Kukulkan in the Maya region. He is typically depicted as a serpent adorned with birdlike plumage.

In Aztec belief, Quetzalcoatl is a culture hero and deity associated with wind, learning, the priesthood, and civilization. He is linked to the creation of humans in some myths, the gift of maize and the arts, and to the institution of rituals and calendars; his cult was widespread and linked to key centers such as Tollan (Tula) and the city of Tenochtitlan, where imagery of the feathered serpent appears in sculpture and codices.

Myths recount his exile or disappearance after a dispute with Tezcatlipoca and his promised return from the east, a motif that some historians associate, though contentiously, with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors under Hernán Cortés. The idea of Quetzalcoatl’s expected return shaped various Aztec attitudes at the time of contact.

Iconography commonly shows a feathered serpent, blending the quetzal’s bright plumage with a serpent’s body; he is one of the most enduring symbols of pre-Columbian religion and has been widely represented in architecture, sculpture, and codices across Mesoamerica.

In modern times, Quetzalcoatl remains a prominent symbol in Mexican and Central American heritage, influencing art, literature, and institutions; the name is also used for the Guatemalan currency and for modern religious and cultural movements.