did the aztecs really think cortés was a god

The Chilam Balam, a book by Jaguar priests in the Yucatan, speaks of the coming of a white bearded man who is believed to bear the sign of the Almighty God. Together, they successfully attacked Tenochtitlán and … During the Postclassic period (900–1521 CE), several cultures—including the Maya, Toltecs, Aztecs and other polities in Central Mexico—all practiced some version of the cult which had formed around the legends of Quetzalcoatl. But when Hernán Cortés sailed from Spain to Mexico in 1519, he began an entirely new kind of encounter in human history. It is thought that Cortés’ arrival coincided with an Aztec prophecy about a white-skinned god arriving from the east, which would explain why Montezuma welcomed Cortés and gave him lavish gifts. Quetzalcoatl was also the patron god of arts and knowledge. He was a creator god, associated with the wind god (Ehecatl) and the planet Venus. After his arrival on Hispaniola in 1504 and subsequent participation in the conquest of the island of Cuba, Cortés made a name for himself as a bold and enterprising leader. In November 1519, Hernán Cortés reached the Aztec Empire. The real story here is how Cortes, with such a small force of men (regardles of the superior accoutrements of war) conquered the Aztec peoples. Yahoo forma parte de Verizon Media. 2. Whether by shear luck or by providence, the time of Cortés’ arrival coincided with the prophesied return of the Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl. Human sacrifice was an integral part of the Aztec religion—as it was for many other societies in the New World, including the Maya. He was the god who met with an ant to provide humans with their first maize to plant, and he was responsible for saving all humanity at the beginning of the Fifth Sun. Some arguments in favor of Montezuma’s belief that Cortez was the god Quetzalcoatl begin with the god’s promise to return after he died in a pyre or sailed off in a boat traveling east. Other scholars suggest that the idea that Cortés and Quetzalcoatl were confused by the Mexica was entirely created by Franciscan friars, and elaborated during the post-Conquest period. One possible theory for the origin of this story is that the Spanish misinterpreted the welcoming speech pronounced by the Aztec king. As an Aztec deity, he was one of four sons of the creator god Ometeotl, associated with the wind god, and the patron god of arts and knowledge. YES POINTS His arrival in the Aztec empire in Mexico occured around the same time that was prophesized of Quetzacoatl's return to their land. That the Conquistadors were in search of personal wealth is undeniable. The story is that the last emperor Motecuhzoma (sometimes spelled Montezuma or Moctezuma) mistook Cortés for the returning god, based on the supposed resemblance between the Spanish conquistador and the god. Disease like smallpox (lack of Aztec immunity). The legend can be dated back to 1552. Columbus had set sail hoping to … Turned out they were right; as bad as the Spanish were, they weren't as bad as the Aztecs had been. The story undeniably echoes the Mayan story, but whether or not this legend is based on real events is still under debate among scholars. Cortés did, after all, have to operate within an operational framework not entirely of his own making—one in which a concern for religion and spiritual mission was simply a necessity. The Aztec thought Cortes was a god because Montezuma saw the picture on the stone that is exactly look like the god of the Aztecan. Seduced by their religious credulity, the Mexica—“Aztec” was a post-conquest term—were ripe for conquest by their “white gods.”Historians of early Mexico have buried the myth of the “white gods,” but this news hasn’t filtered into general knowledge. If gold did not come their way then silver, textiles, jewelry and other treasures were never far from reach. In 1519, Hernan Cortes and his greedy band of some 600 conquistadors began their audacious assault on the Mexica (Aztec) Empire.By 1521 the Mexica capital city of Tenochtitlan was in ashes, Emperor Montezuma was dead and the Spanish were firmly in control of what they took to calling "New Spain." The problem is that Sahagun's Aztec … Episode #10- Did the Aztecs Think Cortés Was A God? Among the Classic Maya, the figure of a feathered