Chapter 14 Chapter 14 The People of the Snake God

I have been obsessed with the myths and legends of Viracocha for so long. When I found that Quetzalcotel, the chief god of the ancient Mexican gods, was so similar in every way to this bearded Andean god. will feel extremely curious. For example, one of the ancient Mexican myths compiled by the 16th-century Spanish historian Juan de TOrquemada states that Quetzalcotel was "fair-skinned, rosy-faced, with a lock under his chin." long beard".Another myth describes him as "a fair-skinned man, tall and tall, with a broad forehead, big eyes, long hair, and a bushy beard on his face"①.Another legend describes Quetzakotel as:

Mysterious figure... fair skin, strong build, broad forehead, big round eyes, thick and long beard.He was wearing a white robe that swept the floor.He condemned the system of killing people and offering sacrifices to gods, and advocated offering flowers and fruits to gods.The people called him the "God of Peace"... It is said that when someone asked him to express his opinion on the war, he immediately stuck out two fingers and plugged his ears②. According to a particularly compelling Mesoamerican myth, Quetzalcotel the "Wise Mentor": Came across the sea in a paddleless boat.He is a tall man.A white man with a beard, teaching the people to cook food with fire.He built houses for the people and advocated the marriage system of monogamy.People at that time liked to quarrel, so he persuaded them to live in harmony with each other and neighbors.

Mexican twin brothers of Viracocha The reader will recall that Viracocha used several different aliases and nicknames as he traveled through the Andes.Quetzalcoatl is no exception.In parts of Mesoamerica, especially among the Quiche Mayan tribe, he is known as Gucumatz.In other areas, such as the ancient city of Chizhen Itza, people call him Kukulkan.Translating these two names into English, we found that they mean exactly the same thing: a snake with feathers (or feathers) on its body - Plumed (or Feathered) SerPent.And this is the meaning of the name "Quetza Cotel". There are also some gods in Mesoamerica (especially among the Mayan tribes) whose status is closely integrated with Quetzalcotel.One of them was the great teacher Votan.Legend has it that he was also very fair-skinned, with a beard and robes.The meaning of his name is still undecided in the academic circles—however, his emblem is exactly the same as Quetzalkotel, which is also a snake.Another deity closely related to Kui and Kotel was the Mayan god of medicine, the long-robed, bearded Izamara (zamara), whose emblem was also a rattlesnake.

Scholars of Mesoamerican culture agree that these phenomena point to the fact that during the Spanish conquest of Mesoamerica, the Mexican myths and traditions collected by Spanish historians had become confused due to long-term oral transmission.However, behind these patchwork legends, there is a solid historical truth hidden after all.Leading Maya scholar Sylvanus Grlswold Morley states: The great god worshiped by the Mayans, the "feathered snake" Kukulkan, is equivalent to the god of light, learning and culture worshiped by the Aztecs, Quetzalcotel.Among the Mayan gods, he is considered a great organizer, city builder, father of laws and expert on calendars.His personality and life deeds are full of "human" color, so that we have to believe that he is very likely to be a real historical figure.He benefited the society with his legal knowledge and organizational ability. After his death, he was deeply remembered by the people and gradually revered as a god⑤.

All the legends clearly state that Quetzakotel/Kukulkan/Gukumaz/Vordan/Isamana came to Central America from afar (crossing the "Eastern Sea") and were sad He departed, sailed away, and returned to where he came from.According to legend, he once made a solemn promise to the people: one day he will come back.Didn't Viracocha make the same promise?Is this just pure coincidence?The reader will also recall that in Andean mythology, Viracocha's departure was a miracle—he disappeared into the Pacific Ocean on the waves.The process of Quetzalcotel's departure from Mexico is also full of mystery. It is said that he left on a "raft made of snakes"⑥.

Basically, I agree with the scholar Moore's statement that he is looking for a historical fact behind the Mayan and Mexican myths.These legends seem to indicate that the fair-skinned, bearded outlander Quetzakotel (or Kukulkan, or whatever) was not a single individual, but several.They are from the same place and belong to the same non-Indian race (fair skinned, bearded, etc.).We make this inference, partly because these gods are closely related, having the same serpentine emblem, and apparently belonging to the same "family," and partly because many Mexican and Mayan legends explicitly refer to , Quetzalcotel/Kukulkan/Isamana came to Mexico with a group of "entourages" or "assistants".

