Originally a local god to the indigenous peoples of modern day Mexico, Quetzalcoatl (most commonly translated as “Feathered Serpent”) was said to have created man from fragments of a “jewel bone” comingled with drops of his own blood. The Toltec civilization – a somewhat catchall designation for various pre-Aztec populations of the region – adopted Quetzalcoatl as both a mythological hero and a deity; some scholars speculate that the attributes of the former could stem from a real life priest king, said to have been born of a virgin, who ruled an early Toltec tribe for twenty some odd years.
In 900 AD, the Toltecs built another sacred site, the Temple of the Plumed Serpent, at Xochicalco and are said to have been building an entire city, entitled Milta, in tribute to the Quetzalcoatl – said to be a “bringer of civilization” – before construction was abandoned for unknown reasons.
With the ascension of the Aztecs in the 12th century, “the feathered serpent” was elevated to multiple posts in their pantheon of deities; he was concurrently revered as the god of wind, the zodiac, the moon, and knowledge. As the Aztec’s divine priest, he represented the mirror image of their warrior god Tezcatlipoca - who, in their mythology, was said to have seduced Quetzalcoatl through a deception. After uncovering the ruse, he burned himself to death and was reborn as “the morning star.” According to the legend, he would return to his people by sea in the Aztec year of 1-Reed – which by the Western calendar would repeatedly fall in 1363, 1467 and 1519.
Covering four square miles of the northern Yucatan Peninsula, the Mayan city of Chichen Itza’s origins remain shrouded in mystery, despite the wealth of archaeological curiosities discovered in and around its numerous temples, pyramids and sacred spaces over the past two hundred years.
Though the earliest artifacts recovered from the city date to 610 AD, it is undoubtedly older. Though never definitely proven, the prevailing theory surrounding Chichen Itza’s patchwork history goes like so: after surviving for half a millennium as a strictly Mayan settlement, the Toltec, an aggressive warrior tribe migrated north in 1000 AD. The city was invaded, the native Maya were conquered and new gods were installed in their temples.
By 1200 AD, Toltec civilization had run its course and Chichen itza was suddenly abandoned. In the second quarter of 13th century, a new community of Maya from nearby Campeche - calling themselves the Itza – had overtaken the deserted capital. This was a common practice for the nomadic peoples of the region; nonetheless, it is the Itzas’ name that remains linked with the city today.
The Itza continued to multiply in number for the next century, eventually founding the neighboring city of Mayapan. However, the rise of rival tribe called the Xiu in the late 15th century led to the destruction of Mayapan and forced the Itza to flee their reclaimed city - the second wholesale abandonment of Chichen Itza in as many centuries.
What the city lacked in permanent residents, however, it more than made up with for grand structures that still fascinate today. By far its most impressive is the Castillo, also known as the Pyramid of Kukulkan. As the main structure at Chichen Itza, the pyramid dominates the skyline at 78 feet and rises upwards through a series of nine platforms – each one a symbol of a different level of Mayan heaven. Entrance to the pyramid is gained through the four stairways that surround it on all sides. Each consists of 91 steps – a number that when multiplied by four and added to a one representing the platform at the temple’s summit, produces 365, the number of days in the year and proof positive of the Maya’s impressive calendar keeping skills.
From the top of vaunted pyramid, temple priests could view processions to the Sacred Cenote, the dreaded Well of Sacrifice. Spanning roughly an acre across, men, women and children were flung into the massive hole as sacrifices to the long forgotten Mayan gods. Despite the site’s grim connotations, it has proven to be treasure trove for would-be explorers; the cave’s depth and isolation has protected hundreds of skeletons and telltale artifacts from the ravages of time.
| These are just two of Chichen Itza’s forboding and historic installations. Others include a fully restored Mayan ball court, a Temple of the Jaguar with strong links to the early Toltec settlers, an observatory and a bevy of smaller pyramids and holy sites. Without question, there are enough unsolved questions at Chichen Itza to keep scholars guessing for several more centuries. |
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