In Aztec mythology, Quetzalcoatl is the feathered serpent deity whose name means “precious serpent.”
The Nahuatl name combines quetzalli, referring to the precious feathers of the quetzal bird, with coatl, meaning serpent. Quetzalcoatl was associated with wind, learning, priesthood, creation, and the planet Venus in different contexts. His importance varied across Mesoamerican cultures and historical periods.
Among the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl was also called Ehecatl in his wind aspect. Stories connected with him include the creation of humans in the Fifth Sun and the recovery of bones from the underworld, although surviving traditions contain different versions and emphases.
Quetzalcoatl is not identical to Kukulkan, the Maya feathered-serpent deity, although the two figures are closely comparable. The Spanish-era identification of Quetzalcoatl with a returning ruler is also a later and disputed interpretation, not a simple summary of pre-Conquest belief.