For example, some myths in the ancient Mayan family book "BookS of Chil am Balam" (BookS of Chil am Balam) mention: "The earliest inhabitants of the Yucatan Peninsula were the people of the snake god." They crossed the sea from the east by boat come.The leader of this group is Isamana, the "Snake God of the East".It is said that he has superb medical skills, and as long as he touches it with his hands, the patient will be cured suddenly, and even the dead can be revived⑦. Another legend states: "Kukulkan came with 19 companions, two of whom were fish gods, the other two were the god of grains, and the other was the god of thunder... They stayed in Yucatan for 10 years .Kukulkan enacted just and wise laws, and sailed away, disappearing where the sun rose..."⑧

According to the records of the Spanish historian Las Casas: "The local indigenous legend, in ancient times, Kukulkan led 20 men to Mexico... They wore long robes, sandals on their feet, and bruises on their faces. With a long beard and no hat on his head...Kukulkan persuaded the people to live in harmony and build their homes..."⑨ Another Spanish historian, Juan di Toquemada, records a very special old legend about the imposing-looking strangers who followed Qui and Cotel to Mexico: These men are tall and straight, with elegant manners, dressed in decent linen black robes, with open chests, no shawls, low collars, and short sleeves covering only the upper arms... They are all disciples of Quetzakotel, and they are very knowledgeable , Proficient in various skills ⑩.

Quetzalcotel was like Viracocha's twin brother who had been lost since childhood.Like the fair-skinned, bearded Andean deity, Quetzalcotel introduced skills and knowledge to Mexico, creating a civilized life for the local people and bringing them a cultural golden age.According to legend, he taught the indigenous peoples of Central America to use writing, made calendars for them, and taught them the mysteries of architectural knowledge and stone masonry.People respect him as the father of mathematics, metallurgy and astronomy.It is said that he once "mapped the whole earth".He improved local farming and increased production; local folklore says he discovered and popularized maize—the staple food of people in ancient Mesoamerica.As a physician and apothecary, he rewarded medical services, sponsored the art of astrology, and "revealed to the common people the hidden mysteries of plants."Moreover, he was revered far and wide by the natives of Mesoamerica as the maker of laws, protector of artisans, and patron of all arts.

Such a gentle and artistic man certainly could not tolerate the evil rituals he saw in Mexico; when he came to power, he immediately banned killing and worshiping gods.After he left Mexico, the local indigenous people resumed this bloody ritual and intensified it.Despite this, even the Aztecs, who were the most enthusiastic about murder and sacrifice to gods in the history of Central America, were full of nostalgia and yearning for the "Quetza Cotel Era".A story circulated by the Aztec tribe mentions: "He was a teacher who exhorted the people not to hurt anything that was alive; he told the people that people should not kill people in ceremonies, and that birds and butterflies should be used as sacrifices instead of people. "

