Quetzalcoatl: Man or Myth?

Heather Howdeshell HIST 3323 Dr. Whigham The Legend of Quetzalcoatl: Man or Myth? From the offset of the Toltec reign in Central Mexico, the idol Quetzalcoatl has been a fundamental figure in the religion and polish of Mexico. This is undisputed. What can be disputed, however, is Quetzalcoatls legitimacy as an historical figure. The deity Quetzalcoatl, or the chisel serpent is inseparable from the man Ce Acatl Topitlzin Quetzalcoatl, k right awayn to be a famous leader in pre-historical Mexican myth. The dissection becomes more difficult still as the Spanish friars introduced Christianity and in an effort to assimilate the Indians, created a parallel between Indian deity Quetzalcoatl and the Catholic figure St. Thomas. In doing so, the priests hoped to incorporate Indian culture and religion into Christianity. In the process, however, they changed and damaged the pre-Christian notions of the god. What information we have now of Quetzalcoatl must be recognized as flawed over the centuries, and we must take this into account when trying to examine the historical origins of one of the triple figures. However, with cautious examination, we can separate these three figures and determine each ones traits independent of the others.

To understand the mythologic figure Quetzalcoatl, the first of the trinity to emerge, one must breast further in to the religious belief of the pre-Columbian peoples. In the Classical period, Quetzalcoatl represented a sort of binary encounter between earth and heaven, visible in his name, quetzalli, or remarkable green feather, and coatl, the serpent. Precious green feather, according to Enrique Florescano, referred to a bird, which in the Classical period symbolized the heavens. Coatl, the serpent, symbolized earth, and so the mythical wolf Quetzalcoatl was a link between the two, present before the Toltec nicety began, and gave birth to the image of twins, one of life, fertility and order (the bird) and the other... If you postulate to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay

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