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Feathered Serpent Cult

Type Object Region Mesoamerica Time c. 900–1000

The feathered serpent cult was the most widely spread religious-cultural phenomenon in Mesoamerica around the 10th century CE, called Quetzalcoatl by…

Timeline

  1. c. 900–950Tula · HidalgoThe Toltecs established the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl as a state religious symbol at Tula; the Feathered Serpent Pyramid and the feathered serpent reliefs on the warrior columns embody the close union of royal and divine authority.
  2. c. 950–1000Chichén Itzá · YucatánWith Toltec influence the feathered serpent cult reached the Yucatán, appearing at Chichén Itzá as the Kukulkan pyramid and the equinox feathered-serpent light-and-shadow rite, completing its localization from Nahuatl into Maya culture.
  3. c. 980–1000Mesoamerican cultural sphere · MesoamericaThe feathered serpent image became a shared religious symbol among the city-states of Postclassic Mesoamerica, appearing widely in pottery, murals, and architecture, promoting cross-regional cultural identity and the discourse of political alliance.

Sources