God research: 4. Kukulkan

Hey, Jess here!

Back with another god research. I do like doing random gods, so I keep on doing it. But if there are any requests, feel free to ask me. I'd really like that! For now, I'll be discussing Kukulkan. Unfortunately there isn't much known about Kukulkan, but I'll try to do it with what I could find.

Kukulkan is a Mayan god who is also known as Quetzalcoatl in the Aztec culture. His name literary translated to "Feathered Serpent" as "kuk" means "feather" and with the adjectival suffix "-ul" ("kukul") it means "feathered". Then, "can" means "snake" and combined it becomes "feathered snake".

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons
/d/d9/YaxchilanDivineSerpent.jpg

The origins of Kukulkan are among the Maya of the Classic Period which is from 200 AD to 1000. At this time he was known as Waxaklahun Ubah Kan which means the War Serpent. Later he became the Vision Serpent.

According to what the Mayans believed, Kukulkan was the god of the wind, the sky and the sun. This is why he was portrayed as part rattlesnake and part quetzal bird. Also, he was a supreme leader of the gods. It is said that he gave mankind his learning and laws too. He was known to be quite merciful and also kind, but this could change. When needed, he could completely change his nature and inflict a great punishment and suffering on humans.

The identity of Kukulkan however, is a great problem. This god was not the only one to bear the name Kukulkan. Somewhere around the 10th century, an individual appeared with the same name. This person was either a priest Chichen Itza (Kukulkan's temple) or a ruler. Either way, the distinction between the two has become blurry.

Stories

A few short stories are known about Kukulkan and I think it would be nice to share those I found with you.

One of the stories that's still being told by the Yucatec Maya is about Kukukan's birth. According to this tale, he was a boy who was born as a snake. When he grew older, it became more and more obvious that he was the feathered snake. Because of this, his sister cared for him while he stayed inside a cave. She fed him every day, but at some point he had grown too big for her to keep feeding him. That is why he then flew out of the cave and right into the sea. This caused an earthquake to occur. Every year in July, earth tremors still occur and are caused by Kukulkan, only to let his sister know that he is still alive.

In a modern collection of folklore from the Yucatán, it is said that Kukulkan was a winged serpent. He flew all the way up to the sun to speak to it. But in its pride, it burnt its tongue. From the same source it is known that Kukulkan always travels ahead of Chaac, the Yucatec maya god of the rain. This way, he helps to predict the rains as his tail moves the winds and also sweeps the earth clean.

Another Mayan legend tells about how Kukulkan visited the Maya once. One day, a robed Caucasian man with a beard who had blond hair and blue eyes, visited the Maya. He then taught them all about agriculture, medicine, mathematics and even astronomy. Kukulkan also warned the Maya of the coming of another bearded man. But this man would not come to teach them. Not only would this man conquer the indigenous people of Central America, he would also enforce a new religion upon this people. This would all happen before Kukulkan would return. But despite the warning he gave them, the Maya welcomed the invading Cortes by mistake, seeing him as the deity Quetzalcoatl.

Below you can find Kukulkan's lore as it is written by the creators of Smite.

Upon the high winds of Mayan lands rides the feathered serpent, Kukulcan. Awesome and terrible to behold, majestic yet sinister, Kukulcan embodies the danger and beauty of a double-edged sword.

Time has worn away knowledge of this God like the breeze over stone. Perhaps Kukulcan prefers this. He is known by many names and worn the face of man and beast - and worshipped with the kind of reverence born of fear.

Dotted across the vast forests of the Mayan lands stand great pyramids bearing his serpentine likeness, architecturally perfect so as to catch the light and bring to life those slithering stone statues. Painted in blood, sacrifices were made upon these sites to appease Kukulcan. He is the lord of death and rebirth.

To the world, he brought the four elements, but of wind he keeps control. A great gem, worn about his sinuous neck is said to be the source of all air.

To the people, he brought the calendar. That glorious, portentous stone disk, which counts time to a distant future, only to stop abruptly and with horrifying finality.

To the battlefield, he brings a legacy of power and domination. Sacrifices made for his favor were measured in blood, but mortal blood is weak. It seems that, for Kukulcan's ultimate appeasement, the blood of a God is required.

To be continued...