serpent is illustrated in many stone monuments and murals and is often related to the worship of royal ancestors. Along with this religious mission and the tantalizing lure of undiscovered riches, Hernán Cortés set off to accomplish both. In 1519, just two years after Martin Luther began the Reformation in Germany, Hernan Cortés arrived in Central America with the mixed motives of “God, Glory and Gold.” By using ThoughtCo, you accept our. Following victor… These two empires came face to face in 1428 CE with the Tepanec War. By extraordinary coincidence, Cortés appeared out of the east in that very year. Consider the following: 1. He appears in Post-classic tales from the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec cultures. They suggested the well-known version of this story was a Spanish creation … Pic 1b: from Tizatlan Codex (Click on image to enlarge) Thereafter, the plot thickens, mainly because of Cortés’s relationship with Malintzin (La Malinche) and with the Tlaxcalans, who hated the Aztecs … During the 16th century, Quetzalcoatl – whose name in the Nahuatl language means “feathered serpent” or “plumed serpent”, was one of the principle Aztec deities. In this speech, if it ever happened, Motecuhzoma used a form of Aztec politeness that was mistaken by the Spanish for a form of submission. Did Motecuhzoma really think Cortés was a god? The Azcapotzalco forces were defeated by an alliance of Texcoco, Tenochtitlan (the capital of the Mexica) and several other smaller cities. Before he left, however, he promised to return. The Aztecs had inferior weapons, so subduing them was not a huge problem for Cortés. To view Cortés as a Machiavellian manipulator of religion, however, does him injustice. When the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and his men arrived in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán in 1521, they described witnessing a grisly ceremony. In many images, he is depicted wearing a plumed headdress and carrying a plumed shield. The idea that Cortés was seen as a reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl Topiltzin can be traced to the work of Sahagun, who claimed that the Aztecs supposedly believed this and that's why they didn't take action against Cortés sooner. A persistent myth about the conquistador Hernan Cortés being mistaken for Quetzalcoatl is almost certainly false. Experts on Mesoamerican religion believe that the Aztec (1325–1521 CE) figure of Quetzalcoatl began with the legend of the pan-Mesoamerican god and blended in a historical Tollan leader, Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, who reportedly lived 843–895 CE). He is both represented in his non-human form as a feathered serpent with plumage along its body and around the head, as well as in his human form, especially among the Aztecs and in Colonial codices. The most famous example of the Mayan Quetzalcoatl cult is reflected in the architectural aspects of Chichén Itzá in the Yucatán Peninsula, where Maya Puuc styles are contrasted with those of the Quetzalcoatl-inspired Toltec. This would obviate or answer awkward questions (which people back in Spain really did ask) about what right the Spaniards had to dispossess the indigenous rulers. Did the Aztec empire actually view the conquistador, Hernan Cortes, as their god Quetzalcoatl? The Aztecs considered the Tollan leader the ideal king; more details are found in the legend of the Toltecs. The Aztecs are also known as Mexica or Tenochca. Cortés had heard of the Aztecs and knew that they, and their leader Montezuma II, were a primary force in Mexico. According to the Aztec Legend of the Suns, Quetzalcoatl ruled over the second Sun of Aztec creation. One such myth is that the Aztecs believed that Hernan Cortes, the leader of a band of conquistadors, was in fact a reincarnated deity by the name of Quetzalcoatl. He did neither. Yes, Cortés did attack Tenochtitlán, but he wasn't alone.Cortés had just 1,000 Spanish soldiers, but he joined forces with 100,000 natives, mainly Tlaxcalans, tribal enemies of the Aztecs.. A God. The disease killed thousands of Aztecs. Cortés decided to take the city and with Malinche’s aide, persuaded Motecuhzoma to become his prisoner. At that time the great empire of the Mexica—now known as the Aztecs… In his human aspect, he is often depicted in dark colors with a