Quetzalcoatl was a beloved Aztec god who in many traditions opposed human sacrifice
Evidence
Among all the gods of the Aztecs and the peoples of ancient Mexico, one was especially beloved as the friend and benefactor of humankind: Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent — a god pictured as a serpent covered in the brilliant green feathers of the quetzal bird, or as a wise, bearded, gentle man. Quetzalcoatl was the god of wind, of wisdom, of learning and the arts and the calendar, and above all he was the great friend of human beings, who again and again gave them precious gifts and taught them how to live well. (Unlike some of the fiercer gods, Quetzalcoatl in many traditions opposed human sacrifice, asking instead for offerings of flowers, butterflies, and snakes.) — , A Year of World Stories, 10306
Categorization
- SEED: A gentler face of Aztec religion beyond the popular blood-sacrifice stereotype — angle for a piece on complexity in ‘violent’ civilizations.
- XREF: connects to: Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl embody a cosmic duality central to Aztec religion — , A Year of World Stories, 10337
Related
Broader Connections
- Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl embody a cosmic duality central to Aztec religion
#expands(0.70) — , A Year of World Stories, 10337