1 / 8

Quetzalcoatl

Quetzalcoatl. Latin America’s Feathered Serpent God. Meaning and Origin. Quetzalcoatl literally means “feathered serpent” Versions of the Quetzalcoatl myth can be found in Olmec, Mixtec, Toltec, Aztec, and Mayan cultures, and also in Mexico, Guatemala, and other countries of Central America.

archibald-richter
Download Presentation

Quetzalcoatl

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Quetzalcoatl Latin America’s Feathered Serpent God

  2. Meaning and Origin • Quetzalcoatl literally means “feathered serpent” • Versions of the Quetzalcoatl myth can be found in Olmec, Mixtec, Toltec, Aztec, and Mayan cultures, and also in Mexico, Guatemala, and other countries of Central America

  3. God or Human? • Like all gods with transformative properties, Quetzalcoatl often took human form • Here is a human representation of Quetzalcoatl

  4. Dualistic Properties • Like human beings, Quetzalcoatl had both good and bad qualities. • Tezcatlipoca can be regarded as his “evil twin.” • Can you think of good and bad qualities in both brothers?

  5. What makes Quetzalcoatl a hero? • He is known as a true teacher of his people. According to myth, he taught people of his land the following skills: • Farming • Weaving • Writing • Art, music, dance, craftsmanship • Superpowers?

  6. Quetzalcoatl’s Journey • The Call – “The vultures quickly found Quetzalcoatl and told him of [his father’s] murder.” • Crossing the Threshold – “The animals helped Quetzalcoatl dig up his father’s body.” • The Road of Trials – “Tezcatlipoca transformed himself into a jaguar and chased Quetzalcoatl…” • Belly of the Whale – “He burned his rich palaces…[and] went on his way.”

  7. The Journey, continued • Atonement with the Father – “Sun has called me, and that is where I am going!” • Flight - “He climbed on a raft woven of snakes and set off toward Sun, who was beginning his morning journey across the heavens.” • The Ultimate Boon – “Someday I will return to my people and my land!” • Transformation – “They saw that his ashes became transformed into a colorful array of birds.” • Gift – Final gifts to his people as he ends his journey • Master of Two Worlds – The Morning Star

  8. Mayan Basketball • American basketball was adapted from the Mayans. • Hoop was 25 feet high. • Ball was solid rubber. • Ball court at Chichén Itzá is adorned with Quetzalcoatl’s feathers. • Cannot use hands – only forearms, hips and thighs -to move the ball. • Losing captain was decapitated!

More Related