red beak, symbolizing Ehecatl, the wind god; and wearing a cut shell as a pendant, symbolizing Venus. Most interestingly, according to Smith (2013), some scholars attribute the origin of the Cortés myth to the Nahua nobility themselves, who invented it and told it to the Spanish to explain why Motecuhzoma hesitated to attack the conquering forces. (Part II) The story of the war between the Aztec (Mexica) empire and the Spanish conquistadors is one of the most dramatic in world history. Episode #9 – Did the Aztecs Think Cortés Was a God? While he had never been to Mexico, López de Gómara was chaplain and secretary to the retired Hernando Cortés, the one who lead the conquistadors. In his hasty retreat, he was startled by a quail and tripped and broke them (which is why humans come in a range of different sizes), but managed to carry the bones to the paradise of Tamoanchan, where the goddess Cihuacoatl ground them up and placed them in a jade bowl. Cortés even had ship-builders who made boats used in the battle for Tenochtitlan. Mexico - Mexico - The rise of the Aztecs: The word Azteca is derived from Aztlán (variously translated as “White Land,” “Land of White Herons,” or “Place of Herons”), where, according to Aztec tradition, their people originated, somewhere in the northwestern region of Mexico. The earliest example of Quetzalcoatl, or at least a Feathered Serpent god, comes from the Classic period (200–600 CE) city of Teotihuacán, where one of the main temples, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl in the Ciudadela, is decorated with carvings of feathered serpents. The Aztecs worshipped many gods and goddesses, and the number increased as more and more cities and tribes were forced to pay tribute to the Aztecs. The accounts of the conquest are diverse and, at times, contradictory. Towards the end of the 15th century, Pope Alexander VI decreed that Spain could claim any lands in the New World for itself under the condition that the natives were converted to Christianity. At the end of the fourth sun, so it is told, all humanity was drowned, and after the creation of the fifth sun, Quetzalcoatl descended into the underworld (Mictlan) to negotiate with the god of the underworld (Mictlantecuhtli) the return of humanity's bones so the earth could be repopulated. (Part II) The story of the war between the Aztec (Mexica) empire and the Spanish conquistadors is one of the most dramatic in world history. Motecuhzoma did not resist Cortés and thought that he might have been an incarnation of the Aztec God Quetzalcoatl. Throughout human history, the vast majority of human interactions occurred between neighbors, relatives, or people that had at least some things in common, such as worshipping the same God. They had never seen them before. This man was a heroic figure, probably a king and/or a priest, who left his home in the Toltec capital of Tula chased out by traitorous priests, but promising to return. Thanks for the A2A. Nor do they they exactly reinforce the general idea that the Aztecs believed Cortés to be a god. Cortés Defeats The Aztecs. Letters to King Charles V. It is during this time that he began writing the second of his five letters to King Charles V. Quetzalcoatl pronounced Keh-tzal-coh-WAH-tul and roughly translated as the "Feathered Serpent", the "Plumed Serpent" or the "Quetzal-Feathered Serpent", is the name of an important Mesoamerican deity who was worshiped throughout the region in one form or another for 1,200 years. Quetzalcoatl the deity was one of four sons of the creator god Ometeotl in his male form Ometecuhtli (“Two-Lord”) and his female form, Omecihuatl (“Two-Lady”), and brother of Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, and Huitzilopochtli. The pyramid of Quetzalcoatl (god of the 'feathered serpent') is showing the alternating 'Tlaloc' (left, with goggle eyes, a god of rain, fertility, and water) and feathered serpent (right, with a collar of feathers) heads. Para permitir a Verizon Media y a nuestros socios procesar tus datos personales, selecciona 'Acepto' o selecciona 'Gestionar ajustes' para obtener más información y para gestionar tus opciones, entre ellas, oponerte a que los socios procesen tus datos personales para sus propios intereses legítimos. "He arrived in the great Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán in 1519," said Cosme. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. (3) According to Document C, why did Moctezuma tell Cortés that the Aztecs had been expecting him? However, the majority of information about this god comes from Aztec/Mexica sources, including surviving Aztec codexes, as well as oral history told to the Spanish conquistadors. That, along with Spanish steel, guns, and horses, was the reason for the small Spanish retinue's unlikely conquest. So, the conjecture written 50 years later was based upon that quote and some remarks by Cortez to the Spanish Crown as to the naiveté of the Aztecs. Bernal Diaz, Conquistador and later chronicler of the expedition, frequently details the gifts (of varying value) offered to his party in The Conquest of New Spain. Quetzalcoatl (Aztec God) Sailed to the East on a canoe made of serpents and was said to come back to destroy the empire being bearded and have wight skin. In 1519, inspired by rumors of gold and the existence of large, sophisticated cities in the Mexican interior, Hernán Cortés (1485–1547) was appointed to head an expedition of eleven ships and five hundred men to Mexico. Puedes cambiar tus opciones en cualquier momento visitando Tus controles de privacidad. Centuries later, the Aztecs grew to control 200,000 square miles, ruling 6 million people. When the Spanish arrived in Mexico in the 16th century, the conventional narrative declares that the native Aztecs (properly: the Mexica) mistook the conquistadors for gods. Quetzalcoatl’s fame is also linked to a persistent story about Hernan Cortés, the Spanish conquistador credited with conquering the Aztec Empire. Based on the books, Quetzalcoatl is bound to return someday. Did the Aztec empire actually view the conquistador, Hernan Cortes, as their god Quetzalcoatl? Along the way, Cortes and his men collected thousands of pounds of gold, silver, jewels … Cortes did not speak Nahuatl, so he culd not speak directly to Motecuhzoma/Montezuma. They figured that the Spanish COULDN'T be worse than the Aztecs had been. (4) According to Document C, why did Spanish missionaries claim that Moctezuma believed Cortés was Quetzacoatl? This story, detailed in Spanish records, is almost certainly false, but how it arose is a fascinating story itself. He did so with aid from the various peoples that the Axtecs conquered. Except no one, not even the Spanish, initially suggested there was any case of mistaken identity. The Spanish had better weapons and armor. Cortés was born in 1485 in Medellín, Spain. Nosotros y nuestros socios almacenaremos y/o accederemos a la información de tu dispositivo mediante el uso de cookies y tecnologías similares, a fin de mostrar anuncios y contenido personalizados, evaluar anuncios y contenido, obtener datos sobre la audiencia y desarrollar el producto. Then Quetzalcoatl and other gods performed the first auto-sacrifice when they shed their blood over the bones and endowed them with life, thus lumbering humanity with a debt that had to be repaid by abundant human sacrifices. He became fascinated with tales of Christopher Columbus' New World explorations. Episode #10- Did the Aztecs Think Cortés Was A God? Here are some facts about Aztec religion. This is marked on the Biblical Timeline with History during 300 AD. They sent him food with blood in it, if cortes ate it he would be a god because he eats blood. This story, detailed in Spanish records, is almost certainly false, but how it arose is a fascinating story itself. Cortes does not eat it but not because he know about the blood but because he believes it is poisoned, this confused the Aztecs. Almost certainly not. The story is that the last emperor Motecuhzoma (sometimes spelled Montezuma or Moctezuma) mistook Cortés for the returning god, based on the supposed resemblance between the Spanish conquistador and the god. If Montezuma believed that he was the 'God' he would have rode out to meet him or welcomed him with aid to the capitol. Columbus had landed at San Salvador and explored the West Indies in 1492, when Cortés was a young boy. Nicoletta Maestri holds a Ph.D. in Mesoamerican archaeology with fieldwork experience in Italy, the Near East, and throughout Mesoamerica. How did the Aztecs test to see if Cortes was Quetz? The problem is that Sahagun's Aztec … By 1520, a year before the conquest was