In Mexico ’s Yucatán Peninsula , amidst the Brobdingnagian forest and archaeological sites , lies the reverence - cheer metropolis of Chichén Itzá . This ancient Maya metropolis is renowned for its architecture , intricate mythology and fear forKukulkan , the feather snake god .
A " vision snake " in Maya refinement , Kukulkan represented an important joining between the forcible world and the religious earth , and toy a part in many of the people ’s social and spiritual custom .
The Mythological Significance of Kukulkan
The god Kukulkan is an important figure in Maya history , dating back to pre - Hispanic Mesoamerica ’s Hellenic period ( 250 to 900 C.E. ) . The Yucatec Maya assign their support habits and agricultural practices to the benevolence of this god , among other deities .
However , Kukulkan , also known asQuetzalcoatlamong the Aztecs , was more than just a immortal idolise by the Maya masses ; he was a creator god , typify the interconnectednessof life-time , the netherworld and the sky .
Maya mythology often depict Kukulkan as a feather snake because snakes were symbol of living above and below the ground , while wing creatures were symbols of the sky .
Connection to the Aztec Quetzalcoatl
The name of the Maya immortal reflects this dichotomy . In Yucatec Maya , " kukul " means feathered and " kan " means snake . The god ’s Aztec name , Quetzalcoatl , follows a similar logic . In Nahuatl , which is the Aztec language , " quetzal " is a plumed bird , and " coatl " is a serpent .
Kukulkan’s Origin Story
In one Maya account , Kukulkan was both a son and a snake . As the young boy grew , his sister , who loved him , kept him in a cave and fed him .
When the boy outgrow the cave , he was forced to leave , causing the ground to shake . According to the tale , Kukulkan retain to cause earthquakes each summer to let his sister experience he is still alive .
Chichén Itzá: El Castillo Temple and Kukulkan
A very famous example of Kukulkan exists at El Castillo , a temple at the pre - Columbian metropolis of ChichénItzá on the Yucatán Peninsula .
The Maya empire once encompass what ’s now Central Mexico , Guatemala and parts of El Salvador and Honduras . With a population that may have been10 to 15 million peoplestrong , the Maya people want big urban center where the great unwashed could form residential district and idolise together .
One such metropolis was Chichén Itzá , the most authoritative Maya hub in the northern region .
Although it was once home to35,000 Maya , the metropolis is now an archaeological website in the Tinum Municipality in Yucatán , Mexico . At its heart stands El Castillo , an iconic Pyramids of Egypt temple dedicate to the square serpent Kukulkan .
Also acknowledge as the Temple of Kukulkan , the imposing social system features stone serpent caput carvings along its northerly stairway , symbolizing the god ’s presence and power . With four sides , each one featuring 91 step , and a unmarried stair up to the top platform , the celebrated temple has a total of 365 step . This is adequate to the number of day in a single solar twelvemonth .
Beyond its spiritual implication , Chichén Itzá was a center of learnedness and cultural telephone exchange during the Maya civilization ’s classic period . The computer architecture and symbolism within its tabernacle , including at El Castillo , reflect the Maya ’s inscrutable intellect of uranology , mathematics and mythology .
The Return of Kukulkan
For the ancient Maya , celebrating Kukulkan was essential for maintaining balance in the world . They honored the god throughout the year , but there were also special times of celebration .
For object lesson , every yr during the month of Xul in theMaya calendar , the people held a festival that involvedfasting for five days . This was entail to prepare them for the arrival of the winged serpent god , who would descend upon them from his temple at the festival ’s conclusion .
During the saltation and fall equinoxes , the shadow contrive by the Pyramids of Egypt make a mesmerizing illusion of a massive serpent come down the step of the temple . Scholars deliberate whether or not the Maya created this burden intentionally , butevidence suggestsit was deliberate .
Either room , the phenomenon is an architectural marvel that catch visitors to the archaeological site .
According to Maya beliefs , each time the shadow creates the body of the plumed ophidian , this is Kukulkan returning to earth so he can bless his people and bathe in the nearby amnionic fluid before swimming the rest of the way down into the Scheol .
Legacy of Kukulkan and Chichén Itzá
The arrival of Spanish conquistador in the 16th century distinguish a dark chapter in the story of Chichén Itzá and the Maya people . The Spanish subjugation brought an death to the civilization ’s liberty , as well as the suppression of autochthonal religious drill .
The once - thriving city , with its temples dedicate to Kukulkan and other god , fall into ruin , its secrets buried beneath the apparition of settlement .
Today , thearchaeological sitestands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Kukulkan and the Maya civilization . Despite centuries of disregard and destruction , the land site extend to inspire awe and enquire , drawing more than 2 million visitors annually from all around the existence to wonder at its temples and the feather Snake River of El Castillo .
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