Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, is a creator god of wind, wisdom, and dawn. He steals bones from Mictlan to make humanity, brings maize and calendar arts, and embodies balance between earth and sky.
Story beats
- 1) In Mictlan’s underworld, he retrieves ancestral bones, bleeding onto them to birth humans.
- 2) As Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl, he blows wind to move the sun and clear paths for rain.
- 3) He gifts maize, writing, and the calendar; his exile myths caution against excess (pulque, pride).
- 4) Opposed and paired with Tezcatlipoca, he represents ordered creativity versus disruptive force.
Context & symbolism
Quetzalcoatl unites serpent earthiness with quetzal plumage of the heavens, symbolizing integration of realms. His benevolence highlights ethics of leadership and knowledge; his fall stories warn of moral lapse.
Colonial narratives distorted him; returning to Nahua sources restores his role as culture-bringer and wind’s breath.
Motifs
- Feathered serpent body
- Wind mask and conch shell
- Journey to Mictlan for bones
- Maize and calendar gifts
Use it in play
- Quest to retrieve bones from an underworld, guided by a feathered serpent.
- Balance two cults—Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca—to stabilize a city’s fate.
- Ride wind currents with a conch-shell artifact to outrun a storm.
- Recover stolen maize seeds to restore fertility; the serpent tests worthiness.