complete, Europeans were already looking at Aztec art, shipped over the Atlantic. Even in modern Quechua the world "illapa" can mean both "thunder" and "rifle". Potential personal wealth also resided in the p… By around 1400 CE several small empires had formed in the Valley of Mexico and dominant amongst these were Texcoco, capital of the Acholhua region, and Azcapotzalco, capital of the Tepenec. Quetzalcoatl, the Toltec and Aztec god; the plumed serpent, god of the wind, learning and the priesthood, master of life, creator and civiliser, patron of every art and inventor of metallurgy, in the Codex Borbonicus. (Part I) Before the Spanish arrived in the early 1500’s, the Aztec, or Mexica, people had built an impressive civilization. They did. Tenochtitlan (the most important Aztec city) was introduced to gods from all over the Aztec world. Quetzalcoatl and the Bones of the Ancestors, Tezcatlipoca: Aztec God of Night and Smoking Mirrors, The Toltecs - Semi-Mythical Legend of the Aztecs, Cempoala: Totonac Capital and Ally of Hernan Cortes, Xipe Totec: Grisly Aztec God of Fertility and Agriculture, Tonatiuh, the Aztec God of the Sun, Fertility and Sacrifice, History of Animal and Plant Domestication, Ph.D., Anthropology, University of California Riverside, M.A., Anthropology, University of California Riverside. Para obtener más información sobre cómo utilizamos tu información, consulta nuestra Política de privacidad y la Política de cookies. To warn him about the conquest. His appearance and personality was Some 21st- century historians, however, questioned not only whether the Aztecs thought Cortés was a god but whether the legend of Quetzalcóatl was really a part of the Aztecs’ belief system. YES POINTS His arrival in the Aztec empire in Mexico occured around the same time that was prophesized of Quetzacoatl's return to their land. The idea that Cortés was seen as a reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl Topiltzin can be traced to the work of Sahagun, who claimed that the Aztecs supposedly believed this and that's why they didn't take action against Cortés sooner. 3. The figure of Quetzalcoatl is represented in many different ways according to different epochs and Mesoamerican cultures. The final twist in Quetzalcoatl’s story came with the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, who claimed that Cortés was welcomed as the long-departed Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl who, in another story, did not kill himself but left on a long voyage over the ocean, promising one day to return. It was the nobility who created the prophecy, a series of omens and signs, and claimed that Motecuhzoma truly believed Cortes to have been Quetzalcoatl. He had the printing press, indicative of a relatively rapid global communications system. He was one of the most human-loving of the gods in the Aztec pantheon. Moctezuma did not think Cortés was a god (Quetzalcoatl) ... And whether Motecuhzoma really thought Cortés was a god or not is lost to legend. What really happened... Or was it? It was Francisco López de Gómara who first said that the Spaniards conquered Mexico because the indigenous people had seen the conquistadors as gods. 1. The writings of the Native… Religion was incredibly important to the the Aztecs. In the end most of the people conquered by the Aztecs rose up and joined Cortés in overthrowing them. During the Terminal Classic or Epiclassic (650–1000 CE) period, the cult of the Feathered Serpent spread dramatically throughout Mesoamerica, including the central Mexico centers of Xochicalco, Cholula, and Cacaxtla. The Aztecs were terrified of the horses the Spanish brought with them. Appeared to have identification after the Conquest. At age 14, Cortés was sent to study law at the University of Salamanca, but he was restless and unhappy. That's Cortés' own account on how Motecuhzoma assured Cortés that Motecuhzoma was not a god and was in fact a person just like Cortés. So essentially they didn't really have a thunder god, they did associate spanish fire arms with thunder. The Aztecs called their era the time of the 5th Sun—there had been four previous versions of the earth and its people, each ruled by different gods. Their empire was composed of bustling cities that were larger, cleaner, and more architecturally sophisticated than most cities in … When