Which Aztec god is associated with the feathered serpent?

The story behind the answer

Which Aztec god is associated with the feathered serpent? Quetzalcoatl is the answer.

His Nahuatl name is commonly translated as “Feathered Serpent,” combining quetzalli, referring to precious plumage or the resplendent quetzal, with coatl, meaning serpent. Quetzalcoatl was associated with wind, Venus, knowledge, learning, creativity, and the priesthood.

He also appeared as Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl, the wind aspect of the deity. In creation traditions, he helped bring humanity into existence and was credited with giving maize to people. His worship was not limited to the Aztec capital: feathered-serpent traditions were already important at Teotihuacan and later flourished at Cholula.

A common mix-up is treating every feathered-serpent deity as specifically Aztec. Related figures include Kukulkan among the Maya and Qʼuqʼumatz among the Kʼicheʼ Maya. Later colonial stories also blended the god with Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, a legendary Toltec ruler.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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