In the Popol Vuh, Gucumatz is the feathered serpent creator deity.
Gucumatz is the Spanish-influenced spelling of Qʼuqʼumatz, the feathered serpent deity of the Kʼicheʼ Maya. In the Popol Vuh, Gucumatz appears with Tepeu in the primordial setting before creation. Together they discuss forming the earth, mountains, animals, and humanity. Their first attempts produce beings unable to speak or properly honor the gods; humanity is ultimately made from maize.
The name Qʼuqʼumatz literally combines a word for the resplendent quetzal with kumatz, meaning snake, so “feathered serpent” is a familiar but somewhat loose translation. Tepeu is Gucumatz’s creative partner in the narrative, which can make the question seem broader, but Tepeu is not the feathered serpent. Quetzalcoatl is the related Aztec deity, while Kukulkan is the Yucatec Maya counterpart. These figures share important imagery and may be historically connected, yet the Kʼicheʼ name used in the Popol Vuh is Gucumatz.