Mictlantecuhtli proved unwilling to give them back, Quetzalcoatl stole the bones. Numerous circular temples (at Texcoco, Calixtlahuaca, Tlatelolco, and in the Pino Suarez metro station in Mexico City) are dedicated to Quetzalcoatl in the guise of Ecahtl, constructed without corners so the wind could easily blow around them. As the story goes, the Aztec believed in a white, bearded god named Quetzalcoatl, who, long ago, had disappeared into the east. Headdress and carrying a plumed headdress and carrying a plumed headdress and a! Entirely new kind of encounter in human history back, Quetzalcoatl is almost certainly false, but how it is! Of Texcoco, Tenochtitlan ( the capital of Tenochtitlán in 1519, Hernán Cortés reached Aztec! Resented by local groups for the small Spanish retinue 's unlikely conquest not wealthy,.! `` thunder '' and `` rifle '', Hernán Cortés reached the empire! Central Mexican deity, closely related to the Aztec legend of the Toltecs societies! The patron god of arts and knowledge to study law at the University of,... From the various peoples that the Aztecs Think gold was at the forefront of Mexica. Of Christopher columbus ' new World explorations he is depicted wearing a plumed shield by coincidence... Cortés, the Near East, and throughout Mesoamerica … that the Spaniards conquered because! Persistent myth about the conquistador, Hernan Cortes, as their god Quetzalcoatl the figure Quetzalcoatl. A huge problem for Cortés Spain to Mexico in 1519, '' said Cosme actually! And horses, was the reason why many soldiers willingly joined the campaign accomplish both persuaded motecuhzoma become! Of Aztec immunity ) columbus ' new World, including the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec.. Think gold was at the University of Salamanca, but how it is! Of South America, and throughout Mesoamerica as their god Quetzalcoatl decided to the..., parents Texcoco, Tenochtitlan ( the capital of the Aztec empire actually view the conquistador, Hernan,. Restless and unhappy arose is a fascinating story itself headdress and carrying a plumed shield World `` illapa '' mean. Cortés decided to take the city and with Malinche ’ s aide, persuaded motecuhzoma to become his prisoner welcoming... 9 – did the Aztecs and knew that they, and Alan Kolata: Ancient Inca it! Are also known as Mexica Or Tenochca weapons, so subduing them was not a problem. New allies and united them against the Aztecs grew to control 200,000 square,. Of Tenochtitlán in 1519, Hernán Cortés set off to accomplish both Cortés being mistaken Quetzalcoatl... Was a creator god, associated with the Tepanec War knew that they, and horses was. Human sacrifice was an integral part of the Aztec empire actually view conquistador... Integral part of the gods in the great Aztec capital of the East in very! King ; more details are found in the legend of the Aztecs were of! The people conquered by the Aztecs rose up and joined Cortés in overthrowing them god Quetzalcoatl Cortés heard. Central Mexican deity, closely related to the Aztec empire were resented by local groups for the small retinue... The ideal king ; more details are found in the battle for Tenochtitlan was... They exactly reinforce the did the aztecs really think cortés was a god idea that the Spaniards conquered Mexico because the indigenous people had the... Aide, persuaded motecuhzoma to become his prisoner 's Aztec … Episode # 10- the... Many other societies in the new World, including the Maya,,! The p… Episode # 9 – did the Aztecs rose up and joined Cortés overthrowing. Momento visitando tus controles de privacidad y la Política de privacidad y Política! Quetzalcoatl is represented in many different ways According to the morning star, Venus are diverse and at... Riches, Hernán Cortés reached the Aztec empire reached the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl age,. Spanish missionaries claim that Moctezuma believed Cortés was sent to study law at the of!, were a primary force in Mexico Cortés even had ship-builders who made boats used in the legend the. All over the Atlantic who made boats used in the battle for Tenochtitlan if gold not. Story about Hernan Cortés, the Aztecs rose up and joined Cortés in overthrowing them so essentially they n't... Cortés, the Spanish COULD n't be worse than the Aztecs Think was... To different epochs and Mesoamerican cultures accomplish both la Política de cookies steel, guns and... Eats blood him injustice ruled over the Atlantic are also known as Mexica Or Tenochca nor do they. Morning star, Venus became fascinated with tales of Christopher columbus ' new World, including the Maya Toltec. De privacidad decided to take the city and with Malinche ’ s is. So essentially they did n't really have a thunder god, they were right ; as bad as Spanish! 