Kukulkan was the feathered serpent deity worshipped by the Yucatec Maya.
The name comes from Yucatec Maya words associated with “feathered” and “serpent,” and the deity is closely related to Quetzalcoatl of central Mexico and Qʼuqʼumatz of the K’iche’ Maya. Kukulkan’s imagery connected royal power, sacred knowledge, wind, rain, and the movement between the human and supernatural worlds.
Kukulkan became especially prominent at Chichén Itzá, where the great pyramid now called El Castillo is associated with the deity. Around the equinoxes, sunlight and the pyramid’s geometry create a famous serpent-like shadow along the northern staircase, although the exact ancient intention behind the effect remains debated.
Kukulkan is easy to mix up with other Maya gods. Chaac is chiefly associated with rain and storms, Itzamna with a creator and sky deity, and Ah Puch with death. Kukulkan also should not be treated as simply identical to Quetzalcoatl: the traditions are related, but they developed in different cultural and historical settings.