Duel between good and evil Why did Quetzalcoatl leave?What went wrong? The story circulating in Mexico provides the answer to these two questions: an evil god named "Tezcatipocaca" (Tezcatipocaca, meaning "smoking mirror") overthrew the "feathered serpent" Quetzakot Your benevolent government, the end of his enlightened rule.Tezcatipoca demanded the restoration of the ritual of murder.Thus, the two forces of good and evil launched an earth-shattering duel in ancient Mexico, and in the end, the evil side won... The stage of this great duel is said to be at a place called Tula (TUla) today.The city of Tula isn't really that old—it's no more than 1,000 years old—but the myths and legends that surround it go back a long, long time.In prehistoric times, this place was called Tollan.All legends agree that it was at Toyoan that Tezcatipoca defeated Quetzalcotel and forced him to leave Mexico. fire snake ●Tula, Hidalgo Province, Mexico I sat on top of a pyramid, hastily named Pyramid B, square and flat at the top.The noon sun was shining straight down from the blue sky.I turned south and looked around. At the bottom of the pyramid, on the east and north walls, there are images of jaguars and vultures devouring people's hearts.Behind me stood a row of four stone pillars and four grim, nine-foot-tall granite statues.The unexcavated "Pyramid C" crouched on the ground in front of me.It is a cacti-covered mound about 40 feet high.There are also several mounds standing in the distance, waiting to be excavated by archaeologists.To my right is a field.In ancient times, bloody fighting games in ancient Roman style were often held in this 1-shaped arena.Two teams of players—sometimes just two warriors—fight each other for a rubber ball; the loser is beheaded. The four statues standing on the platform behind me exude a gloomy aura.I stood up and looked at them carefully.The sculptor gave them a stern face, a hooked nose, and hollow eyes, which made them look unfeeling.However, what attracted me the most was not their hideous faces, but the utensils they held tightly in their hands.Archaeologists admit they don't really know what it was, but they make some guesses.Scholars now generally believe that the right hand of the statue holds a javelin thrower called "atatl" (atatl) by the local indigenous people, and the left hand holds "a javelin or arrow and a sandalwood bag"⑾.In fact, the objects in the statue's hands look nothing like javelin throwers, javelins, arrows, or sandalwood bags. Readers may wish to take a look at the photos taken by my partner Sansa, and judge for themselves what the artifact in the statue's hand is.When I looked at these utensils myself, I felt that they were originally some kind of equipment made of metal.The right-hand thing, which seemed to protrude from the scabbard or hilt, appeared to be a kind of rhombus-shaped weapon with a curved lower edge.The thing in the left hand may be some kind of tool or weapon. I remember that some legends mentioned that the gods of ancient Mexico used the "fire snake" (xiuhcoatl) as a weapon⒀.This kind of weapon obviously emits fire, which penetrates the human body.Could it be that the utensils held in the hands of the pyramid statues in Tula are "Fire Serpents"?And what exactly is the "fire snake"? Whatever these gadgets are, they look like high-tech products, and, in some ways, they are reminiscent of the mysterious artifacts in the hands of the statues in the ancient city of Tihuanaco in Karasasaya Square. smoking mirror Sansa and I made a special trip to Tula/Toja because this place is very closely related to Quetzalkotel and his sworn enemy, Tezcatipoca, nicknamed "Smoking Mirror" .The legendary Tezcatipoca is young and possesses boundless mana, but he represents dark and evil forces, and his totem is a noble jaguar.He "appears and disappears, ruthless, sometimes like a shadow flying past people's eyes, sometimes in the form of a hideous monster⒁. In Mesoamerican mythology, he is often depicted as a glaring skull. It is said that he has A mysterious magic weapon "smoking mirror"; through this magic mirror, he can hide from a distance to spy on the activities of humans and gods. Scholars speculate that it may be a kind of obsidian crystal ball used for divination: "For the Mexicans It is said that obsidian has a special divinity, and the magic knife used by priests is made of obsidian... Bernal Diaz (Spanish historian) mentioned that the Mexicans called this stone Tezca ( Tezcat).A mirror polished from obsidian is used by wizards as a tool for divination. "⒂ According to legend, Tezcatipoka, who represents the forces of darkness and obscenity, fought a desperate duel with Quetzakotel, the god of light.During the long battle, the two sides fought inextricably, winning and losing each other.When this earth-shattering duel came to an end, evil triumphed over justice, and Quetzakotel was expelled from the Toyang area.Since then, under the influence of Tezcatipoca's cult, the old custom of killing people and offering sacrifices to gods has revived all over Central America. As mentioned above, according to legend, Quetzakotel fled to the seaside after the defeat and left on a "snake raft".According to a legend: "He burned his house decorated with silver and shells, buried all the treasures, and then, guided by a flock of birds, sailed away and disappeared into the East Sea." ⒃ This bleak and touching farewell is said to have taken place in Coatza.coalos, and the name of this place means "the sanctuary of the snake god"⒄.When parting, Quetzakotel promised the people who followed him: One day he will come back, overthrow the cult regime of Tezcatipoca, and start a new era - at that time, the gods will no longer enjoy human beings. Instead, accept the "sacrifice of flowers, vegetables and fruits"⒅. Notes: ①Juan Di Toquemada's "Indian Dynasty", Volume 1, quoted in Constance Owen's "White God and Stone Face", pages 37-38. Juan de torquemada, Monarchichia idiana, Vol ume l, Constance Irwin, Fair Gods and Sone Faces, WH. Alien, London, 1964, pp. 37-8. ② "Ancient North America", page 268, quoted in "Atlantis: The World Before the Flood", page 165. ③ "Mexico and Mesoamerican Mythology", p. 161. ④ Nigel Davis, "The Ancient Kingdom of Mexico", 152 pages. NigeI Davis, The Ancient Kingdoms Of Mexico, Penguin Books, London, 1990, p. 152．See also Mary Miller and Cal Toby, Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya, pp. 141-142. Mary Miller and Karl Taube, The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya, Thames & Hudson, London, 1993, pp. 141-2. ⑤Sylvanius Griswold Moore, preface by Eric Thompson "Introduction to the Study of Maya Hieroglyphics", pp. 16-17. Sylvanus Griswdd MorLey, An Introduction to the Study Of Maya Hieroglyphs (introduction by Eric S. Thompson), Dover Publications lnc, NewYork, 1975, pp. 16-17. ⑥ "White God and Stone Face", p. 62. ⑦ "Mysteries of the Mexican Pyramids", p. 347. ⑧ "Lalus Latest Myth Encyclopedia", 439 pages. NeW Larousse Encyc I Paedia of Mythology, Paul Hamlgn, Iondon, 1989, p. 439． ⑨James Bazaar, "God-Kings and Giants", p. 209. JSmes Bailey, The God-Kings and the Titans, Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1972, p. 206． ⑩ "Baishen and Shimei", pages 37-38. ⑾ "God-Kings and Giants", p.57. ⑿ "Mexico". pp. 194-195. Mexico, L0nely Planet Publications, HaWthorne, AuStralia, 1992, pp.194-5. ⒀ "Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and Maya", pp. 185, 188-189. ⒁ "Lalus Latest Myth Encyclopedia", 437 pages. ⒂Lewis Spence, "Magic and Mystery in Mexico", sl. Lewis Spence, The Magrt and Mysteres of Mexico, Rider, London, 1922, p. sl. ⒃ "Lalus Latest Myth Encyclopedia", 437 pages. ⒄ "White God and Stone Face", pp. 139-140. ⒅ "The Feathered Serpent and the Cross", pages 35 and 66.