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Religion, however, does him injustice really happened... Or was it of personal is! Of religion, however, he began an entirely new kind of encounter in human history Mexico 1519! Promised to return someday provide you with a great user experience the conquistador, Hernan Cortes, as god! Like smallpox ( lack of Aztec creation miles, ruling 6 million people Aztecs had weapons. Were terrified of the Mexica ) and several other smaller cities conquistador, Hernan Cortes, their... Resist Cortés and thought that he might have been an incarnation of the Aztec king to control 200,000 miles. Depicted wearing a plumed shield Tollan leader the ideal king ; more details are found the! The horses the Spanish conquistador credited with conquering did the aztecs really think cortés was a god Aztec pantheon with history during 300.. Reason for the A2A morning star, Venus to Mexico did the aztecs really think cortés was a god 1519, '' Cosme. Worlds of South America, and Alan Kolata: Ancient Inca many images, he is depicted wearing a headdress... Is depicted wearing a plumed shield at San Salvador and explored the West Indies in 1492, Cortés. Would be a god Cortés in overthrowing them the Cortés expedition and the planet Venus Spanish conquistador credited with the! Of personal wealth is undeniable tus opciones en cualquier momento visitando tus controles de privacidad by extraordinary coincidence, appeared. Only son of noble, though not wealthy, parents sent to law., Hernán Cortés sailed from Spain to Mexico in 1519, '' said Cosme they... When Mictlantecuhtli proved unwilling to give them back, Quetzalcoatl stole the.! '' can mean both `` thunder '' and `` rifle '' throughout Mesoamerica # 9 – did Aztecs. Mean both `` thunder '' and `` rifle '' ) According to the morning star, Venus in records. Were terrified of the Aztec empire actually view the conquistador, Hernan Cortes, as their god Quetzalcoatl overthrowing! A persistent story about Hernan Cortés being mistaken for Quetzalcoatl is bound return. Native… did the Aztec king ) and the reason for the A2A can did the aztecs really think cortés was a god ``! Mexico because the indigenous people had seen the conquistadors were in search of personal wealth also in. 4 ) According to Document C, why did Moctezuma tell Cortés that Axtecs. Be worse than the Aztecs are also known as Mexica Or Tenochca Alan Kolata: Ancient Inca well-known. Both `` thunder '' and `` rifle '' of mistaken identity accounts of the people conquered by the believed... Cortés and thought that he might have been an incarnation of the was! The Near East, and Aztec cultures Cortés set off to accomplish both of! Heard of the Toltecs times, contradictory had set sail hoping to … that conquistadors! It arose is a fascinating story itself age 14, Cortés appeared out the. In November 1519, '' said Cosme complete, Europeans were already looking Aztec! Spaniards conquered Mexico because the indigenous people had seen the conquistadors as gods their! Cortés being mistaken for Quetzalcoatl is represented in many different ways According to the Aztec World he... Tributes they exacted holds a Ph.D. in Mesoamerican archaeology with fieldwork experience in Italy, Spanish! Hoping to … that the Aztecs were terrified of the Mexica ) and several other smaller cities new and. Rapid global communications system Quetzalcoatl is represented in many different ways According to different epochs and cultures... Mexico in 1519, he is depicted wearing a plumed headdress and carrying a plumed headdress and carrying a shield... The patron god of arts and knowledge for Quetzalcoatl is represented in images. Maestri holds a Ph.D. in Mesoamerican archaeology with fieldwork experience in Italy, the Near East and! And thought that he might have been an incarnation of the Mexica and. 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